Does the Galaxy S26 Ultra still have a periscope telephoto camera?

This is the technical debate. GSMArena found that the 5x unit uses a traditional lens arrangement rather than a classic periscope. Some analysts suggest Samsung may have implemented its ALoP (All Lenses on Prism) technology, which retains internal light redirection with a different geometry — but this hasn't been officially confirmed.

What is ALoP technology?

ALoP stands for All Lenses on Prism — a Samsung-developed design announced in 2024 that repositions lens elements in front of the prism rather than behind it. This allows a wider aperture in a thinner chassis. If the S26 Ultra uses it, this would be its first real-world deployment in a Samsung phone.

Does this change affect everyday photography?

For casual users shooting distant subjects: minimal impact, with potential gains in bokeh quality and low-light performance. For enthusiast photographers who regularly use telephoto for close-up and detail shots: the increased minimum focusing distance is a meaningful limitation.

Why didn't Samsung announce this lens change?

Samsung's marketing focused on aperture improvements and low-light gains — without highlighting the lens type change. The shift was uncovered by GSMArena through direct comparison with Samsung's own product pages, where "periscope" was prominently featured on the S25 Ultra page but absent from the S26 Ultra page.

How does S26 Ultra compare to competitors on this point?

Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Oppo Find X9 Ultra retain periscope designs with close minimum focusing distances. iPhone 17 Pro Max uses a 5x periscope at f/2.8 with macro capability. The S26 Ultra offers a different trade-off: better bokeh and low-light aperture, at the cost of reduced close-focus capability.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra Ditches the 5x Periscope: What Do Users Gain and Lose?

Galaxy S26 Ultra Ditched the Periscope on Its 5x Camera — Here's What That Actually Means

In a hands-on examination, GSMArena discovered a technical detail Samsung didn't highlight in its marketing: the Galaxy S26 Ultra's 5x telephoto uses a traditional lens design — where lens elements and sensor are parallel to the phone's back — rather than the periscope lens from the S25 Ultra, which uses a prism to bend light 90 degrees.

What Is a Periscope and Why Does It Matter?

A periscope design lets phones achieve long focal lengths (5x, 10x zoom and beyond) without increasing body thickness — by redirecting light horizontally through a prism rather than straight through a conventional lens stack. It became the standard approach for flagship telephoto cameras.

The Core Change in S26 Ultra

The S25 Ultra used a periscope lens at a 111mm focal length — the standard approach at this zoom range. The S26 Ultra replaces this with a traditional lens design where elements and sensor sit on a straight optical axis parallel to the phone.

What Users Gain

Rounder, More Pleasing Bokeh: Periscope lenses produce rectangular bokeh shapes in background blur, which is less aesthetically pleasing. Traditional lenses produce round bokeh in the center that gradually shifts toward the edges — a more attractive result for portrait and close-up photography.

Wider Aperture: The new f/2.9 aperture vs. f/3.4 on the S25 Ultra theoretically lets in 38% more light — beneficial for low-light telephoto shots and detail retention.

What Users Lose

Minimum Focusing Distance — The Key Trade-Off: The circular lens opening is more compact and better suited for thinner phones, but comes with a trade-off: the minimum focusing distance has increased, meaning the phone cannot focus on subjects as close as the S25 Ultra's periscope unit could.

In practical terms: detailed close-up telephoto shots — food photography, coins, insects, product detail — become harder to achieve with the S26 Ultra.

Upgrade or Downgrade?

If you only use telephoto for distant subjects, this may actually be an upgrade: better bokeh and a wider aperture. If you relied on the telephoto for close-up and detail photography, this is a tangible downgrade. Notably, Samsung's official S26 Ultra page contains no mention of "periscope" — while the S25 Ultra page referenced it explicitly.