Samsung is all set to unveil the Galaxy S25 series to the world at the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose, California on January 22, 2025. However, even before the upcoming devices go official, rumors about the next-generation Galaxy S26 series have started emerging. Has started to emerge. Reportedly, the South Korean tech giant is planning some major upgrades, including advanced camera features and the latest battery technology.

One of the most exciting details comes from a new leak on Weibo by tipster DigitalChatStation. According to the source, Samsung is said to use a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with a 1/1.5-inch sensor. To put this in perspective, the Vivo X200 Pro already has a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with a slightly larger 1/1.4-inch sensor. If Samsung moves forward with this idea, the Galaxy S26 Ultra – presumably rebranded as the S26 Note – could see a major upgrade in zoom capabilities compared to its predecessors.

Currently, the Galaxy S24 Ultra uses a 50-megapixel periscope lens with 5x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra is rumored to have a similar setup. DigitalChatStation also indicated that three out of five flagship smartphones launching this year could feature a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera, suggesting that this could be a growing trend.

Another major development is the rumored use of silicon-carbon battery technology. Samsung is reportedly working on eventually adopting silicon carbon batteries for the Galaxy S26 series. For those who don’t know, silicon carbon batteries offer higher energy density, allowing larger capacity without increasing the size of the device. We have already started seeing this latest battery technology in several high-end flagship phones, such as the recently launched Vivo X200 series, OnePlus 13, and others. Even the recently launched Poco X7 Pro – a smartphone priced under Rs 30,000 – has a 6,550mAh Silicon Carbon battery under the hood.

Apart from camera and battery upgrades, Samsung is also said to be exploring improvements in display technology. The Galaxy S26 Ultra may use color-filter-on-thin-film-encapsulation (CoE) technology, which can reduce the thickness of the screen while increasing light transmission. This will contribute to a more immersive viewing experience while also having a relatively slimmer profile compared to the current generation models.

Interestingly, there may also be a change in Samsung’s naming conventions. Rumors suggest that the Ultra model may be renamed Galaxy Note, while the Plus variant may become Galaxy Pro. If this happens, the Galaxy S26 lineup could include the Galaxy S26, S26 Pro, and S26 Note.