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Replace: March 6, 2026 (9:12 PM ET): Samsung has confirmed in an announcement to SammyGuru that the Galaxy S26 Extremely does certainly make the most of ALoP tech.

Authentic article: March 6, 2026 (05:25 AM ET): Samsung reserved a lot of the spotlight upgrades on the Galaxy S26 sequence for the Galaxy S26 Extremely, together with a wider aperture on the first digicam and the 5x telephoto digicam. One change that flew below the radar is that the 5x digicam is not a periscope zoom lens. As a substitute, Samsung has switched to a unique lens kind for the 5x zoom digicam.

Galaxy S26 Extremely has a unique 5x optical zoom digicam setup

A report from GSMArena notes that the brand new Galaxy S26 Extremely makes use of a “conventional” lens design for its 5x optical zoom digicam, with the lens parts and the sensor parallel to the telephone. In distinction, the S25 Extremely makes use of a periscope lens design for its 5x optical zoom digicam, through which a prism bends gentle 90°, so the lens parts and the sensor are perpendicular to the telephone.

Due to this variation, the Galaxy S26 Extremely’s 5x optical zoom digicam has a poorer minimal focus distance of 52cm. In distinction, the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s 5x optical zoom digicam may focus at 26cm and past.

For individuals who love utilizing the telephoto digicam for close-up pictures, it is a noticeable downgrade — although it’s necessary to caveat that most individuals use the 5x zoom digicam for zoom pictures on far-away topics.

The report additional notes that the completely different lens assemblies create completely different bokeh. The Galaxy S25 Extremely produces a extra rectangular bokeh for out-of-focus lights, whereas the Galaxy S26 Extremely produces a extra oval/round bokeh.

Samsung’s specs and advertising for the Galaxy S26 Extremely make no point out of a “periscope,” whereas these for the Galaxy S25 Extremely do. The report alludes to a purpose for the lens swap and says it’s doubtless not because of the wider aperture, however doesn’t but share the precise discovering.

Is Samsung utilizing ALoP on the Galaxy S26 Extremely?

There’s hypothesis that the Galaxy S26 Extremely makes use of Samsung’s ALoP (All Lenses on Prism) expertise for its zoom lens. In an ALoP answer, the sensor sits perpendicular to the telephone, however the lens parts sit on high of the prism (fairly than in between the prism and the sensor), parallel to the telephone.

This enables for a smaller digicam module whereas permitting for a quicker aperture. This also needs to clarify the round bokeh (because the rectangular prism isn’t the primary entry level for gentle on this setup).

Nevertheless, an ALoP setup can’t be thought-about a “conventional” lens design, because it combines perpendicular and parallel parts, so we’re inquisitive about GSMArena‘s actual findings on the Galaxy S26 Extremely’s 5x optical zoom digicam since they are saying it goes again to a “conventional” lens design.

Confusingly, whereas Samsung Semiconductor doesn’t publicly classify ALoP as a “periscope” zoom digicam, using a prism within the digicam module to bend gentle by 90° does technically make it a “periscope” zoom digicam. ALoP merely reconfigures the structure of what’s known as a “typical folded zoom” digicam module — periscope zoom cameras with the visibly rectangular lens opening.

Thus, Samsung’s hesitation in assigning the phrase “periscope” to the Galaxy S26 Extremely’s digicam setup stays unexplained. Samsung’s Cellular division usually neglects a deep dive into technical specs, so it’s not solely stunning that it doesn’t point out both ALoP or periscope zoom in any advertising supplies.

We’ve reached out to Samsung for clarification on the Galaxy S26 Extremely’s 5x optical zoom digicam: whether or not it makes use of the traditional folded-zoom design or the newer ALoP design, and whether or not it’s nonetheless categorised as a periscope zoom digicam. We’ll maintain you up to date after we hear again from the corporate.