In a worrying case of apparent regression, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumored to sport the biggest selfie camera hole ever used in an Ultra variant, highlighting Samsung's aggressive corner-cutting measures, presumably to keep a lid on the apex variant's price.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a 4mm selfie camera hole
According to the prolific tipster Ice Universe, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a 4mm-diameter selfie camera hole, which would constitute a new record for the Ultra variant.
As is evident from the renders provided by Ice Universe in the linked X post, the selfie camera hole appears noticeably bigger than the one found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. What's more, the render for the S26 Ultra also appears to show somewhat wider bezels. Taken together, these two developments constitute an apparent case of regression by Samsung.
As to Samsung's motive behind these aberrant steps, Ice Universe believes it might have something to do with cutting costs on the S26 Ultra's "display and overall design."
This comes as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is already struggling with pricey components. As we reported earlier today, the Ultra variant will exclusively sport Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, constituting a substantial cost center versus Samsung's in-house Exynos 2600 chip, which is expected to power the other S26 variants.
This report about the exclusive use of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip within the S26 Ultra also appears to negate a recent claim by Qualcomm during its earnings call, where the company's management had declared that it expected to maintain its new 75 percent baseline share with Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S26 series. Either Qualcomm expects the Ultra variant to command a 75 percent share of the S26 lineup's sales mix, or there is an apparent discrepancy with the company's outlook.
Update
Samsung seems to have upgraded the field of view for the S26 Ultra's selfie camera, resulting in a larger cutout. Even so, the wider bezels still hint at some cost-cutting.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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