Samsung is trying to make the Galaxy S26 Ultra thinner with new camera lenses

What you need to know

• Samsung might employ new lens technologies to make the Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera system thinner.
• The process would include printing a matte coating directly on a part of the lens.
• This would replace a traditional lens film, which is necessary to reduce lens flare and ghosting effects.

Samsung's "Ultra" phones are typically known for their large and robust camera systems, like the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 200MP main sensor. However, the company may be looking to fit these superb camera sensors into a smaller package for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Samsung is planning to use an inkjet printing process to manufacturer thinner Galaxy S26 Ultra lenses, according to a report from The Elec (translated to English).

A company subdivision, called Samsung Electro-Mechanics, is tasked with creating camera lenses for Galaxy devices, and will reportedly switch to the inkjet printing process (via Android Headlines).

Currently, The Elec reports that Samsung uses film layers within camera lenses to reduce lighting issues during capture, like lens flare and ghosting. The extra layers add to the camera lens' overall thickness, which could be reduced if the film was swapped with a printed layer.

The inkjet printing process serves as a slimmer alternative to traditional lens films. It involves putting matte ink directly on the part of the camera lens known as the "rib" — this is the portion of the camera housing that takes in light from the lenses, pushing it towards the actual camera sensors. With less space needed between the lenses and the sensor, the camera housing as a whole can become more compact.

According to The Elec's report, Samsung previously shared this technology in a patent application in 2018, but it didn't end up being officially registered and patented.

With a thinner camera lens, it's possible that Samsung could reduce the size of the Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera bump. The company could also use the extra space to house bigger components, like a larger battery, but a smaller protrusion for the camera lenses is most likely. These reports are currently unconfirmed, so we'll have to wait until the Samsung Galaxy S26 is officially announced to know which changes are coming to the phone's camera system for certain.