If you’ve ever pointed your Samsung flagship at a clear blue sky and wondered why the photo looks grainy or striped, you’re not alone. It’s a frustration that smartphone photographers have quietly dealt with for years, and Samsung might finally be addressing it.
According to leaks from tipster Ice Universe, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 200MP main camera will handle sky shots with noticeably less banding and noise than the current S25 Ultra. That’s a specific fix for a real problem, not just a spec bump.
Banding shows up as unnatural lines or gradient steps across what should be smooth color transitions. Noise appears as digital grain that cheapens an otherwise clean shot. Both issues plague wide, empty scenes like skies or studio backdrops, where there’s little detail to mask the camera’s processing quirks.
The leak also mentions the white color option will be “pure white” rather than cream or silver-tinged, which matters if you care about aesthetics.
Beyond the camera tweak, the S26 Ultra is expected to pack a faster processor, improved display privacy features, and quicker charging. The downside? A likely price increase over the already expensive S25 Ultra.
Samsung’s launch is about three weeks out. If this sky photography improvement holds up in real-world testing, it could mean cleaner landscape shots and fewer throwaway photos from weekend trips. Sometimes the most useful upgrades aren’t the flashiest ones.
