Galaxy S26 Ultra Also Handled the Unpacked Livestream... "We Knew We Could Count on It"

The brightest camera ever...Sharper shots
Enhanced nighttime video quality...Supports professional APV codec
AI image editing tools that turn imagination into reality

"I was a bit nervous at this Galaxy Unpacked event. The global live broadcast was done using the Galaxy S26 Ultra. I was worried that something might go wrong, but fortunately, it was a success."

On the 25th (local time) in San Francisco, United States, Samsung Electronics held its 'Galaxy Unpacked 2026' event. For about one hour, the company unveiled the S26 series to global consumers through a live broadcast, and the true capabilities of the Galaxy S26 Ultra camera were showcased. The new product launch event, which was streamed using only the S26 Ultra camera instead of professional filming equipment, clearly captured Samsung’s innovative technology with remarkable clarity and precision.

Cho Seongdae, Vice President at Samsung Electronics and Head of the Visual Solutions Team in the Mobile eXperience (MX) Division, is explaining at the Galaxy Camera Innovation Briefing held in San Francisco, U.S., on the 25th (local time). Photo by Samsung Electronics

Cho Seongdae, Vice President at Samsung Electronics and Head of the Visual Solutions Team in the Mobile eXperience (MX) Division, introduced the S26 Ultra’s camera during a technical briefing after the Unpacked event. He explained that the device is equipped with a 200-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these constitute the industry’s top-tier camera system.

The aperture values for the wide-angle and telephoto lenses are F1.4 and F2.9 respectively, making them 47% and 38% brighter than the previous model and providing the brightest camera to date. Vice President Cho stated, "The lower the aperture value (F), the larger the physical size of the aperture, allowing more light to enter the lens, resulting in brighter photos and sharper images of the subjects."

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has also been implemented to overcome the biggest obstacles in photography: 'low-light environments' and 'camera shake.' First, the AI-based image processing engine, called 'Pro Visual Engine,' has been enhanced. For example, when shooting the night sky, the engine effectively removes noise in flat areas while rendering important details like building outlines and textures even more clearly.

The 'Nightography Video' feature has been designed to amplify the differences in brightness and clarity in darker environments. Essentially, the hardware absorbs more light, while AI meticulously controls noise and details to elevate the quality of night video. Conversely, when there is excessive light, the system softens it for a more satisfying result. The device also incorporates a 'Super Steady' function, which keeps the footage level and stable even when filming moving subjects, such as a puppy running in a park or an athlete skiing, minimizing shake.

The integration of an AI Image Signal Processor (ISP) into the front camera is another notable upgrade. Now, when taking selfies, the camera can capture subjects with greater precision, expressing intricate details such as hair texture and skin tone. For the first time on a Galaxy device, it also supports the 'APV' codec, which is designed for professional video production. Vice President Cho explained, "The APV codec is known as a lossless codec, and is used by professionals to maintain high image quality even after repeated edits and modifications during video production."

Smarter 'Photo Assist'...Change Photos as Desired with AI

Editing photos using AI tools is also more enjoyable than ever. The upgraded 'Photo Assist' feature allows users to alter photos according to their imagination and preferences through AI. Even without specialized tools like Photoshop, these processes can be easily performed using voice or text commands.

For example, if a user wonders whether a leather jacket would suit them, they can activate the Photo Assist feature on a full-body photo, add a picture of the jacket from their gallery, and type in, "Put this jacket on me." The AI will then seamlessly edit the photo to show the user wearing the leather jacket. If a person's face is partially obscured in the original photo, Photo Assist can reconstruct the full face. The AI understands the entire image and naturally generates the missing part based on the visible half. Users can review the editing process by each step and restore previous versions, even without saving the edited image.

The AI technology has also been further refined to better interpret users' intentions. For instance, if a user wants to add a dog to a family photo and change the scene to a Christmas Eve setting, they can upload a photo of the dog and type, "Add the dog and make it look like a snowy Christmas Eve." The AI analyzes the poses and composition of both the people and the dog, and then composites the image so that the dog appears nestled in someone's arms. Additionally, it distinguishes between the subjects and the background, changing the background and outfits according to the user’s request.

Vice President Cho said, "It has been 40 years since Samsung began developing cameras," and added, "Based on our philosophy of 'recording every moment of life in the language of technology,' we will continue to evolve the camera experience through image quality tuning, new editing experiences, and more convenient sharing methods." He went on to say, "Now, with just simple and brief commands, users can edit and generate images that match their intentions. It has become possible to visualize the scenes users imagine."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.