Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra has arrived with a host of new features like a 200MP wide sensor, 50MP telephoto lens, and the latest Galaxy AI technology that promise to make you a better photographer. Samsung account login is required for certain AI features.
With an upgraded suite of intelligent tools that take care of a host of tasks from scene optimisation to post-capture editing, Galaxy AI enables you to take your photos to the next level without hours of complex edits, freeing up your creative process.
This is brilliant news for anyone who needs excellent pictures without having to learn finicky editing processes. But what does it mean in practice? This article shows you five ways Galaxy AI will enable you to take and edit better photos, and explains exactly when you’ll find it useful.
TL;DR
- Galaxy AI's intelligent scene detection: automatically detects and optimises settings for landscapes, portraits, food, night scenes and more. Samsung account login is required for certain AI features
- Nightography: combines AI processing with next-generation sensors to produce sharp, vibrant images in low light. Results may vary depending on light condition, subject and/or shooting conditions
- Photo Assist: handles complex edits, including object removal, remastering and background adjustments – directly in the camera roll, in seconds using a simple voice or text prompt. Requires network connection and Samsung account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the saved image to indicate it was generated by Galaxy AI. Accuracy of output not guaranteed
- Super Steady Horizontal Lock: keeps handheld video smooth and level, giving personal footage a professional finish. Super Steady results may vary depending on editing method and/or shooting conditions
- The 200MP wide and 50MP telephoto sensors: feed Galaxy AI with exceptional raw data, producing sharper, more detailed results across every shooting scenario
01. Intelligent scene detection takes the guesswork out of settings
Galaxy AI’s Intelligent scene detection automatically adjusts exposure and colour, tone, contrast and more to suit the scene you’re shooting. Working seamlessly in the background whenever you take a picture, this is about to become one of your most used tools. This is particularly ideal if you need to take a shot quickly before you lose it!
How does Intelligent Scene Detection work?
Analysing the camera’s viewfinder in real time, Galaxy AI identifies the subject and environment (landscape, portrait, pet, night scene and more) and adjusts the settings automatically. Samsung’s Galaxy AI has more than 30 scene and subject types to cross-reference with, and it will apply bespoke optimisation to each one.
Can you manually control the AI settings?
Fear not! If you decide you don’t want to use intelligent scene detection, it just takes a single click to turn it off on a photo-by-photo basis. Alternatively, you can turn on Pro mode, which allows you to adjust the settings yourself as usual. And if you don’t like the results thrown out by intelligent scene detection, you can always edit it yourself afterwards to achieve the desired results.
Use case: Intelligent scene detection is great for spontaneous photographers because it removes the need to manually configure settings before a fleeting moment disappears. Whether catching a candid street portrait or reacting to an unexpected sunset, the camera is already optimised before the shutter is pressed.
Samsung account login is required for certain AI features
02. Nightography on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is transformative for low light
Nightography improves low-light detail and colour accuracy, solving the issue that low light photography has been one of the few areas falling short in smartphone photography. Hardware improvements and advanced AI processing combine to produce night time images that are sharper, more vibrant and more accurate in colour than the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s predecessor – and, indeed, most other competing smartphones.
How is Nightography different from standard night mode?
The Nightography feature adds a larger sensor, a wider aperture and Galaxy AI processing that handles noise reduction, exposure blending, and colour calibration simultaneously. This negates the drawbacks of standard Night Mode, which are muddy colours and hazy detail.
Feature | Galaxy S26 Ultra | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
Main sensor resolution | 200MP | 200MP |
Aperture (wide) | f/1.4 | f/1.7 |
AI noise reduction | Multi-frame, next-gen | Multi-frame |
Nightography AI processing | Enhanced | Standard |
Low-light video | Improved sensitivity | Standard sensitivity |
Use case: Nightography is great for city photographers and event-goers because it produces vibrant, usable images in environments where most smartphone cameras struggle – a dimly lit gig venue, a rooftop bar, or a rainy city street – without the need for manual exposure adjustments.
Results may vary depending on light condition, subject and/or shooting conditions.
03. Photo Assist turns you into a professional-level editor
Photo Assist deploys powerful automatic editing tools like object removal, remastering and generative edit suggestions. Photo Assist, Galaxy AI's in-built editing suite, upskills every photographer to an editor, with its full feature set that allows you to perfectly finish the photo you started. For most light-to-medium everyday photography editing workflows, it’ll replace your standard software.
What edits can Photo Assist handle automatically?
Photo Assist covers a broad range of adjustments and corrections directly within the Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera roll. Key capabilities include:
- Object removal: Identify and erase unwanted elements, like a stranger in the background, a piece of litter or a distracting sign with AI-generated fill that reconstructs the scene naturally
- Remastering: Apply AI-driven enhancement to older or lower-quality images, improving sharpness, colour accuracy and dynamic range
- Generative edit suggestions: Galaxy AI surfaces contextual editing recommendations based on the image content, streamlining the decision-making process
Is Photo Assist good enough to replace standard editing apps?
For social media content, travel photography, and everyday portrait work – yes. For professional workflows requiring precise colour grading or RAW file processing, you’ll still need something more standard. But for the vast majority of editing tasks that previously required a trip to another photo editing app or software, Photo Assist handles the job quickly and competently, directly on-device.
Use case: Photo Assist is great for creatives showcasing their work on social media or standard content creators because it delivers clean, polished edits without requiring third-party apps or desktop software. For someone whose main job isn’t to promote via socials – this frees up time for your main creative discipline.
Requires network connection and Samsung account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the saved image to indicate it was generated by Galaxy AI. Accuracy of output not guaranteed.
04. Super Steady Horizontal Lock takes the ‘shake’ out of smartphone video
Super Steady Horizontal Lock combines optical image stabilisation (OIS) with electronic image stabilisation (EIS) and adds a horizontal lock that keeps the frame level even when the phone tilts or rotates during movement. The result is footage that remains composed and steady through walking, turning, and the kind of incidental motion that typically makes handheld video look amateur.
Shake is the main giveaway you’re using a smartphone compared to a video camera, and this feature set helps combat the issue.
Will you benefit from Super Steady Horizontal Lock?
If you are a content creator, creative or videographer wanting to use your smartphone for increased video, then yes.
Stabilisation feature | Galaxy S26 Ultra | Benefit |
Optical Image Stabilisation | Yes | Reduces lens-level shake |
Electronic Image Stabilisation | Yes | Corrects digital frame movement |
Horizontal Lock | Yes | Keeps horizon level during motion |
Super Steady mode | Enhanced | Smooths aggressive movement |
Super Steady results may vary depending on editing method and/or shooting conditions.
05. The 200MP and 50MP cameras are powered with Galaxy AI
The 200MP wide sensor and 50MP telephoto camera provide Galaxy AI with a huge volume of raw image data, and the difference that makes to the final output is visible in the photos themselves. With the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the hardware and software are designed to work together – and, yes, you can tell.
Samsung account login is required for certain AI features.
What does increased megapixels add for everyday photographers?
While megapixels aren’t a great indicator of power alone, when combined with Galaxy AI they are meaningful. More megapixels means more data for the AI to work with when performing functions like sharpening images or reconstructing detail. That means the outcome is going to be improved when using the next-gen AI tools – more detail, more clarity and a higher resolution for editing.
Use case: The 200MP wide camera is great for photographers who crop heavily or shoot for print, because it retains extraordinary detail even after significant editing. Travel and event photographers will love the 50MP telephoto because the AI processing keeps distant subjects sharp and detailed at zoom levels where competing devices lose clarity.
A practical step forward for photographers
The Galaxy S26 Ultra's AI capabilities represent a genuine leap for smartphone photography. From allowing you to take the perfect photo instantaneously, to upskilling you in post-production, your complete photography workflow just got a massive boost with this new release. Whatever kind of photo you’re taking – a challenging low-light cityscape, a distant wildlife scene or an intimate portrait – Galaxy AI will help.
If you want to supercharge your photos with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, head to the Samsung website to find out more.
