Samsung developing slimmer camera modules to make Galaxy S26 thinner

Samsung’s latest non-foldable flagship phones, the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Galaxy S25 Edge, offer powerful hardware and one of the highest number of features in the mobile market. Despite that, they aren’t thick. The Galaxy S25 Edge, especially, is very thin, thanks to the advanced engineering and materials. Well, the South Korean tech giant is planning to offer the next lineup of flagship phones, the Galaxy S26 series, with an even thinner waistline.

Most camera modules for smartphones currently available in the market feature a film between lenses to prevent light reflection (flare) and light overlapping (ghosting). Samsung Electro-Mechanics is working on replacing these films with matte ink using the inkjet printing process, which will reduce the thickness of the lens module. That will help in reducing the thickness of phones. Reportedly, Samsung will start using this technology with the Galaxy S26 series. 

Samsung calls this method of packing lenses a ring pattern, and the brand filed a patent for it in 2018. The patent file contained an image explaining the technology, which you can check out below. Part 30 in the drawing, which you can see between the lenses, is what prevents flare and ghosting. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t received a patent for it yet.

Lately, Chinese smartphone manufacturers have been using advanced technologies, such as SiC batteries, to cut down the thickness of smartphones. With these brands offering slimmer phones than the ones from Samsung, people have been criticizing the South Korean tech giant for not making enough efforts to reduce the thickness of its phones.

Samsung's latest move is a step in the right direction. However, cutting down the thickness of the lens module isn’t enough to make phones slimmer.  Samsung will also have to use thinner batteries (SiC batteries), more compact cooling systems, and slimmer protection (glasses) for the display and the back panel to bring down the overall thickness of its phones.