Introduction
Leaks and supplier chatter suggest Samsung has seriously considered an under-display selfie camera (UDC) for the Galaxy S26 — but may decide to keep the tried-and-true hole-punch to protect front-camera image quality. This piece explains that technical trade-off and what it means for buyers who care about selfie fidelity.
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Galaxy S26 selfie hole vs under-display camera
UDCs look great in promo renders, but the tech still struggles to match an exposed sensor’s sharpness, autofocus and color accuracy in many real-world shots. Samsung appears to be favouring a proven punch-hole on S26 models to avoid compromising selfie detail — especially important for video calls, live streaming and portrait shots.
In short: aesthetics (full-screen look) versus consistent image quality (visible sensor). Early hands-on previews and engineering notes indicate Samsung would rather risk a less “clean” display than ship a flagship with noticeably weaker front-cam performance.
Conclusion
If selfies and video-call clarity matter most to you, the S26 keeping a hole-punch is likely a win. If you prefer pure screen aesthetics, wait for a future generation where UDC image quality is demonstrably equal to exposed sensors.
Author note: I looked across leading device previews and camera-tech explainers to focus on the concrete optical tradeoffs buyers feel day to day.
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