It seems Samsung is lagging behind as Chinese flagship smartphone companies prepare to take the lead with large 200MP sensors in 2026. Samsung is backing away from this. Today, November 28th, Ice Universe shared a post that confirms what many mobile photography enthusiasts feared amid a growing flood of leaks and official announcements. Samsung is quietly abandoning its biggest 200MP camera project, allowing these Chinese brands to take the next leap in smartphone imaging.
This could come as a shock to Samsung fans. Reliable industry expert Ice Universe and multiple Chinese sources indicate that Samsung has canceled development of its long-rumored 1/1.1-inch 200MP ISOCELL sensor (codenamed HP9 or similar). Instead, the Galaxy S26 Ultra (2026) and S27 Ultra (2027) will continue to use the older 1/1.3-inch 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor, which was first introduced in the S23 Ultra in 2023.
Good News:
— PhoneArt (@UniverseIce) November 27, 2025
Sony has officially launched its new 200MP sensor LYTIA 901 featuring a 1/1.12" large format, 0.7 µm pixels, the Quad-Quad Bayer Coding (QQBC) array, and flagship-grade technologies such as DCG-HDR, Fine 12-bit ADC, and HF-HDR. At the same time, OmniVision has… pic.twitter.com/zD41tTqy9R
Some reports even suggest that Samsung may bring the same sensor to the Galaxy S29 Ultra in 2029. Meanwhile, Sony and OmniVision have already begun mass production of much larger 200MP sensors: Sony LYTIA LYT-901: 1/1.12-inch optical format, DCG dual-conversion gain HDR, 0.8 µm pixels OmniVision OVB0D: 1/1.1-inch format, industry-leading 108 dB single-exposure dynamic range, 4-cell HDR
Both sensors offer significantly larger light-collecting surface area (approximately 30–40% more than the HP2) and improved low-light performance. Vivo (X series), Oppo (Find X9/X10), Xiaomi (15/16 series), and Honor (Magic 8/9) have confirmed that they will adopt these latest chips starting in early 2026.
The difference is significant. This could come as a shock to Samsung fans. While Chinese flagships will switch to sensors physically larger than the main cameras in most existing mirrorless cameras, Samsung’s top-tier Ultra phones will remain with sensor hardware that’s three to six years old. I have no idea why Samsung is lagging behind.
Industry analysts are pointing to the skyrocketing costs of larger sensors and Samsung’s thin mobile division margins as the main reasons for this decision. The reaction on Twitter (formerly X) has been very bad. @UniverseIce’s original post, which featured a satirical cartoon depicting Samsung “recycling” the same camera for half a decade, has received over 15 million views and sparked calls for a boycott among photography-focused users.
For consumers who prioritize camera performance, 2026 suddenly seems like the year Chinese brands will finally take the lead in mobile imaging. Samsung, once the undoubted leader, is now in danger of becoming the conservative choice rather than the innovative one.
