How Galaxy AI makes great smartphone photography easier, from capture to editing

Samsung Galaxy phones have become the go-to choice for photography and video. With their large sensors and versatile array of lenses, they can capture everything from product close ups to portraits and distant landmarks as well as super-detailed 8K video. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra takes things further with upgraded AI smarts that enhance every stage of the process.

Galaxy AI*¹ can anticipate your needs, simplifying the process of taking images with intelligent scene recognition and low-light capabilities. And it can also speed up editing, allowing you to share a travel experience in real time or turn around a shoot for a client without having to wait to get back to your laptop. Here are just a few examples.

AI-enhanced zoom makes it possible to capture distant subjects

Galaxy AI*¹ takes the versatility of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s comprehensive array of lenses further than hardware alone could achieve. The 50-megapixel telephoto can reach an incredible 100x zoom with remarkable clarity.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra crams an entire kit bag of lenses into a pocket-sized device. There’s the bright 200MP wide F1.4, a 50MP ultra wide F1.9 for capturing more expansive landscapes and two telephotos: a 10MP f2.4 with 3x optical zoom and a 50MP F2.9 with 10x.

Galaxy AI*¹ is able to take the latter even further, giving you more creative possibilities, whether that’s to get close to the action at a concert or capture interesting detail in landscapes, cityscapes or even the moon. AI analyses high-resolution image data in real time to stabilise the scene, eliminating motion blur while also enhancing clarity so that images look sharp and vivid even at extreme magnifications.

Galaxy AI’s Nightography 2.0 means low light won’t stop your creativity

Samsung’s enhanced Nightography*² builds on its predecessor's powerful low-light capabilities to produce even better results. Intelligent processing allows you to capture sharp and vibrant images in situations where you normally might not even try.

Whether it’s an atmospheric street scene, a starry sky or a romantic meal, dimly lit situations normally mean having to use a slow shutter speed or high ISO to capture more light. That can result in blurry images or fuzzy noise if you don’t use a tripod.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s wide camera is well prepared for such challenges thanks to its f1.4 aperture, 47% brighter than its predecessor. Galaxy AI seals the deal by using the phone’s advanced AI Image Signal Processor to recover detail while reducing noise. It understands the particular noise signature of each sensor and lens and adjusts the image accordingly.

The AI can also recognise the different parts of an image, like faces, background and objects, to optimise them individually, avoiding that typical muddy look that comes with low light.

What about filming video at night?

Nightography video is one of the biggest upgrades on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The phone’s advanced image processing can also instantly adjust video to reduce noise while keeping detail crisp and clear. It also helps prevent harsh contrast between lights and dark areas, which is great for filming concerts or cityscapes with bright lights against dark backgrounds.

Galaxy AI improves selfies too

The Galaxy S26 Ultra's front camera now has Advanced Selfie using an AI image signal processor (ISP), which means more natural-looking selfies with true-to-life highlights and shadows.

Even if you’re usually taking photos of other people, more flattering selfies are always welcome. Front-facing cameras tend to get ignored by manufacturers, but not on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Advanced Selfie brings in Nightography capabilities like the flip side lenses, helping to brighten up those murky shots from nights out with friends as well as video calls with clients.

Super Steady Horizontal Lock unlocks cinematic video

Galaxy AI enables you to capture professional-looking video thanks to the new Super Steady with Horizontal Lock*³, which eliminates dreaded camera shake even in extreme situations.

This new feature uses the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s high-megapixel sensors and advanced ISP as well as gyroscope and acceleration sensors to lock on to the horizon, automatically cropping in to avoid wobble. It goes way beyond the normal stabilisation you would expect to find on a phone, keeping the horizon straight even if you turn the device full circle. This means you can film while walking, running or even cycling and still achieve silky smooth footage without having to lug a gimbal around with you.

AI Audio Eraser completes a pro video production

Galaxy AI Audio Eraser*⁴ can remove distracting background noise from your videos, including voices, wind and cars.

The Audio Eraser ensures your video sounds as professional as it looks. Sliders allow you to fine tune the results, making it perfect for creating behind-the-scenes videos during photography jobs or even for filming full interviews if you’re in a noisy environment.

Galaxy AI Photo Assist makes photo editing fast and easy

Samsung’s Photo Assist*⁵ lets you edit your photos directly on your phone faster than ever, simply by typing in the changes you want to make. The AI-powered software makes achieving your creative vision intuitive, whether you want to remove unwanted distractions or more dramatically transform an image.

If you’ve got a landscape shot that feels flat and needs a more striking atmosphere or a clearer focal point, try writing an instruction like “make the sky a sunset” or “add a tree”. Or if your idyllic holiday snap got photobombed, you can quickly remove the intruder, tidying up the scene in a single tap.

If you took a spontaneous shot and didn’t have time to frame the perfect composition, you can solve that too since Photo Assist can intelligently reframe off-centre images.

How does Galaxy AI Photo Assist work?

Photo Assist*⁵ comes built into the Gallery app on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Simply open an image in the Gallery and hit the stars icon below it. You’ll see four options: AI Eraser, Move, Create and Style.

Create brings up a text box where you can type your instructions or even use a simple voice prompt. What’s really useful is that you don’t have to stop with a single edit. Click ‘Keep editing’ to make more adjustments without losing the first and without losing the coherence of the original photo.

You can also create composites without having to resort to desktop software. Photo Assist can quickly blend the subject of one image into the background of another. Click the image icon next to the text field in Create, and choose an image from your Camera Roll. Photo Assist will automatically detect the subject, allowing you to select it, and then you can use the text field to describe what you want to do with it.

This could be a game changer for product photography, saving the time it takes to set up different scenes. Just make sure you have a good clear image of the subject you want to add to your background. Click ‘Save copy’ to save the new image while also maintaining the original.

Note that for transparency, AI-generated edits display a watermark in the bottom-left corner.

Galaxy AI makes the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra more than merely a camera phone. It’s a smart creative assistant that can help you capture the perfect shot – and edit it too. If you’re ready to level up your photography and video with the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, visit the Samsung website to find out more.