As much as Samsung would like to, it’s been close to impossible for the company to retain any mystery about its flagship phones ahead of their launch. The same can be said about the Galaxy S26 series, which is expected to cost more than ever, while we also have a general idea of the new features it will possess.
Separately, leaks from One UI 8.5 builds have revealed new software features for the Galaxy S26 series, specifically in the camera department. We’re now learning about some more camera features coming to the smartphone lineup, courtesy of the Camera Assistant module.
Code spotted in the second One UI 8.5 beta by Android Authority has unearthed some new features potentially debuting on the Galaxy S26 series. First up is Video softening, which, as the name suggests, should allow users to reduce noise and make videos smoother.
It should be functionally similar to the existing Picture softening feature, which has been around for some time now as part of the Camera Assistant module. Strings reveal that users will be able to choose between High and Medium options to soften their videos, or turn the feature off entirely.
Autofocus improvements are also on the way
In addition to improving your videos, code in the latest One UI 8.5 beta also reveals the ability to adjust the “Auto focus speed and sensitivity” of the camera.
<string name="title_auto_focus_settings">Auto focus speed and sensitivity</string>
<string name="summary_auto_focus_settings">Set the speed and sensitivity of the auto-focus for photos and videos.</string>
<string name="title_shift_sensitivity">Shift sensitivity</string>
<string name="title_transition_speed">Transition speed</string>As Android Authority explains, Shift sensitivity refers to the pace at which the autofocus moves to other people or items that appear in the frame, whereas Transition speed should let users control how quickly (or slowly) the focus moves to other objects.
While the strings spotted in One UI 8.5 beta 2 reveal practically everything about these new camera features, they’re not functional just yet. This indicates that Samsung intends to launch them with the Galaxy S26 series via the Camera Assistant module. It’s unclear if these features will land on older devices like the Galaxy S25 series next year, though we’d be surprised if they didn’t.
Samsung is expected to have pushed the launch of the Galaxy S26 series to the end of February, with the smartphones rumored to go on sale only by March 2026. The realignment of its device lineup just months before the expected launch is reportedly among the reasons for the delay.
