Why 2026 smartphones will not have this game-changing digicam tech

Trendy smartphone cameras are spectacular beasts, as many digicam telephones mix cutting-edge {hardware} with superior picture processing capabilities. A few of the extra notable improvements lately embrace periscope cameras, 200MP sensors, and all-pixel autofocus.

Nonetheless, one in all my favourite {hardware} options arrived in 2022: one-inch digicam sensors. Sadly, adoption of this tech has seemingly stalled within the final yr or so, and it doesn’t seem like we’ll see a lot of it in 2026. What went fallacious?

One-inch 50MP digicam sensors debuted on the Xiaomi 12s Extremely again in 2022, and it actually felt like this was the subsequent large factor. In truth, Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, and HUAWEI wasted little time bringing this tech to their top-end telephones.

Quick-forward to 2026, although, and it looks like smartphone makers aren’t so loopy about this expertise. Vivo provided a one-inch 50MP important digicam on the X90 Professional and X100 Professional, however skipped it on subsequent releases. The Xiaomi 13 Professional additionally used this sensor, however subsequent Professional handsets, such because the Xiaomi 17 Professional Max, don’t embrace it.

It’s not all unhealthy information, as HUAWEI continues to supply this function on its Professional and Extremely telephones. OPPO and Xiaomi now not supply this function on their Professional handsets however retain it on their Extremely fashions. In different phrases, you’ll be able to nonetheless discover telephones with one-inch sensors in the event you look exhausting sufficient or are keen to import them. Nonetheless, fewer telephones supply this digicam expertise at this time.

I additionally anticipated the likes of Samsung, Google, Apple, and Sony to affix the one-inch sensor practice, however this hasn’t occurred so far. That’s disappointing, as these giant sensors supply a number of advantages over smaller cameras.

One notable perk is a shallower depth-of-field impact with out resorting to software program trickery. This leads to photographs with extra nice and correct bokeh. These giant sensors additionally boast spectacular light-gathering, leading to brighter, cleaner pictures with improved dynamic vary. This additionally reduces movement blur, for the reason that shutter doesn’t have to remain open as lengthy, permitting you to freeze topics even in blended lighting. Telephones just like the Xiaomi 14 Extremely and vivo X100 Professional additionally make good use of those sensors, delivering spectacular low-light snaps, whereas the latter even gives a handheld astrophotography mode.

Maybe the most important purpose why we haven’t seen wider adoption of one-inch cameras is area constraints. These sensors take up quite a lot of area contained in the cellphone, forcing producers to implement big digicam bumps. For sure, these enormous housings are ugly and can lead to a much less ergonomic machine. I do know I generally wrestle to position my index finger when utilizing a cellphone with an Oreo-sized digicam bump. These giant housings may trigger a cellphone to wobble considerably when used on a flat floor.

It additionally doesn’t assist that Apple and Samsung went in one other route altogether by providing ultra-thin smartphones in 2025. These units are so skinny that cramming a number of rear cameras into the body is a problem, not to mention a one-inch digicam sensor or a telephoto lens. Fortunately, shoppers have largely uncared for skinny units just like the Galaxy S25 Edge because of the compromised cameras, shorter battery life, and excessive value tags.

One other challenge with one-inch cameras is that the sensor have to be farther from the lens for optimum focusing and picture high quality. In truth, HUAWEI’s Pura 70 Extremely (seen above) encompasses a retractable main digicam lens to extend the gap between the lens and sensor. HUAWEI and Xiaomi have additionally paired one-inch cameras with a variable aperture to fight focusing and depth-of-field points related to these giant sensors. However retractable lenses and variable apertures additionally enhance {hardware} complexity and drive up prices.

Talking of prices, I think about that firms like Apple and Samsung haven’t adopted one-inch cameras as a result of these parts would cut back revenue margins. As a substitute, Samsung particularly sticks with the identical important digicam sensors for a number of years.

One other potential purpose why enormous important sensors haven’t gained traction is that telephoto cameras have change into more and more essential — I do know that is my favourite digicam on a number of flagships nowadays. These zoom-focused modules take up important area, notably as producers supply more and more bigger telephoto sensors and extra complicated periscope designs. It due to this fact is sensible to barely cut back the first digicam’s dimension to allow higher zoom.

Smaller digicam sensors have additionally caught up with one-inch sensors in some methods. Vivo switched to a smaller, LYT-818 important digicam (1/1.28-inch) for the X200 Professional. It claimed that this digicam has higher video high quality than the one-inch IMX989 sensor and comparable picture high quality. In fact, vivo in contrast this smaller important sensor to the first-generation one-inch sensor reasonably than the second-generation LYT-900. Nonetheless, the vivo X300 Professional and OPPO Discover X9 Professional now use the LYT-828 important digicam sensor (1/1.28-inch), which gives superior HDR capabilities and ultra-high conversion acquire tech that’s lacking from one-inch sensors.

That every one stated, it feels like one-inch digicam sensors aren’t going anyplace simply but — not less than not utterly. In truth, latest developments might result in extra telephones with this tech sooner or later. The brand-new Xiaomi 17 Extremely encompasses a new one-inch sensor from the Chinese language model Omnivision, and a fellow Chinese language firm, SmartSens, launched a one-inch sensor in July 2025.

That is an encouraging improvement, because it means Sony is now not the one firm providing one-inch cameras. In principle, this diversified provide chain might cut back prices and, due to this fact, result in better proliferation of those sensors.

Nonetheless, Sony additionally appears bullish on giant digicam sensors. The corporate disclosed a graph earlier this yr that predicts giant sensors to develop in reputation on high-end telephones till 2028.

“Traditionally till now, the expertise of our cell sensors has advanced first by way of a number of cameras after which larger-sized sensors as much as 1-inch, and this has helped our enterprise development,” Sony informed Android Authority in response to emailed questions, whereas noting that the adoption of enormous sensors basically was progressing “easily.”

Then once more, the subsequent large digicam sensor improve won’t be a one-inch sensor in spite of everything. Sony just lately introduced the 200MP LYT-901 digicam sensor (1/1.12-inch), which is considerably bigger than present 200MP sensors and barely smaller than 50MP one-inch sensors. Leaks counsel that OPPO and vivo might make the most of this sensor as the primary digicam of their upcoming Extremely telephones.

As such, the Xiaomi 17 Extremely and its new one-inch sensor is likely to be the exception reasonably than the rule in 2026. That’s to not say smartphone cameras in 2026 received’t be unbelievable, however the dream of one-inch sensors on all flagships in all probability isn’t coming true this yr.