The Galaxy S26’s best camera trick is coming to older models

Source: Android Authority

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

TL;DR

• The Samsung Galaxy S26 series debuted with few camera hardware upgrades, but a couple of impressive software features.
• One of those features, Virtual Aperture for the telephoto cameras, is set to make its way to the Galaxy S25 series.
• A second camera tool, AI‑powered document scanning, is expected to come to the Galaxy S25 lineup as well.

Virtual Aperture arrives on older models

Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 series with a Virtual Aperture feature available not only for the primary rear camera sensor, but also for the telephoto cameras. While the Galaxy S25 series supports Virtual Aperture for the main shooter, it currently lacks the telephoto support introduced on the S26.

The utility is available in Samsung’s Expert RAW app, a separate camera app that unlocks professional‑grade shooting and recording tools for photography power users.

A user on the Samsung Community forums said they wished the Galaxy S25 Ultra supported Virtual Aperture in Expert RAW for the telephoto cameras (via SamMobile).

A Samsung executive responsible for camera development responded, confirming that support will be added for certain older models:

“Yes, we will support up to [Galaxy] S25.”

How Virtual Aperture works

Virtual Aperture lets users dynamically adjust the amount of background blur applied to portrait shots in software. In DSLR and mirrorless systems, variable apertures are physically adjusted to change the “bokeh.” Smartphones mimic this effect through software, and the Virtual Aperture feature brings that capability to the telephoto lenses on the S26—and now, potentially, to the S25.

AI‑powered document scanning

Another software perk introduced on the S26 is AI‑powered document scanning, which adds a dedicated scanning mode to the camera app. A user inquired about this feature, and the same Samsung executive replied:

“We’re maximizing NPU resources by significantly improving performance in the S26. We’ll provide further information regarding expansion of previous models in the future, but we currently anticipate it will be available up to the S25.”

The scanning tool leverages the phone’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to quickly detect, crop, and enhance documents, making the camera a versatile scanner for everyday use.

Conclusion

With relatively modest hardware updates, the Samsung Galaxy S26 stands out thanks to exclusive software perks such as Virtual Aperture for telephoto lenses and AI‑driven document scanning. Samsung has indicated that these features will be back‑ported to older models, starting with the Galaxy S25 lineup. While the exact rollout timeline remains unclear, S25 owners can look forward to receiving these enhancements in the near future.