When the Galaxy S26 arrived, one of the quieter but meaningful camera upgrades was the expansion of virtual aperture beyond the main lens. On the S26 Ultra, that capability works across the 3x and 5x telephoto cameras and is built directly into the stock camera app. Owners of the Galaxy S25 series were initially left out of that broader support. Recent developer- and community-level responses, however, suggest that could change.
A Samsung employee responded to a user request on the official community forum indicating the company is considering bringing virtual aperture support to the Galaxy S25 series’ telephoto lenses. A community moderator followed up with a clearer statement: “Yes. We will support up to S25.” While Samsung has not published a formal announcement or timeline, those replies strongly imply the company plans to extend the feature to S25 devices.
What virtual aperture actually does
Virtual aperture addresses a limitation in most smartphone cameras: a fixed physical aperture. Unlike DSLRs or mirrorless cameras, most phone lenses can’t physically change how wide the aperture opens. Virtual aperture uses depth map data and multi-camera inputs to simulate different aperture sizes in software. By combining depth information from dual- or multi-camera setups, the phone can produce adjustable background blur and simulate a range of aperture values.
Practically, that means photographers and casual users can choose looks that range from a pronounced, creamy background blur similar to f/1.4, to a much deeper depth of field closer to f/16 where more of the scene is in focus. This software-driven approach gives users more flexibility for portraiture and creative shots, especially when the subject is framed using a telephoto lens.
The Galaxy S25 series already supports virtual aperture on the main camera when using Samsung’s Expert RAW app, but telephoto lenses were excluded. That’s significant because many portrait and distant-subject shots are taken with the telephoto optics. The Galaxy S26 Ultra expanded virtual aperture to cover its telephoto lenses in the standard camera app, and the recent forum responses indicate S25 telephoto support may be on the way.
Samsung has not confirmed exactly how or when the update will roll out. One plausible path is an Expert RAW app update that adds telephoto virtual aperture to S25 models before or alongside a broader system update such as One UI 8.5. Whether delivered through a standalone camera-app update or bundled in a larger software release, adding this capability by software would be a welcome improvement for existing S25 owners who do not wish to upgrade hardware just to gain more flexible portrait controls.
It’s worth emphasizing that the community moderator specified support will extend only up to the S25 series. That means owners of older Galaxy models should not expect the same change. Still, enabling a feature originally introduced or highlighted on a newer model and backporting it to the previous generation demonstrates a shift in how Samsung distributes some camera features—favoring software updates over forcing hardware-driven upgrades.
Bringing virtual aperture to the S25 telephoto lenses strengthens the camera experience for current owners. It gives more control over creative outcomes, improves portrait photography options at longer focal lengths, and narrows the gap between newer and slightly older models in terms of practical camera capability. For users who prioritize photography but are happy with their S25 hardware, the arrival of telephoto virtual aperture would be a meaningful enhancement.
Until Samsung posts an official changelog or release schedule, owners should watch for updates to the Expert RAW app and system software notifications. If the company follows the path suggested by the community responses, S25 users could soon gain a valuable camera feature without purchasing new hardware—an outcome many will appreciate.