Samsung Galaxy S26 almost included a controversial iPhone feature

The Samsung Galaxy S26 range is expected to launch in the coming weeks, and thanks to a torrent of leaks and rumours, we've already got a pretty good idea of what it may look like. That includes a full suite of renders, giving us a look at every angle of the device.

But according to the latest reports, there was a feature planned which would have borrowed heavily from the latest iPhone models. That's because a former employee for a Samsung supplier has reported that they were working on a camera button for the Galaxy S26.

In a post on LinkedIn (shared by Android Authority), the employee said they had "contributed to an initiative developing a new camera button with swipe gesture functionality for Samsung Galaxy S26."

Now of course, that doesn't get a mention in the leaks we've heard previously, nor does it appear in those renders. So, what might have caused the brand to change tact?

The most obvious answer is that they've seen the very mixed response to the same button on the iPhone and decided to steer clear. While the idea is not necessarily a bad one, the implementation leaves a lot to be desired at present, and if Samsung was unable to make it better, it is probably better off leaving it alone.

Still, it's interesting to wonder what could have been. As someone who loves photography, I'm all for any solution which makes that process easier on a phone.

I'm not convinced that this is making life easier, though. I've used the iPhone 17 complete with its side camera button and found the whole thing infuriatingly cumbersome, to the point where I could barely get it to function as intended.

With the new slew of Samsung phones expected within the next month, we should soon know even more about the range.