The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra - the top model expected for 2021 - might make a change to the camera configuration to improve performance, according to reports from Korean media.

The change could see the removal of the time of flight sensor - a component that's seen some adoption but really hasn't had a huge impact on the smartphone market - and the use of a second telephoto lens instead.

The arrangement would likely see the new lens offering 3x optical zoom, while a periscope lens would offer 5x optical zoom. The aim would be to increase the quality achievable through the zoom cameras, but having more optical cameras able to contribute at a different zoom level. 

The rumoured camera for the 2021 Galaxy Ultra model is likely to be: 108-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultra-wide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto, and finally the 5x periscope telephotos, for which no resolution is given.

The front camera is expected to be 40 megapixels.

Unsurprisingly, this isn't the first time we've seen this array of lenses used. The Huawei P40 Pro Plus uses two telephoto lenses for this very reason at 3x and 10x zoom, while the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro uses a 2x telephoto which it passes off as a portrait lens, in addition to a 5x lens. 

We're still a long way out from the expected launch of Samsung's next flagship phone, which is likely to take place in February 2021. There's still plenty of time for plans to change before we reach that date.