Samsung's annual flagship Galaxy S series welcomes another update. The new Galaxy S26 Ultra debuts as scheduled, bringing Qualcomm's latest customized flagship chip, new hardware-level privacy display technology and the fastest Galaxy wired charging power in history. It also makes targeted upgrades in the body design and imaging system.
In terms of appearance, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a body thickness of 7.2mm and a weight of about 214 grams. It continues the high-end combination of titanium alloy middle frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass back panel. It is slightly thinner and lighter than the previous generation, and the overall texture still has a tough business style. The front is still a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED screen with a resolution of QHD+, supports 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate, local peak brightness up to 2,600 nits, and is covered with Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass, which has excellent anti-reflective coating and scratch resistance. The S Pen stylus built into the fuselage continues to be retained, but the Bluetooth function has not yet been added. There is an ultrasonic fingerprint recognition module under the screen, and a 12-megapixel selfie camera on the front.
The most topical upgrade this time is Samsung’s new Privacy Display technology. This function uses the hardware level to finely control some pixels on the screen so that they appear black at a specific viewing angle, making it difficult to see the content clearly when looking sideways, achieving a physical anti-peep effect. The privacy display can not only limit the viewing angle, but also cooperate with the system software to additionally darken sensitive content such as notifications, pop-up windows, and password input to further prevent others from prying in public places. Users can either manually turn it on, or let the system intelligently determine it and automatically turn it on when traveling or in public environments.
In terms of performance platform, Galaxy S26 Ultra is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy platform in all regions of the world, continuing Samsung and Qualcomm’s line of in-depth customization. The storage combination starts with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The 512GB version also has 12GB RAM, while the top 1TB model is upgraded to 16GB RAM to meet the needs of heavy multitasking and local large-capacity storage.
The imaging system continues the multi-camera configuration of the previous generation, but has made targeted optimizations in key parameters. The rear main camera continues to use a 200-megapixel sensor, but the aperture is upgraded to a larger f/1.4. Officials claim that it can increase the amount of light entering by about 47%, resulting in more obvious image quality improvements in night scenes and low-light environments. The 3x telephoto is still 10 million pixels, but the sensor size has been slightly reduced, from 1/3.52 inches of the previous generation to 1/3.94 inches. The 50-megapixel 5x periscope telephoto camera that supports further zoom has a larger aperture of f/2.9 and is approximately 37% brighter than the previous generation, which contributes to shutter speed and imaging purity in telephoto scenes. The 50-megapixel ultra-wide angle is basically the same as the previous generation, and continues to undertake tasks such as landscapes, large scenes, and macro expansion.
As for the battery, Samsung still maintains a 5000mAh capacity, continuing the consistent battery life foundation of the Ultra series for many generations, without blindly piling up materials. However, the charging specifications have finally exceeded the previous upper limit of 45W. The Galaxy S26 Ultra supports up to 60W wired fast charging. Official data indicates that the battery can be charged from 0 to 75% in about 30 minutes, but users still need to bring their own charging head. In terms of wireless charging, the phone supports Qi 2.2 standard wireless charging up to 25W, and provides 4.5W reverse wireless charging for emergency recharge of headphones, watches and other devices.
In terms of system and smart experience, Galaxy S26 Ultra is pre-installed with One UI 8.5 based on Android 16 and deeply integrates Galaxy AI artificial intelligence functions. The new Photo Assist image assistance suite allows users to directly call AI in the photo album to quickly complete image editing, enhancement and generative processing, while also automatically classifying and filing screenshots by type. Creative Studio focuses on creative expression, allowing users to generate personalized content such as stickers, greeting cards, and wallpapers with one click based on photos or simple sketches.
In terms of audio experience, the "Audio Eraser" audio erasing function has been upgraded and can now work in third-party applications such as YouTube, Netflix, and Instagram. By identifying and weakening background noise and highlighting human voices, users can hear dialogue content more clearly when watching videos or watching dramas. In terms of calls, the Call Screening "call screening" function can answer incoming calls on behalf of users, identify callers and filter harassing calls. At the same time, real-time text transcription is displayed on the screen to facilitate users to quickly determine whether to answer or not.
In addition, the "Now Nudge" function can provide contextual suggestions based on the user's current operation scenario, such as intelligently recommending relevant photos during chat, or reminding you of relevant itineraries in your calendar when you are preparing to make an appointment. “Now Brief” will integrate information from notifications, text messages, and emails to present concise key information and quick operation entries directly on the desktop, helping users handle daily information flow more efficiently.
In terms of color matching, the Galaxy S26 Ultra offers four regular colors of black, cobalt purple, sky blue and white. It also launches two online exclusive colors sold only on Samsung's official website - silver and pink gold, providing more choices for users who prefer personalization.
In terms of price and listing information, the Galaxy S26 Ultra starts with 12GB+256GB and is priced at 1,450 euros; the 12GB+512GB version is priced at 1,650 euros; and the top-of-the-line 16GB+1TB version is 1,950 euros. The new phone is available for pre-sale starting today, and the official launch date is scheduled for March 11.