Samsung S26 Ultra

Every year the Ultra gets a bigger number somewhere: more megapixels, more zoom, more watts. The ⟦bold⟧Galaxy S26 Ultra⟦/⟧ mostly doesn't. The camera hardware is ⟦italic⟧essentially⟦/⟧ last year's, the battery is still 5,000 mAh, and the price is still ⟦highlight · highlight⟧$1,299⟦/⟧. What Samsung added instead is a screen that ⟦underline⟧only you can read⟦/⟧ — and that's the most interesting thing a phone has done in a while.

What actually changed

Five things are different from the S25 Ultra. Only two of them are big.

1. The Privacy Display

This is the headline feature, and reviewers agree it earns it. The panel uses ⟦bold⟧both hardware and software⟦/⟧ to narrow the viewing angle, so the person next to you sees a dark screen while you see a normal one. You can switch it on for the whole screen or use ⟦bold⟧Partial Screen Privacy⟦/⟧, which hides only things like notification

2. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy

he chip is Qualcomm's ⟦inline code⟧Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy⟦/⟧, built on TSMC's 3 nm process and tuned by Samsung. TechRadar calls it the fastest chip in its class. In daily use that headroom goes to on-device Galaxy AI features rather than to anything you'd notice in a scroll test.

3. Thinner and lighter

7.9 mm and 214 g, down from 8.2 mm and 218 g. Four grams is nothing on paper; in a jacket pocket for a full day, you notice.

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4. Faster charging (probably 60 W)

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Wired charging went up from last year's 45 W. Most coverage lists ⟦highlight · Green soft⟧60 W wired⟦/⟧, 25 W wireless and 4.5 W reverse wireless, but listings disagree — one retailer says 65 W.

5. One UI 8.5 on Android 16

It ships with Android 16 and One UI 8.5, with ⟦bold⟧seven years⟦/⟧ of OS and security updates. That support window is what makes a $1,299 phone easier to justify — see the maths below.

What didn't change

• Camera hardware. Still a 200 MP main sensor; Samsung says the new F1.4 aperture lets in more light, but the lineup is otherwise carried over.

• Battery. 5,000 mAh, same as the last several Ultras.

• Screen size. 6.9 inches; resolution and peak brightness are unchanged on paper.

• The S Pen. Still built in, now slightly thinner with a curved end to match the frame.

• Price. $1,299 in the US — the base S26 and S26+ went up by $100; the Ultra didn't.

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S25 Ultra vs S26 Ultra

Green is better than last year, amber is "check your region", blue is unchanged but worth noting.

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The colours

‹›

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Is $1,299 actually expensive?

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Spread over the update window, the price looks different. Here's the back-of-envelope version:

⟦Code block · language: Python · line numbers on⟧

```python

price_usd = 1299

years_of_updates = 7

per_year = price_usd / years_of_updates

per_month = per_year / 12

print(f"${per_year:,.0f} per year") # $186 per year

print(f"${per_month:,.2f} per month") # $15.46 per month

```

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Nobody keeps a phone seven years — but even at a realistic ⟦highlight · Amber soft⟧four years⟦/⟧, it's about $27 a month, and it'll still be getting security patches when you sell it, which keeps resale value up.

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For developers: check what you're running

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If you're testing an app on one, these ADB commands confirm the model and Android version (enable ⟦bold⟧Developer options → USB debugging⟦/⟧ first):

⟦Code block · language: Bash⟧

```bash

adb devices

adb shell getprop ro.product.model

adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release

```

⟦Embed · GitHub Gist⟧

Create a public gist with the three ADB commands above (file name s26-device-check.sh), then paste its URL here. This tests the embed block; delete it if you'd rather not keep a gist.

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Watch it

⟦Video · YouTube · size: Medium · caption on⟧

Add via Media → YouTube: search Samsung's official YouTube channel for the "Galaxy S26 Ultra" official introduction film and paste that URL.

Caption: "Samsung's official introduction film."

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Should you upgrade?

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It depends almost entirely on what you have now.

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1. From an S25 Ultra: no. Same camera, same battery, same screen size. Privacy Display is the only real reason, and it costs you some brightness.

2. From an S24 Ultra: maybe. You get the faster chip, lighter body and faster charging. Worth it if your battery has aged or you'd use Privacy Display daily.

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Below that, the gap gets big enough that the answer flips.

⟦Numbered list · start at 3⟧

3. From an S23 Ultra or older: yes. Three generations of chip, camera processing and software in one jump, with seven years of updates ahead.

4. From an iPhone: only if you want the S Pen or the privacy screen — everything else is a matter of taste.

⟦Callout · tip⟧

Buy on Samsung's trade-in days rather than launch week. Ultras have historically picked up storage-upgrade or trade-in offers within the first few months.

⟦Callout · danger⟧

If you rely on the S Pen as a Bluetooth camera remote or for Air Actions, those are gone since the S25 Ultra. Don't trade up from an S24 Ultra or older expecting them.

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Verdict

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The S26 Ultra is a ⟦bold⟧refinement⟦/⟧, not a reinvention — and that's fine. Samsung found one genuinely new idea, kept the price where it was, and made the phone a little lighter. If you're coming from three generations back, it's the easiest flagship recommendation of the year. If you bought last year's, enjoy the money you just saved.

⟦Image · size: Small · no caption⟧

Upload: close-up of the S Pen tip with its new curved end.

Alt text: "Close-up of the S26 Ultra's S Pen with its curved end"

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More from me on everyday tech: ⟦link · internal → pick one of your own posts or projects in the link popover⟧my other posts⟦/⟧. Full specs are on ⟦link · external · open in new tab → https://www.samsung.com/⟧Samsung's site⟦/⟧.

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## FEATURE CHECKLIST (what this post exercises)

- Headings: H2 section, H3 numbered (×5 → auto 1–5), H4 small

- Text marks: bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, inline code, highlight in 3 colours, external link (new tab), internal link

- Lists: bulleted with a nested level; numbered with text between items and a list that continues at 3

- Quote with attribution

- Callouts: note, info, tip, warning, danger

- Code blocks: Python (line numbers) and Bash

- Table: header row + header column, header style, cell colours, alignment, column resize, add/delete row/column

- Image: medium with caption, small without caption, alt text on both

- Gallery: 4 images, medium height, caption

- Video: YouTube, medium size, caption

- Embed: GitHub Gist

- Divider

- Rail: new category, 8 tags, cover, social image, excerpt, SEO title and description

- After writing: Preview → Save draft (⌘S) → History → Schedule, then check it in the Blog Manager

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## Sources (for you, not part of the post)

- TechRadar review — https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-review

- Tom's Guide launch coverage — https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/samsung-phones/galaxy-s26-ultra-announced-privacy-display-new-galaxy-ai-features-different-prices-and-more

- Tom's Guide review — https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/samsung-phones/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-review

- PhoneArena review — https://www.phonearena.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-review_id7894

- tbreak review (charging figures) — https://tbreak.com/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-review-uae/

- SammyFans (launch and availability dates) — https://www.sammyfans.com/2026/03/13/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-details/amp/

- Digitec listings (finishes) — https://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/product/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-256-gb-black-690-dual-sim-5g-smartphones-66787181