Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: Powerful, Familiar Flagship

	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra - Starting At $1,299, Find It On Amazon.com Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra improves a tried and true flagship with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and a trick Privacy Display, but is no match for the latest Chinese competition.
	Thinner, lighter design Trick Privacy Display Excellent cameras Outstanding performance Faster charging Feature-rich software ×Alert slider is back	Price Premium S Pen seem like an afterthought No Qi2 magnets No charger in the box

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Samsung recently unveiled a trio of new flagship phones in San Francisco – the Galaxy S26 Ultra ($1,299), S26+ ($1,099), and S26 ($899) – and I got a chance to try them out. Today I’m reviewing Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra, a high-end smartphone that’s Ultra in name and price only. While still competitive in North America, the S26 Ultra is often outclassed by the latest Chinese flagships sold in Europe and Asia, which is unfortunate.

Like with Google’s Pixel 10a, evaluating the S26 Ultra feels a little repetitive. You now get Qualcomm’s latest SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, new lenses with wider apertures on the 200MP main sensor and the 50MP 5x telephoto, and faster wired and wireless charging. But overall, the S26 Ultra is similar to last year’s S25 Ultra except for one completely new and unexpected thing: the Privacy Display. The Privacy Display sets sets the Galaxy S26 apart from the competition, and shows that Samsung can still innovate.

So, is this Privacy Display a game changer or a just party trick? What are the caveats with this new screen? Are the S26 Ultra’s other improvements worth it? Read on to find out. But first, don't miss my hands-on video...

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Hardware, Design, And Build Quality

Take a look at Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra, S25 Ultra, and S26 Ultra. Can you tell them apart at a glance, when in someone’s hand? Obviously, the S26 Ultra’s design doesn’t stray too far from its predecessors, and from a brand recognition perspective, that’s a good thing. So what’s changed this year? Samsung’s dropped the titanium frame from the S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra and returned to an aluminum frame.

As a result, the S26 Ultra is slightly thinner (7.9mm vs. 8.2mm) and lighter (214g vs. 218g) than last year’s S25 Ultra. It doesn’t seem like much, but it makes a noticeable difference in how the S26 Ultra feels in hand. Samsung’s also increased the S26 Ultra’s corner radius to match the S26+ and S26, giving the entire lineup a more consistent aesthetic. The S26 Ultra also retains the flat display and slab sides of the S25 Ultra.

But the most noticeable difference is with the S26 family’s camera pods, which now match the S25 Edge’s and Z Fold7’s two-tiered design across the board. On the S26 Ultra, the three larger metal-rimmed lenses – 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, and 50MP 5x telephoto – now protrude from a pill-shaped island, while the smaller 10MP 3x telephoto, laser AF sensor, and LED flash mimic the S25 Ultra’s layout. It’s a subtle, but nice improvement.

The S26 Ultra’s 6.9-inch screen is covered in Gorilla Glass Armor 2 and the back panel is made of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, just like before. And while most Chinese flagships (like the OnePlus 15) now boast both IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water ingress, the S26 Ultra is cruising along with the same single IP68 rating as last year’s S25 Ultra. To be fair, Apple and Google’s phones also lack the dishwasher-friendly IP69 rating.

While the S26 Ultra’s port and button layout is identical to its predecessor’s, there aren’t any visible mmWave 5G antenna windows anywhere, just like on the Z Fold7. The SIM tray, primary mic, USB Type-C port (USB 3.2), main speaker, and S Pen silo are spread along the bottom edge, while the secondary mic is located on top. You’ll find the volume rocker and power / lock key on the right side, and nothing but antenna bands on the left.

Speaking of the S Pen, Samsung didn’t even mention it during the entire Unpacked presentation, which is telling. But in case you’re wondering, this is the same, Bluetooth-less S Pen that shipped on the S25 Ultra, but with one subtle cosmetic difference. Since the S26 Ultra’s corners are more rounded, matching the S26+ and S26’s radius, the clickable end of the S Pen will only fit flush in its silo when inserted the correct way.

In typical Samsung fashion, build and material quality are top notch. The S26 Ultra is available in several colorways, including Cobalt Violet (like my review unit), Sky Blue, Black, and White, plus Silver Shadow and Pink Gold, which are available exclusively on Samsung’s website.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Specs And Features

Processor & 5G Platform	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Display	6.9" QHD+ Dynamic LTPO AMOLED, 3120x1440 resolution, 1-120Hz, HDR10+
Memory	12/16GB LPDDR5x
Storage	256/512/1024GB UFS 4.0
Rear-Facing Cameras	200MP f/1.4 Main OIS, omni-directional PDAF, laser AF - 50MP f/1.9 120º Ultrawide dual-pixel PDAF - 10MP f/2.4 3x Telephoto OIS, PDAF - 50MP f/2.9 5x ALoP Telephoto OIS, PDAF
Front-Facing Cameras	12MP f/2.2 dual-pixel PDAF
Video Recording	Up to 8k @ 30fps, 4K @ 60fps, 1080p @ 120fps, 1080p slow-mo
Battery	5000 mAh, 60W wired charging, 25W wireless charging
OS	Android 16 with One UI 8.5
Dimensions	163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9mm
Weight	214 grams
Connectivity	802.11be Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0+LE, NFC, UWB, USB-C 3.2, LTE, 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave)
Colors	Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
Pricing	Starting At $1,299 - Find It On Amazon.com

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Display Quality

The Privacy Display is the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main, differentiating feature, and it’s not a gimmick. At the core, this is the same 6.9-inch Quad HD+ (3120 x 1440 pixels, 500 ppi) Dynamic LTPO AMOLED panel found on the S25 Ultra, with the same a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 1-120Hz variable refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and eye popping 2600 nits peak brightness. It’s a gorgeous screen, with thin bezels, punchy colors, infinite blacks, and excellent viewing angles.


What sets this display apart is its privacy feature. Once enabled, it dramatically reduces the horizontal and vertical viewing angle of the screen such that you can’t see what’s on the display unless you’re looking at it dead on. This feature can be activated at the pixel level, so only part of the screen can be hidden from sideways glances. You can set the Privacy Display to be always on, on for specific apps, on for notifications, on for pin entry, etc.

This works because the screen is made of different, alternating pixels. Every other pixel can be seen when looking at any angle (wide pixels), while the remaining pixels are only visible when looking at the display straight on (narrow pixels). When both the wide and narrow pixels are turned on, the screen looks normal, with a wide viewing angle. But when the Privacy Display is active, only the narrow pixels are turned on, restricting the viewing angle.


While it’s generally seamless, there are a few side-effects to this new screen tech. With the Privacy Display enabled, the screen is slightly dimmer and lower resolution since half the pixels (the wide pixels) are turned off. Some people have also reported getting headaches or nausea from looking at the S26 Ultra’s display for long periods, whether the privacy feature is enabled or not, just like some folks are sensitive to 3D screens. I didn’t have any issues with this.

While on the subject of display sensitivity, Samsung handsets also lack high-frequency PWM dimming, a feature that’s standard on most Chinese phones. This minimizes the flicker that some people are sensitive to when viewing OLED displays at low brightness levels. On the S26 Ultra, PWM dimming is set to 240Hz by default (480Hz is an option) while the OnePlus 15 uses 2160Hz. To be fair, Apple and Google’s handsets are also limited to 480Hz.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Camera Performance And Image Quality

The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s camera system is mostly the same as the S25 Ultra’s except for two things. First, Samsung’s given the 200MP main sensor and 50MP 5x telephoto faster lenses thanks to a larger aperture (f/1.4 vs. f/1.7 and f/2.9 vs. f/3.4, respectively). This means these two shooters should perform better in low light, but it also means that the minimal focal distance will be longer, a drawback for closeups.

Second, the S26 Ultra gains horizon lock, a very cool feature that Motorola has offered on several phones, like the Razr Ultra (2025), for a few years now. Everything else is the same as it was on the S25 Ultra – same sensors, same interface, same features, same photo and video modes, same strengths, same weaknesses. The good news is that the S26 Ultra camera system is still among the best available on the market today.

The S26 Ultra packs a 200MP f/1.4 0.6-micron main shooter with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS (1/1.3-inch Samsung ISOCELL HP2), a 50MP f/1.9 0.6-micron 120-degree ultrawide with dual-pixel PDAF (1/2.5-inch lSamsung ISOCELL JN3), a 50MP f/2.9 0.7-micron 5x telephoto with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS (1/2.52-inch Sony IMX854), and a 12MP f/2.2 1.12-micron selfie camera with dual-pixel PDAF (1/3.2-inch Sony IMX874).

Meanwhile, the S26 Ultra’s 10MP 3x telephoto uses the same f/2.4 lens, PDAF, and OIS as the S25 Ultra, but gets a smaller sensor this year. Samsung chose to switch from a 10MP 1.12-micron 1/3.52-inch Sony IMX754 to a 12MP 1.0-micron 1/3.2-inch Samsung ISOCELL 3LD, but is cropping that 12MP sensor to 10MP, yielding an effective sensor size of 1/3.94 inches. It’s an odd decision for a shooter that’s now somewhat redundant.

As I mentioned in my S25 Edge review, that 200MP main sensor is perfectly capable of filling the gap between 1x and 5x magnification thanks to quasi-”lossless” zoom via in-sensor cropping. If Google can fill this gap with a 50MP main sensor on the Pixel 10 series, Samsung surely can with its massive 200MP sensor. Plus, my Z Fold7 review showed that this tiny 10MP 3x telephoto doesn’t improve zooming performance in any meaningful way.

At this point, it seems like the 10MP 3x telephoto exists only to increase the camera count. Meanwhile, Chinese flagships from Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are pushing the envelope with 1-inch sensors, 200MP telephotos, multiple 50MP telephotos, continuous optical zoom, and gimbal stabilization – imaging tech that delivers meaningfully-improved images and makes you question Samsung, Apple, and Google’s lukewarm efforts.


The S26 Ultra’s shooting modes include macro, portrait, night, pro, 200/50MP, panorama, food, macro video (up to 4k 60fps), super steady/horizon lock (1440p/1080p 60/30fps), portrait video (4k/1080p 30fps), pro video (8k 30/24fps + 4k/1080p 120/60/30/24fps), slow motion (4k 120fps, 1080p 240/120fps), hyperlapse (4k/1080p 30fps), auto framing (4k/1080p 30fps), and dual recording (4k/1080p 30fps) – which combines the front and rear shooters.

Stabilized video is recorded at up to 8k 30fps (main, ultrawide, 5x telephoto) and 4k 60fps (all cameras) with 10-bit HDR and LOG support, plus stereo or 360-degree audio (using compatible headphones and earbuds). Like with other Samsung flagships, the Camera Assistant app allows you to fine tune imaging settings, and the Expert RAW app enables additional shooting features, including RAW support, a 24MP mode, and astrophotography.

Overall, the S26 Ultra takes beautiful pictures, with accurate colors and exposure. The 200MP main shooter, in particular, delivers a wide dynamic range and excellent low-light performance. And when it’s time to zoom, that 50MP 5x telephoto produces impressive results. It lets you take usable photos at up to 100x magnification. You can capture great images at up to 10x zoom, good pictures at up to 30x zoom, and decent shots beyond that.

Interestingly – and unlike Google and OnePlus – Samsung doesn’t appear to be using AI zoom algorithms on the S26 Ultra. Selfies and portraits are up to Samsung’s usual high standards thanks to superior background separation. Video performance is also solid, and the S26 Ultra is starting to close the gap with the iPhone in terms of quality. LOG support helps, and the APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec is a welcome addition this year too.

Next up: audio, performance, and battery life...