Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has a track record of introducing their flagship S series devices at the beginning of the year, with an announcement, on average, in January and releasing it by the end of January to the beginning of February. If this is the case, we should be on the lookout for an announcement of the Galaxy S26 Ultra to be near that time, although, this is not confirmed as of yet.
As a highly anticipated device, the phone has had rumors surrounding it for months. The rumors are beginning to be a little more consistent with the previous threads uncovering really inaccurate information and prototypes of Samsung that have been scrapped.
An increasing number of reports have begun to support each other to paint a clearer picture of what we can expect.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Display
We could expect something wacky for display, full support of Qi2 with magnets, and a camera upgrade. There are still no specifics regarding the S Pen, pricing, and finer details, but an Orange color option seems very possible.
Release Date for Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
As we’ve seen in the past, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra launches its top tier Galaxy S device a little earlier in the year. That timeline has always moved forward now landing in January with the device shipping in in a matter of weeks, typically, February.
New rumors have started to pile in suggesting, that Samsung may move the Galaxy S26 back another month. The goal is to start pre-orders during early December for the holiday shopping season. This would be a small risk, as Samsung’s plan to extend the phone release delay, and capture sales through Christmas to beat out Apple iPhones in sales, may be too late in December.
This would continue Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra plan to move Galaxy S release date to try to release their flagship Galaxy S device around the same timeframe as Apple releases the iPhone in October, or September.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra price and deals
The Galaxy S Ultra series is already pricey at its base model, and we hope to suggest Samsung is not considering a price hike, especially when there are no newly-announced features, components, and nothing that would suggest a price increase.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultraoffers to anticipate:
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra all the time announces their new devices along with promotional offers. One of them is the “enhanced trade-in” promotion, which gives you extra credit for an old device for trading it in when you buy a new one.
Furthermore, there is almost always a launch-period “free storage upgrade” promotion, which allows you to get a larger-capacity model (for example, 512 GB) for the price of a lower-capacity one (for example, 256 GB). Also, because of exclusive colorways found only on Samsung.com, it’s hard to go wrong buying from the manufacturer.
- Verizon: In the past, Verizon has had savings of up to $1,000 with a new line activation on any myPlan and a trade-in phone of any condition.
- T-Mobile: Generally, T-Mobile also has up to $1,000 off at times if you have an eligible device trade-in when signing up for the Go5G Next plan.
- AT&T: In early 2025, AT&T had the best offer for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, providing $1,300 off. This, however, was for a new 3-year service commitment and an eligible trade-in phone condition.
Camera of Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The rumored camera setup for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra includes:
- Wide Camera: 200 MP
- Ultra-Wide Camera: 50 MP
- Telephoto zoom camera: 200 MP with 4x optical zoom
- Selfie Camera: 12 MP
The conjecture about the camera on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is disputed and simply fluid. the reports said, the telephoto camera would stay the same for now, and we expect it to be the same 50 MP sensor and lens and lenses stated.
Nonetheless, the main camera is set to receive a massive upgrade. While it’s rumored to keep its resolution at 200 MP, it will utilize a brand new larger 1/1.1 inch Sony sensor.
On paper, the physical difference doesn’t seem significant compared to the 1/1.3 inch sensor source the S25 Ultra uses, but in the context of smartphone cameras, a larger sensor is a positive factor. A larger sensor gathers and uses light better, and enables more natural background blur (bokeh) without resorting to a Portrait Mode function.
An additional rumor has emerged, which comes from a leakster with a reasonably reliable track record, that the variable aperture could return to Galaxy flagships.
This mechanical feature, which was last employed in the 2018 Galaxy S9, allowed the camera to toggle between F1.5 to better capture light and create natural bokeh, and F2.4 for balanced focus in illuminated landscapes. Leaks also suggest that an F1.4 wide aperture may even be onboard.
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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Performance
The issue was that the differences in performance felt like nothing in practice. Given the small hardware components of a smartphone, changing from F1.5 to F2.4 is not as apparent as it would be on a DSLR. This, in all likelihood, was removed due to diminishing returns. The idea that it could return with the S26 Ultra indicates that Samsung has hopefully improved it to the point at which it will make a difference.
If that plan falls through, a competing rumor has said that Samsung would keep its proprietary HP2 sensor but attach it to a relatively massive F1.4 aperture. This would allow more light to reach the sensor—and thus lead to faster performance, higher clarity, and improved bokeh in natural lighting.
Role Of Post Processing
Post processing is also a crucial element. The S25 Ultra broke new ground with changes to help prevent oversharpening, and we hope the “realistic,” soft detail approach gets even more progression in the future. In addition, filters (which were similar to Apple’s Photographic Styles) were also added in this cycle; we can’t wait to see what might be in store for the next run.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Series
For the last two years, the Galaxy S Ultra series has topped our Camera Benchmark test, giving us a strong sense of confidence in the capabilities of the Galaxy S26 Ultra in photos. However, this only pertains to still photos.
Given the still image quality seems to have plateaued for the latest generation, Samsung may be shifting towards improving video taken with its phones. While the video of the Galaxy S25 Ultra is great, Apple is still leading the smartphone video maker segment with better cinematic effects, detail, stabilization, exposure and sound across almost every important metric.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra storage
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is anticipated to debut with the same storage options as its recent predecessors:
- 256 GB,
- 512 GB
- 1 TB.
As of 2025, this storage configuration remains the status quo. For the average user, 256 GB is adequate storage; 512 GB seems advisable for users who introduce a lot of content in the form of shoes, shirts, and brief videos or record a significant amount of background video every day.
1 TB really grants substantial headroom, which is almost certainly of excess for your average person. As of today, there is little indication that this is going to change to 2 TB in the near future.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Design
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra line has maintained the design of the old Galaxy Note 20 for the last three years. Each year has been more of a refinement than a full redesign. The S25 Ultra finally broke tradition and delivered updated flat sides and edges with corners rounded on the new rear that revisits the __”personal notebook” style from previous models.
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With the new design still fresh in mind and the S25 Ultra available for less than a year in most markets, Samsung may already be developing an update—not to the style of the phone but to the rear of the phone. As in previous years, multiple leaks indicate the protruding camera module on the back of the S26 Ultra will be redesigned distinctively as we saw with the S25 Edge’s rear design. You can see the new design below:
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra battery
Samsung has been conservative with battery capacity ever since the Galaxy Note 7, which is why it still relies on 5,000 mAh cells today. Instead of increasing capacity, the company focuses on improving battery life through processor efficiency and software. It’s possible the Galaxy S26 Ultra could break this pattern, but the prevailing rumor is that it will stick with the familiar 5,000 mAh battery.
Hardware and software features of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is anticipated to include One UI 8 based on Android 16. Since these versions have yet to be unveiled, other features are unknown, but “more AI features” is a fairly safe assumption.
Hardware and specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Key specifications are being discussed up and down the internet, and they include:
- -Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (and Exynos 2600)
- –RAM: 12 GB
- –Battery: 5,000 mAh
- –Charging: 45 W wired, 15 W wireless
- Storage: 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
- -Plans to include cameras: 200 MP main, 50 MP Ultra-Wide, 50 MP 5x zoom, 10 MP 3x zoom, 12 MP selfie
- -Latest connectivity protocols for; Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, NFC
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Exynos?
It was reported that the standard Galaxy S26 models (non-Ultra models) will utilize an Exynos processors—a next-gen Exynos 2600— in some regions instead of a Snapdragon processor. This region split is not a new approach. Many times in the past, reviews of comparing Exynos and Snapdragon variants indicated a minor difference in battery life and camera processing, with slight edge to Snapdragon models.
Should you wait for Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?
- If you have a Galaxy S24 Ultra, or S23 Ultra, you should wait for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. These devices are still capable and could hold you over until 2026. You can assess if the Galaxy S26 Ultra is worth it once it is released.
- If you’re looking for a new premium smartphone today, don’t wait for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The S26 Ultra is still about six months away. If your current phone has serious issues, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is an excellent choice that is available and will compare well to next years flagship.
