Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: What to Expect from the Upcoming Flagship

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: What to Expect from the Upcoming Flagship

Samsung has officially confirmed the launch date of the Galaxy S26 series for February 25, and pre-reservations are already open. For now, this is mainly a promotional campaign offering a $30/€30 discount if you sign up for email notifications. Pricing details will come later — but first, let’s look at what’s new.

It’s important to note that the following information is based on leaks and rumors, not official confirmations.

Privacy Display Technology

Privacy displays are not entirely new — some laptops already use them — but they usually work in an “all-or-nothing” way. Either the whole screen is visible or viewing angles are restricted for everyone except the person directly in front.

Samsung is reportedly introducing pixel-level privacy control. The Galaxy S26 Ultra may allow pop-up windows containing sensitive information to enter a “private mode,” making it nearly impossible for others to read things like verification codes or messages.

One UI 8.5 is expected to intelligently manage this feature. For example, it could automatically disable privacy mode at home and activate it when you leave.

The display itself may also receive long-awaited upgrades:

• 10-bit display panel (Samsung flagships previously used 8-bit panels)

• New Gorilla Glass Armor with advanced anti-reflection coating

• 6.9-inch LTPO display

• 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• 1440p+ resolution

Magnetic Charging (Sort Of)

Samsung is adopting a simplified version of the Qi2 Magnetic Profile. Wireless charging will support magnetically aligned chargers, but the phone itself will not include built-in magnets.

To use magnetic accessories (car mounts, chargers, etc.), users will need a special magnetic case — similar to existing solutions for older Galaxy models.

Faster Charging

Charging speeds are finally increasing:

• 60W wired charging (up from 45W)

• 25W wireless charging (up from 15W)

Early testing suggests charging from 0% to 75% in about 30 minutes, only slightly faster than the previous generation.

Samsung has also introduced a new 60W Power Adapter (EP-T6010NBEGWW) supporting USB-PD and PPS standards with very low standby power consumption.

Same 5,000mAh Battery

Despite faster charging, the battery capacity is expected to remain 5,000mAh, the same size used in every Galaxy S Ultra since the S20 Ultra.

Rumors suggested a possible increase to 5,200mAh, but even if true, the improvement would be minimal compared to competitors adopting newer silicon-carbon battery technologies.

Snapdragon Everywhere

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor globally — no Exynos variants for the Ultra model.

Other expected specs:

• 12GB RAM (standard)

• Optional 16GB RAM

• Storage options: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Minor Camera Improvements

Camera hardware appears largely unchanged:

• 200MP main camera (possibly wider f/1.4 aperture)

• 10MP 3× telephoto (with slightly smaller sensor)

• 50MP 5× periscope telephoto

• 50MP ultra-wide camera

Lens coatings may reduce glare, but overall upgrades seem incremental rather than revolutionary.

S Pen Continues

The S Pen remains a core feature of the Ultra lineup. No major new features are rumored, but importantly, there are no expected removals or downgrades either.

Linux Terminal Support (Potentially Big for Developers)

One interesting rumor suggests the S26 Ultra could include a full Linux terminal, enhancing Samsung DeX for developers.

This would require overcoming technical limitations related to Android’s Virtualization Framework (AVF), which Snapdragon chips traditionally lack support for. If Samsung solves this, Linux apps could run more natively on the device.

Smarter AI Features

Samsung is teasing stronger AI integration:

• A more advanced Bixby assistant

• Agent-based AI capable of interacting with apps like Maps, Uber, or weather services

• Task automation through simple voice commands

AI is expected to be a major focus of the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.

Design Changes

Design tweaks are expected to be subtle:

• Slightly raised camera area

• Thinner and lighter body:

  • 7.9 mm thickness

  • 214 g weight (down from 218 g)

Expected color options:

• Black

• White

• Silver Shadow

• Sky Blue

• Cobalt Violet

• Rose Gold

Expected Price

The base 12GB/256GB model is rumored to launch at around €1,470, similar to the previous Ultra generation. Higher storage versions may see slight price increases due to rising memory costs.

Final Thoughts

If the leaks are accurate, the Galaxy S26 Ultra looks more like a refinement upgrade rather than a radical redesign. Key highlights may include:

✅ Improved display technology
✅ Faster charging
✅ Global Snapdragon performance
✅ New AI capabilities
✅ Possible Linux terminal support

However, unchanged battery capacity and modest camera upgrades may disappoint users expecting major hardware breakthroughs.

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