It’s that time of the year again when Samsung returns to the spotlight. At Galaxy Unpacked 2026, the South Korean tech giant is expected to launch its next-generation S series lineup. As usual, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will sit at the top of the range, and I am actually excited to see what Samsung has planned this year. The smartphone is expected to bring new features alongside practical refinements over the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
While Samsung has only confirmed that Galaxy Unpacked 2026 will take place in San Francisco on February 25, leaks have already begun circulating online, revealing key specifications of the upcoming devices. If you’re considering the new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, here’s everything you need to know about what’s new this year.
Design and Build
Early leaks suggest that Samsung may soften the overall design this year. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is reportedly moving to a slightly more rounded frame, replacing the sharper edges seen on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the flat, boxy design of last year’s model, so it will be interesting to see how Samsung evolves its flagship aesthetic this time.
The device could also become marginally slimmer, with thickness reportedly reducing from 8.2mm to 7.9mm. Weight may drop slightly as well, from 218 grams to around 214 grams.
Another notable change could be in materials. Reports indicate that Samsung may switch from a titanium frame back to aluminium. We all like our phones to feel premium and sleek, and Samsung seems to be going in that direction only.
Display
As for the display, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is tipped to feature a 6.89-inch display, slightly larger than the 6.86-inch panel on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, in daily use, you won’t notice much difference if you are already using the S25 Ultra.
More than the size, I am excited to see the panel this year. Because Samsung could move from an M13 display panel to a newer M14 panel, which should improve overall brightness efficiency, colour accuracy, and HDR performance. The device is also expected to support 10-bit colour instead of 8-bit, allowing smoother colour gradation.
Additional enhancements may include a third-generation anti-reflective coating and a very interesting new feature, Privacy Display, a feature that we have never seen before on a device. The feature is fully customisable. You can hide login screens while typing passwords or even mask entire apps and specific interface elements such as notification pop-ups. If you have ever used privacy-tinted glasses, you’ll understand exactly what this feature does.
With these features, the Galaxy S26 Ultra could offer better outdoor visibility and improved media consumption, even if the resolution and refresh rate remain similar.
Performance and Memory
Coming to the raw power, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip found in the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
While generational chip upgrades typically focus on improved efficiency and sustained performance, the biggest gains may not immediately show up in raw benchmarks. Instead, users could see better thermal management and more stable long-term performance.
RAM speeds are also expected to increase from 9.6 Gbps to 10.7 Gbps. Basically, higher memory bandwidth can contribute to smoother multitasking and improved responsiveness over time. The Galaxy S25 Ultra was already quite smooth, but with these upgrades, the Galaxy S26 Ultra seems to be setting benchmarks.
Camera
For photography, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to house a 200-megapixel HP2 main sensor on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, reports suggest the aperture could widen from f/1.7 to f/1.4. This means we might get to see improved low-light photography and depth rendering.
The 50-megapixel 5x telephoto lens may also receive a brighter f/2.9 aperture compared to f/3.4 on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which could also enhance low-light zoom performance.
And lastly, the 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera is rumoured to feature a slightly smaller sensor, although the real-world impact of this change remains unclear.
AI Features
From past few years, Samsung’s Galaxy AI has been doing wonders. I believe it is the number one on-device AI among all smartphone brands. Interestingly, with the Galaxy S26 series, the brand is taking it even further.
Here are some upcoming Galaxy AI features that have surfaced on the internet:
- Unified AI Editing: Samsung is introducing a unified AI-powered workflow that lets users capture, edit, and share content seamlessly within the native Camera and Gallery apps.
- Natural Language Editing: This one should make working with AI really easy. You can edit photos using simple text prompts, describing exactly what they want to change. The AI interprets plain-language instructions and applies complex edits automatically.
- Detail Restoration/Rebuild: Now, I am not sure whether it will enhance the quality of old pictures or it will improve badly clicked pictures. It is said to restore missing details in photos, such as blown-out highlights or crushed shadows.
Battery and Charging
Battery capacity is one parameter where the Galaxy S26 Ultra might not bring any change. It is likely to remain unchanged at 5,000 mAh, similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
But yes, charging speeds could finally receive a welcome boost. You can see an increase in wired charging from 45-watt to 60-watt, while wireless charging could go up from 15-watt to 25-watt. Along with all the changes, this one should be one of the best upgrades, as it leaves Apple as the only brand with just 40-watt fast charging for its top-end phone.
Pricing
There are reports suggesting that Samsung may price the Galaxy S26 Ultra slightly lower than its predecessor. However, the company has not confirmed any pricing details so far.
But, as we all know, hardware costs are rising globally. So, I am guessing the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will launch with a slightly higher price tag, as the entire smartphone market is seeing a surge in terms of pricing.
