At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Slick software
- Still the best AI tools
- Exclusive Privacy Display
- APV codec and Horizontal Lock video
- Faster charging
Cons
- Barely any hardware upgrades
- S-Pen positioning is irksome
- No Qi2 magnets
- Expensive
Our Verdict
It’s not a game-changing update, but Samsung does just enough to keep things interesting with the S26 Ultra. Highlights include the novel new Privacy Display, much quicker charging, advanced video features, and some of the best software around.
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Price When Reviewed
From $1,299
Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
$1,299.99
Samsung’s latest flagship has landed, and as has been the trend for the past few years, it’s more of an iterative update than a reinvention, even for the Galaxy S26 Ultra I’m reviewing here.
It has a more rounded design, a wider aperture on some of the cameras, faster charging, the obligatory upgrade to the latest Snapdragon chip, and that’s about it for hardware changes.
Thankfully, there’s more to explore than meets the eye. Samsung has given us a groundbreaking new screen technology called Privacy Display, some amazing software additions to the camera app, and plenty of AI-powered features, too.
The question is, does the world-first screen tech and software tweaks offer enough to make this a worthy upgrade, or can S25 Ultra owners skip this one without fear of missing out? I’ve been using it as my main device for the past couple of weeks to bring you the final verdict.
Design & Build
- A thinner, more rounded design
- Sturdy with Corning Gorilla Armor 2
- New colours and an annoying S Pen tweak
The Samsung S26 Ultra looks familiar, but there are just enough changes here to differentiate it from its predecessors – if you look close enough. The new phone features more rounded corners than the last, fully ditching the sharp corners of previous Ultras, and matching the other phones in the S26 lineup.
Luke Baker
The S26 Ultra looks nice, but I can’t help but feel it has lost a part of its identity. In the past, you could spot the Ultra immediately, as the sharp edges made it stand out from the rest of the lineup. Now, though, you could easily get it confused with the S26+, as it’s only the two small extra camera rings that give it away.
it’s easily the most comfortable Samsung Ultra flagship to hold horizontally
On the plus side, it’s easily the most comfortable Samsung Ultra flagship to hold horizontally. The sweeping radius means you aren’t in for any uncomfortable palm-poking, and that might make all the difference during marathon Genshin Impact sessions.
Another big design change is with the camera lenses. The three largest lenses are now raised on a little island, with their usual traffic light-style layout, and the bezels are much slimmer this time.
