Happy New Year, we are officially into 2026! And, since it's January, we are already chomping at the bit and waiting for a new Samsung Galaxy S Ultra device! The S26 series should be right around the corner... right?
Right now, rumors suggest the Galaxy S26 series might be slightly delayed, but we should still see it land within the first quarter of 2026. January or February seems like the most likely window for the launch of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The chatter around the Ultra model has been nonstop for months. Sure, some details have been a little conflicting, but we can piece together a solid picture of what to expect – and, of course, we are always ready for surprises.
Expect some eye-catching display tech, full Qi2 wireless charging with magnets built into the phone, and potential camera upgrades – although those may have been scaled back to keep the price from ballooning. What is still unclear? Whether an S Pen will be included, the exact pricing, and some of the fines specs.
But with the launch coming up soon, all of that will be revealed before long.
As previously mentioned, Samsung loves to get a headstart with its flagship phones. The Galaxy S series has slowly crept up to launch earlier and earlier each year. Nowadays, they typically get their announcement in January and there's a couple of weeks' delay until they ship.
Some claimed that Samsung may be planning to launch the S26 series in December of 2025, but that sounds a bit absurd, with all the holiday hubbub going on that month. And, sure enough, the reports are back on track saying it'll be a January announcement. Possibly with a late January release, too.
Supposedly, the delay is not due to design and production woes, but for strategical reasons. Reports stated we should still expect the event to happen some time in early 2026. As per the latest — pretty solid — leak, we may get an announcement of the Galaxy S26 series on the 25th of Feburary.
If that's the case, then a launch may happen on the 11th of March. Samsung typically has a two-week pre-order period and then launches the new phones on a Friday. Since the Friday that's two weeks after the 25th of February happens to be a 13th, maybe the actual launch will be on an adjacent day, who knows.
Device family
Announcement
Market release
Samsung Galaxy S23 series
February 1, 2023
February 17th, 2023
Samsung Galaxy S24 series
January 17, 2024
January 31, 2024
Samsung galaxy S25 series
January 22, 2025
February 7, 2025
Samsung Galaxy S26 series
February 25, 2026?*
March 11, 2026?*
* - probable dates
Galaxy S26 Ultra price and deals
Phone model
256GB of storage
512GB of storage
1TB of storage
Galaxy S23 Ultra
$1199.99
$1299.99
$1619.99
Galaxy S24 Ultra
$1299.99
$1419.99
$1659.99
Galaxy S25 Ultra
$1299.99
$1419.99
$1659.99
Galaxy S26 Ultra
$1299.99-1399.99*
$1419.99-1519.99*
$1659.99-1759.99*
*- anticipated prices
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The Galaxy S Ultra series is already quite pricey, even at the starting level. However, with recent changes in the tech market thanks to the AI server farm demands, Samsung may be forced to increase the price of its phones. Supposedly, the rising cost of RAM could be the culprit.
Rumor also has it that Samsung cut out some camera upgrades it was planning for the Galaxy S26 to keep the price inflation in check. So, there's still some hope that the phones may retain their old (but still quite high) price-tag.
Galaxy S26 Ultra deals to expect:
Samsung: Samsung always celebrates new models with the so-called "enhanced trade-in" — the manufacturer will give you extra credit for an old phone, if it goes towards the purchase of the new model. Plus, almost always, new models launch with a "free storage upgrade" promo, meaning you will be getting the 512 GB model at the price of the 256 GB one for a limited time. Add to that the exclusive colors that you can only get on Samsung.com and there's plenty of incentive to go direct to the manufacturer.
Verizon: Historically, Verizon lets you save up to $1,000 with new line activation on any myPlan and phone trade-ins in any condition.
T-Mobile: typically also meets the $1,000 off offer with an eligible device trade-in on the Go5G Next plan.
AT&T: AT&T took the cake with the best Galaxy S25 Ultra offer in early 2025, with up to $1,300 off on the phone. The catch is that it included a 3-year plan and an eligible trade-in phone in good condition
Galaxy S26 Ultra camera
Galaxy S26 Ultra expected camera setup:
200 MP main wide camera
50 MP ultra-wide camera
50 MP 5x zoom camera
12 MP selfie camera with wider FOV
Rumors about the camera of the Galaxy S26 Ultra are quite contentious and fluid. The latest info says this — the telephoto camera will remain unchanged. Apparently, we are expecting a 50 MP sensor with the same specs and same lens.
The latest reports state that Samsung may have had grand plans to upgrade the base Galaxy S26 camera, but in the final stretch of production planning, it turned out that this might inflate the price a bit too much, so they were scrapped. No such word on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, so we are still hoping that some of the rumors outlined below may come true.
The main camera may still get a major upgrade. It will still have a 200 MP sensor, but an entirely new one — a larger 1/1.1-inch Sony sensor. By comparison, the one in the S25 Ultra is 1/1.3-inch. Not a huge difference in our physical world, but definitely an upgrade by the standards of small phone cameras. A bigger camera sensor collects more light faster and also provides for a more pleasing, natural bokeh without even having to engage Portrait Mode.
Another rumor from a somewhat reputable leakster claims that the variable aperture may make a return to the Galaxy flagships. Last we saw this was in 2018 with the Galaxy S9 phones. Basically, the phone had a mechanical aperture that could toggle between two settings — F1.5 to let more light in and get some more natural bokeh, and F2.4 when capturing landscapes and the light is plentiful, to get a more balanced focus and exposure. Some leaks even suggest a wider aperture, at F1.4.
Or, if that doesn't pan out, here's a slightly different rumor: Samsung will keep its home-made HP2 sensor. But it will give it a much bigger F1.4 lens aperture. That should allow more light in, making the camera faster, clearer, give it better natural bokeh, all the good stuff.
Of course, post-processing also matters. The Galaxy S25 Ultra came with new post-processing rules where it doesn't oversharpen details for the first time in... ever. We would love to see how that new "realistic" approach to "soft detail" evolves further. We also got new camera filters this year, which kind of work like Apple's Photographic Styles. What's in the cards for next year?
The Galaxy S Ultra models have now topped our Camera Benchmark test for two years in a row, so we have great confidence in the Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera. However, that's for pictures.
In fact, now that camera quality seems to have peaked, at least for the current generation — maybe we will see Samsung redouble its efforts to improve video capture? While the Galaxy S25 Ultra's video certainly is great, it's still an area where Apple dominates with better cinematic effects, better detail, better stabilization and exposure, better sound — basically a step ahead in most ways that matter.
The selfie camera will get a small upgrade, too, it seems. While rumors still maintain that it'll have the same 12 MP sensors as before, its lens will allegedly allow for a slightly wider angle. The S26 Ultra is said to have an 85-degree FOV, over the 80 degrees on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This will also result in a bigger camera punch-hole, it seems.
Snippets of code in the unreleased One UI 8.5 have also been found, pointing to a new Camera Assistant. Probably something to the tune of the Google Pixel Camera Assistant, which suggests better framing options and — more importantly — explains why certain choices may look better. A good way to dip your toes in basic photography principles.
However, it also looks like the Samsung Camera Assistant will also add some settings or toggles for video recording. Sharpness and autofocus speed may be open to fine-adjustment by the user, to allow you to achieve more cinematic-looking videos.
Galaxy S26 Ultra storage
Galaxy S26 Ultra storage capacity:
256 GB
512 GB
1 TB
The storage options have been 256 GB - 1 TB for a few years now. In 2025, that's still the standard. 256 GB is plenty of space, if you love recording video a bit too much 512 GB will do you fine, and 1 TB is way way too much headroom. But it's there. There's little reason to think that Samsung might push the envelope up to 2 TB any time soon.
Galaxy S26 Ultra design
Fresh design leaks from Onleaks and Android Headlines
Galaxy S Ultra models have had the old Galaxy Note 20 design over the past 3 years, but the S25 Ultra finally changed that. It now comes with flat sides, rounded corners — a complete rehash of the "personal notebook" look it had before.
While the new design is still fresh, it seems like Samsung is going for another facelift. Well, backlift more like it — the rear camera module will now stick out like on the Galaxy S25 Edge, it seems, as this has been leaked multiple times. Check out the expected new design:
The Galaxy S26 Ultra in a case. | Image Credit - TarunVats on X
Also, screen protectors that are allegedly made for the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra have also shown up. And their design shows us that the next Samsung flagship may have even softer corners — much rounder than before, removing that stark, notebook-like look of the Ultra line:
Also, if you are orange with envy over the iPhone 17 Pro's new popular color — don't be. Apparently, Samsung is making an orange Galaxy S26 Ultra, and we've already seen the alleged new color on dummy units. Have a peep:
pic.twitter.com/1b4vvqgxPq
— PhoneArt (@UniverseIce) October 8, 2025
There is the one thing we were hearing about — that the Galaxy S26 Ultra would supposedly have a selfie camera hidden under its display. Meaning, there won't be a punch hole in the screen. However, the most recent rumors state that this isn't true, and there will still be a tiny black dot at the top of the display to house the unobstructed selfie camera. In fact, said black dot may also grow a bit, as the S26 Ultra's selfie camera will have a wider lens than before, as per the latest leaks.
And the most recent design leaks show us the S Pen is alive and well! It has changed positions again and seems to be pushed out further to the corner of the device, but it's there:
S Pen on supposed Galaxy S26 Ultra mockup
The move to the right side is fantastic — it makes sense for most people, who are right-handed. You hold the S26 Ultra with your left, pull out the Pen with your right, it was always a small inconvenience when having to reach under your palm to get it out with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Now, we are quite curious how Samsung managed to incorporate both an S Pen digitizer and a magnet inside the Galaxy S26 Ultra to facilitate Qi2 support. And the leaks are adamant — the magnets are indeed there. Photos of Samsung first-party accessories reaffirm the ring and the clear branding is here.
The latest hot rumor says that Samsung will expand the screen tech it's been using — a new CoE OLED display with an imbued color filter layer within the light-emiting OLED panel will produce clearer, sharper, more vivid imagery. Supposedly this won't enhance screen brightness in a huge way but does wonders for conserving battery life!
Another wild rumor talks about the Flex Magic Pixel OLED panels that Samsung recently showed off and may include with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Basically, the panels individual pixels are controlled by AI to adjust viewing angles intelligently. To what end, you might ask? Well, you probably know about the "privacy screen protectors" that are currently sold out there. They completely block prying eyes from seeing any of your screen content. But they also don't look great for the user, dropping brightness and reducing viewing angles. Well, Flex Magic Pixel should be the native fix to all of this — limiting angles without compromising brightness, and still leaving the image visible to your eyes. Would this be cool or overkill?
While this rumor sounds wild, it has been supported by an entirely different leak — early test builds of OneUI 8.5 have been spotted to have a toggle called Privacy Display. Putting two and two together, that seems to refer specifically to that Magic Flex Pixel OLED feature!
It's also been rumored that Samsung's next OLED panels will be more advanced than anything its competitors produce. With the newest M14 material, the S26 Ultra's display panel should be thinner than before and consume less energy, yet be capable of higher brightness levels. M14 has been used in Samsung's foldable phones since 2021. It integrates the color filter into the OLED's protective layer instead of having to add a separate polarizer film, which helps make it more flexible, makes it thinner, and has one less layer for light to flow through.
As for size — 6.9-inch screen seems to be the current limit of what powerusers are willing to deal with. It's huge, but manageable when the bezels are thin enough. It allows a lot of room to play with the S Pen over and to watch videos, yet it still fits most pockets. So that'll probably remain unchanged.
What we have been hearing about the Galaxy S26 Ultra is that Samsung may be upgrading the internal sheets of the AMOLED display with a new material that reduces internal reflections and improves color separation. The end result should be a brighter screen that's more energy-efficient.
This will be yet another anti-reflection upgrade on top of the excellent Gorilla Armor that we very much like on the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra. And rumors say that the S26 Ultra will be hitting peak brightness to the tune of 3,000 nits, so the display is about to get even punchier and brighter — something we couldn't imagine right now.
Galaxy S26 Ultra battery
Samsung does not like to push its luck with the battery, ever since the Galaxy Note 7 incident. Which is why it continues to stick to 5,000 mAh cells today, and any battery life improvements come from processor efficiency and software. Will this change with the Galaxy S26 Ultra? It might, but the rumor mill says we may just get another 5,000 mAh cell.
Another rumor says that, eventhough it'll be a 5,000 mAh cell, it'll be slightly smaller and Samsung will use that to make the Galaxy S26 Ultra thinner.
Now, a more recent rumor drops the bombastic claim that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will have the biggest battery on a Galaxy phone! Now up to 5,200 mAh!
Yeah... that doesn't sound major, but oh well.
However, it's said that Samsung is working on speeding up that charging. Feeling the heat from competitors that already support 60 W to 100 W or beyond, it's about time the Galaxy line gets a faster juice-up. But don't get too excited — the Fast Charging may be upgraded to 60 W from the current 45 W. Not a huge step forward... but at least it would be a step.
Allegedly, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will also be fully Qi2.2 compatible. So, it will both stick to magnetic chargers, and also be able to juice up with 25 W wirelessly — like the latest iPhones and Pixels.
It'll be interesting to see how Samsung achieved this. The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes as "Qi2 ready", but doesn't have magnets inside the phone for full compatibility, because they mess up the S Pen digitizer's function. How would the Galaxy S26 Ultra solve this problem?
Galaxy S26 Ultra features and software
The Galaxy S26 Ultra should ship with the next One UI 8 based on Android 16. These operating systems have not yet been demoed or teased, so we can't know what exactly they will entail. Though, "more AI features" is a safe bet.
Typically, we'd expect these to be provided by Google's Gemini. There have been some rumors suggesting that Samsung is looking at a partnership with newcomer in the AI scene Perplexity. We don't really see Samsung severing the close partnership it has with Google right now, but who knows.
In fact, some rumors also state that the Ultra model in particular may have extra exclusive AI features not to be released on the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus. What those might be is yet a mystery.
The Samsung One UI comes with a hefty package of Samsung-specific apps — the Phone dialer has been redesigned, the Calendar is better to the stock Google Calendar, the Camera app is custom, there's a Samsung Gallery even a Samsung app store, if you are Play Store-phobic.
For updates, Samsung has been promising 7 years of support with its recent phones, which would mean that the Galaxy S26 Ultra should get Android 23 with One UI 15 in 2033.
Galaxy S26 Ultra hardware and specs
Galaxy S26 Ultra specs:
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 / Exynos 2600 possible
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will come with the next Snapdragon flagship — Qualcomm changed the naming scheme for the 3rd time in a row, so it's now called Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Don't ask.
Early rumors suggested that Samsung Foundry is working on a 2 nm process for the manufacturing of the chip, but yield is extremely low currently. Therefore, it'll most probably be a 3 nm chip again. Of course, it should come in a special "Made for Galaxy" overclocked edition for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Rumors suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Made for Galaxy may reach up to 4.74 GHz clock speeds, with the familiar setup from before — 2 power cores, 6 efficiency cores.
It will also have a new Adreno 840 GPU, reportedly 30% faster than the Adreno 830 in the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Quite the jump, we are just a little skeptical, but if it's true — that'll be one small, fire-breathing gaming platform for sure!
The RAM might also get a slight bump. It'll still be the latest LPDDR5X technology, but slightly faster — 1γ LPDDR5X that offers the industry's fastest RAM speed — 10.7 Gbps. It'd also be 20% more energy-efficient than the currently-used 1-beta LPDDR5X, which delivers speeds up to 9.6 Gbps.
The Samsung-Qualcomm partnership has been working out pretty well so far. Samsung's vapor cooling chamber seems to be doing a good job, and Snapdragons in the Galaxies over the past couple of years have been running buttery smooth.
While competitors like the ROG Phones go all out and over the top with performance, the Galaxy phones typically have plenty enough power on tap even for gamers. So, daily tasks are snappy, fast, and responsive.
Word is that Samsung is also going to pack a brand-new 5G modem in there. The Qualcomm X85 promises faster data transfers, better battery efficiency, and AI tuning. The exact specs say peak download speeds of 12.5 Gbps and upload speeds of 3.7 Gbps!
Galaxy S26 Ultra and Exynos?
OK, we've been hearing that non-Ultra models — at least the Galaxy S26 — will be getting an Exynos processor in some regions of the world, instead of a Snapdragon. Exynos 2600 to be exact — Samsung's newest. This is not the first time we've seen this play out. Exynos vs Snapdragon units usually show slight differences in battery life and camera processing — with the Snapdragon being slightly better in both aspects.
But who knows, this could change with the next models.
Here's the big thing that's being said about the Exynos 2600 — allegedly, Samsung Foundry is cooking it up on a 2 nm process. That would make it the world's first mobile chip to be made on 2 nm pathways. However, it is also said that the Exynos 2600 may not achieve its purpose of being more powerful or more efficient than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. Even though the latter is still made on TSMC's 3 nm node, anonymous sources said that Samsung's 2 nm is not outdoing it. That'd be a pretty bad flop, as reducing the component pathway size is pretty much done for the purpose of increasing energy efficiency, performance, or both.
You should wait for Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you currently own a Galaxy S24 Ultra or even an S23 Ultra. These flagships still have plenty of juice left in them and will take you well into 2026 when the S26 Ultra will come out. Once you see what it has on offer, you will be able to make a better-informed decision on whether to jump in.
You should not wait for Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you need an upgrade and a top-tier phone today. It's still a good half a year or so before the S26 Ultra comes out, if your current handset is falling apart — just go get the S25 Ultra. It is excellent right now and, chances are, it will be more than able to hold a candle or two to the S26 Ultra next year!
Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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