Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung's 2026 flagship pairs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy with a 200MP camera, the world's first Privacy Display, a built-in S Pen, and long-awaited 60W charging.
- World-first Privacy Display limits screen visibility at an angle, switchable per app
- 60W wired charging finally arrives — roughly 75% in about 30 minutes
- Class-leading performance from the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in every region
- Thinner (7.9mm) and lighter (214g) than the S25 Ultra with Gorilla Armor 2 and an anti-reflective coating
- Built-in S Pen remains unique among flagships, and low-light camera output is improved
- Seven years of OS and security updates on One UI 8.5 / Android 16
- Sticks with a 5,000mAh conventional battery while rivals ship larger silicon-carbon cells
- Heavy CPU throttling under sustained load despite the redesigned cooling system
- Camera hardware is largely carried over and trails top Chinese rivals on paper
- Larger camera bump divides opinion, and IP68 lags competitors' IP68/IP69 combos
- Price crept up in the US to $1,299.99, with no charger in the box
Android Hire Verdict — The Android flagship to beat
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is a refinement rather than a revolution, but the genuinely useful Privacy Display, much faster 60W charging, better endurance, and the S Pen keep it at the top of the Android pile — Tom's Guide calls it the best Android phone you can buy. S25 Ultra owners can safely skip it; anyone on an S23 Ultra or older gets a substantial upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra benchmarks
Scores are from GSMArena's own testing of a Galaxy S26 Ultra review unit (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, 12GB RAM); reference-device figures for the chipset run slightly lower, and sustained performance drops notably under long loads.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs the competition
How the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra compares against the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro and the Google Pixel 10 Pro — its closest rivals in our directory.
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple iPhone 17 Pro | Google Pixel 10 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $1,299 | $1,299.99 | $1,099 | $999 |
| Display | 6.9" QHD+ LTPO 120Hz | 6.9" LTPO AMOLED 120Hz, 2600 nits | 6.3" LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz | 6.3" LTPO OLED 120Hz |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy | Apple A19 Pro (3nm) | Google Tensor G5 |
| Camera | 200MP + 5x + 3x + UW | 200MP OIS + 50MP UW + 10MP/50MP tele | 48MP triple (wide + ultrawide + 4x telephoto), OIS | 50MP OIS + 5x telephoto |
| Battery | 5000mAh · 60W wired | 5000mAh · 45W wired / 15W wireless | 3998mAh · 25W wired / 25W MagSafe | 4870mAh · 30W |
| AnTuTu 10 | ~2,628,000 | ~2,200,000 | ~2,430,000 | ~1,300,000 |
| Our score | 90/100 | 92/100 | 93/100 | 86/100 |
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra full specifications
Launch
- Announced
- 2026, February 25 (Galaxy Unpacked, San Francisco)
- Released
- 2026, March 11
- Status
- Available
Network
- Technology
- GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
- 4G bands (USA)
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71
- 5G bands (USA)
- 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave
- Speed
- HSPA, LTE, 5G
Body
- Dimensions
- 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm
- Weight
- 214 g
- Build
- Gorilla Armor 2 front, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back, Armor aluminum 2 frame
- SIM
- Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (USA); Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (International)
- Durability
- IP68 dust-tight and water-resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)
- Stylus
- S Pen included, stored in-body
Display
- Type
- Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
- Size
- 6.9 inches (115.9 cm², ~90.7% screen-to-body)
- Resolution
- 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9, ~500 ppi
- Protection
- Corning Gorilla Armor 2, DX anti-reflective coating
- Extras
- Privacy Display (per-app viewing-angle limiting), world first
Platform
- OS
- Android 16, One UI 8.5 (7 major OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates guaranteed)
- Chipset
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (3nm), all regions
- CPU
- Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M)
- GPU
- Adreno 840 (1.3GHz)
Memory
- Card slot
- No
- Internal
- 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM
- Technology
- UFS 4.x
Main Camera
- Setup
- Quad: 200 MP (wide) + 50 MP (periscope 5x) + 10 MP (tele 3x) + 50 MP (ultrawide)
- Wide
- 200 MP, f/1.4, 23mm, 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS
- Periscope telephoto
- 50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm, 1/2.52", PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom
- Telephoto
- 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm, 1/3.94", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
- Ultrawide
- 50 MP, f/1.9, 120°, 1/2.5", dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
- Features
- Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, Best Face, Horizon Lock, panorama
- Video
- 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, gyro-EIS
Selfie Camera
- Single
- 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
- Video
- 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps, HDR10+
Sound
- Loudspeaker
- Yes, with stereo speakers
- 3.5mm jack
- No
Comms
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Bluetooth
- 6.0, A2DP, LE
- Positioning
- GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
- NFC
- Yes
- UWB
- Yes
- USB
- USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG
Features
- Fingerprint
- Under display, ultrasonic
- Sensors
- Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
- Extras
- Samsung DeX and Wireless DeX, Galaxy AI with agentic features (Now Nudge, AI document scan)
Battery
- Type
- Li-Ion 5000 mAh (rated 4855 mAh), non-removable
- Charging
- 60W wired (PD3.0 PPS), ~75% in 30 min; 25W wireless (Qi2.2); 4.5W reverse wireless
Misc
- Colors
- Black, White, Sky Blue, Cobalt Violet; Silver Shadow and Pink Gold exclusive to Samsung.com
- Models
- SM-S948U (USA), SM-S948B/DS (International), SM-S948N, SM-S948W
- SAR
- USA: 1.09 W/kg (head), 1.19 W/kg (body); EU: 1.28 W/kg (head), 1.35 W/kg (body)
- Price
- $1,299.99 / £1,249 (256GB); $1,499.99 / £1,349 (512GB); $1,799.99 / £1,549 (1TB), launch RRP
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra FAQ
Does the Galaxy S26 Ultra come with an S Pen?
Yes. The S Pen is included and stows inside the phone, just like previous Ultra models — it remains a defining feature no other mainstream flagship offers.
How much does the Galaxy S26 Ultra cost in the US and UK?
Launch RRP is $1,299.99 / £1,249 for 256GB, rising to $1,499.99 / £1,349 for 512GB and $1,799.99 / £1,549 for 1TB. By mid-2026, third-party retailers frequently sell it below RRP.
How long will the Galaxy S26 Ultra get software updates?
Samsung guarantees seven major Android OS upgrades and seven years of security updates from launch. It ships with One UI 8.5 on Android 16, so support runs into 2033.
Is it worth upgrading from the Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Generally no — the chipset, faster 60W charging, Privacy Display, and a thinner, lighter body are the main gains, while the cameras and battery capacity are largely unchanged. Upgrading from an S23 Ultra or older is a much bigger jump.
How fast does the Galaxy S26 Ultra charge?
It supports 60W wired charging (USB-PD 3.0 PPS), reaching about 75% in roughly 30 minutes, plus 25W Qi2.2 wireless and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. No charger is included in the box.
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