Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Launch and Pre-Reservations
Samsung has officially confirmed the launch date for its Galaxy S26 series, set for 25 February 2026. Alongside this announcement, the company has begun accepting pre-reservations, offering a promotional discount of $30/€30 for those who sign up for email notifications. While pricing details will be discussed later, the focus now turns to what new features and upgrades the Galaxy S26 Ultra will bring to the table.
Display and Design Enhancements
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to feature a 6.9-inch LTPO display with a 1-120Hz refresh rate and a 1440p+ resolution. A significant upgrade comes in the form of a 10-bit display panel, a step up from the 8-bit panels Samsung has traditionally used in its flagships, despite supplying superior OLED panels to competitors. Another notable addition is the Privacy Display technology, which allows sensitive information, such as unlock codes received via text, to be displayed privately on a per-pixel basis. This feature can be controlled smartly through One UI 8.5, enabling automatic activation when the user is outside and deactivation at home.
In terms of build, the Ultra model will debut a new high-strength Gorilla Glass, likely an advanced version of Gorilla Glass Armor with an exclusive anti-reflection coating. The design will also see a subtle change with a small raised area around the camera lenses, which may be decorative rather than functional. The phone is expected to be slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, measuring 7.9mm thick and weighing 214g, compared to 8.2mm and 218g on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Colour options leaked by Evan Blass include Black, White, Silver Shadow, Sky Blue, Cobalt Violet, and Pink Gold.
Charging and Battery Details
Samsung is introducing a refined magnetic charging system with the Galaxy S26 series. Unlike built-in magnets in the phone, magnetic wireless charging will require special cases embedded with magnets to attach chargers and accessories securely. Charging speeds are also seeing modest improvements: wired charging will increase to 60W from the previous 45W cap, and wireless charging will rise to 25W from 15W. However, early tests on a Galaxy S26 Ultra unit showed only a slight improvement in charging speed, reaching 75% battery in 30 minutes, barely faster than the S25 Ultra.
The battery capacity remains unchanged at 5,000mAh, consistent with previous Ultra models since the S20 Ultra. Rumours of a slight increase to 5,200mAh have circulated but remain unconfirmed. Samsung has also leaked a new magnetic power bank designed for the series, featuring a unique shape to accommodate the camera module and priced at approximately €60 in Europe.
Performance and Software Upgrades
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will be powered exclusively by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset across all regions, marking a departure from previous models that used Exynos chips in certain markets. This was confirmed by recent Geekbench results, dispelling earlier rumours of Exynos 2600 usage in Korea. Memory options include 12GB of RAM with a 16GB variant, and storage tiers of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
On the software front, One UI 8.5 will bring smart controls for the Privacy Display feature and introduce new AI capabilities. Samsung is teasing a smarter Bixby assistant with agentic AI, which will be able to interact with various apps and perform tasks autonomously based on user commands. Additionally, the Galaxy S26 Ultra may include a full Linux terminal, a feature that could greatly benefit developers using Samsung DeX, although the technical details on how this will be implemented remain unclear.
Camera and S Pen Features
The camera setup on the Galaxy S26 Ultra will see minor refinements rather than major overhauls. It will retain a 200MP main sensor, a 10MP 3x telephoto lens with a slightly smaller sensor than last year, a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto, and a 50MP ultra-wide lens. The main camera is rumoured to have a wider f/1.4 aperture, though there is no confirmation that Samsung has reintroduced the variable aperture system from earlier models.
The S Pen remains a key feature exclusive to the Ultra model, with no new functionalities reported but thankfully no reductions either. Contrary to some speculation, the absence of built-in magnets for wireless charging does not appear to affect the stylus’s operation.
Pricing and What to Expect Next
The base Galaxy S26 Ultra model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage is expected to launch at around €1,470, maintaining the same price point as the 2025 Ultra. Higher storage variants may see slight price increases. Samsung is likely to continue offering pre-order incentives such as free storage upgrades and extra trade-in credits. With the official launch just weeks away, attention will turn to how these features perform in real-world use and whether Samsung’s incremental upgrades will satisfy the expectations of flagship smartphone enthusiasts.
Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra appears to build on its predecessor with thoughtful improvements in display technology, charging, and AI integration, while maintaining the core strengths that define Samsung’s premium flagship. The coming weeks should reveal more as Samsung’s Unpacked event approaches.
Source: Twitter