Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

Design

The first thing you’ll notice when you pick up the Galaxy S26 Ultra is just how nice it feels in the hand. At 214g, Samsung has managed to make this the lightest and slimmest Ultra-series model to date – all while offering the . Coming in at 18g lighter than the S24 Ultra and 4g lighter than the S25 Ultra, this subtle upgrade makes everyday use more comfortable.

As you’d expect with an Ultra, the design quality is brilliant. The Advanced Armor Aluminium frame gives the handset a solid feel, while Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back screen and Corning Gorilla Armor 2 at the front protect it from inevitable bumps, drops and scrapes. Backed up with an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, this whole handset has been engineered with total toughness in mind.

The S26 Ultra comes in six refined colourways: Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White and the Samsung-exclusive Silver Shadow and Pink Gold. All with a signature matte finish, the more understated colourways on offer really add to the sleek, premium aesthetic of the phone.

Last but certainly not least, Samsung’s integrated S Pen is back for another year. Sitting flush within the frame, it’s handy for quick notetaking, marking up documents or even sketching when inspiration strikes. This is a real fan favourite feature, and we’re glad to see it in play again.

Display

The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display is a real standout. Colours are impressively rich and deep, and the 120Hz adaptive refresh means everything from fast-paced gaming to casual scrolling feels fluid and responsive.

In our eyes, the headline feature of the S26 Ultra has to be its industry-first, in-built Privacy Display that limits what people at an angle can see on your screen. Unlike a traditional privacy screen protector that can dim everything and make your display trickier to read, this feature is built into the software. It can even be set to activate on specific apps only, so your banking apps, emails and texts are now invisible to the person sat next to you on the train.

Performance

When it comes to performance, the S26 Ultra is not messing around. Driven by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a custom-built chipset made exclusively for Galaxy and one of the best processors on the market, it’s 19% faster than the S25 Ultra. So, day-to-day, whether you’re jumping between apps, running Galaxy AI or video-calling a friend, the phone won’t slow down, lag or heat up. For mobile gamers especially, this is a real perk, helping demanding games run with a consistent smoothness.

Software and AI

Samsung’s Galaxy AI feels more polished and integrated in the S26 Ultra than ever before. It’s not just a few features added on; it’s a genuinely intelligent system that works intuitively around you. It learns how you use your phone and adapts around your habits, giving you useful shortcuts and prompts exactly when you need them. A tap of the side button brings up both Gemini and Perplexity instantly, so you can get immediate help with everything from a quick question to an in-depth research rabbit hole.

Beyond that, AI also extends to the camera’s intelligent zoom and enhanced selfie features – more on those later - and to productivity tools like Now Brief, which delivers bite-sized updates throughout your day based on your habits. You’ll get everything from workout playlist suggestions as you’re off to the gym to reminders for a friend’s birthday, so nothing important slips through the cracks.

Battery

For a phone that does this much, the S26 Ultra’s battery life is really reassuring. The 5,000 mAh battery delivers up to 31 hours of video playback, so you don’t need to go hunting for your charger mid-afternoon.

When it is time for a top up, you can get up to 75% in around 30 minutes with this phone. You can even charge wirelessly and turn your S26 Ultra into a charging pad for Qi2 compatible device, whether that’s a friend’s phone or your smartwatch. Simply put the device to the back of your handset and you’ve saved the day.

Security

Security is more critical than ever, but rest assured the S26 Ultra has security woven into every layer of the phone. At the foundation of this is Knox, Samsung’s own tough security platform that monitors for threats and keeps your data protected from the moment you turn your phone on. On top of that, the S26 Ultra also offers fast, reliable fingerprint scanning and facial recognition to keep access personal and secure.

We’ve already mentioned it, but the Privacy Display is a ground-breaking smartphone security upgrade. Not only can you protect your screen from prying eyes at a side-angle, but you can also turn it on for specific apps and even incoming notifications: what needs to be private, stays private. Round that off with Samsung’s commitment to seven years of OS updates and security patches, and your phone will stay protected long into the future.

Cameras

Samsung’s camera innovations have always been a major selling point of the Ultra range, and the S26 Ultra is no different. The huge 200MP main lens with a F1.4 aperture – the widest yet on an Ultra – lets in 47% more light, making each shot sharper, colours more natural and photos clear and bright, even in low-light. Supporting the main lens is a 50MP Ultra-Wide lens that handles sweeping landscapes and architecture beautifully, and two telephoto lenses that can capture subjects at any distance.

That’s not all when it comes to zoom, either; you’ve also got an AI-powered mammoth 100x Space Zoom that turns what would simply be a blur on other smartphones into staggeringly detailed pictures. The result is crystal-clear, lifelike images, whatever time of day you’re snapping in.

Summary

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a flagship that truly earns its title. With a groundbreaking Privacy Display, exceptional camera system and smart AI, it’s one of the strongest smartphone releases of 2026.

Want to explore more top-tier handsets? Browse our guide to the best smartphones of 2026.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra FAQs