Key Facts

• Design & Build: The Galaxy S26 Ultra is tipped to have curvier, more rounded corners than the boxier S25 Ultra, continuing Samsung’s gradual shift away from sharp edges phonearena.com. Both use a tough titanium alloy frame, but the S26 Ultra may be slightly taller and wider (around 163.4×77.9mm vs 162.8×77.6mm) while also slimming down below the S25 Ultra’s 8.2mm thickness techradar.com tomsguide.com. Despite the thinner profile, an IP68 water/dust resistant build and S Pen stylus slot are expected on the S26 Ultra (though Samsung reportedly experimented with removing some S Pen tech to save space) tomsguide.com.
• Display: Both models pack huge 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED screens at 1440p resolution and 1–120Hz adaptive refresh. The S25 Ultra’s display is already one of the brightest, peaking around 1,860–2,373 nits in tests tomsguide.com phonearena.com. The S26 Ultra should match or exceed this with new tech – Samsung is reportedly using a “Flex Magic Pixel” OLED that can intelligently narrow viewing angles for privacy without reducing brightness notebookcheck.net. It also uses a CoE (Color-on-Encapsulation) layer to cut screen reflections, so outdoor visibility could improve further tomsguide.com notebookcheck.net. In short, expect similarly stunning visuals on the S26 Ultra, with enhanced anti-glare and privacy features.
• Performance: Galaxy S26 Ultra will leap ahead with Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 8 “Elite 2” chipset (likely the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4) and faster memory. Leaks say it features LPDDR5X RAM at 10.7Gbps, a ~25% speed boost over the S25 Ultra’s 8.5Gbps RAM notebookcheck.net. The S25 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip (an overclocked 3nm SoC) is already blazing fast – it beat Apple’s A17-powered iPhone 16 Pro Max in multi-core and GPU benchmarks tomsguide.com. The S26 Ultra’s new chip is expected to shatter records (rumored around 4,000,000 in AnTuTu vs ~2.66M on current Android flagships) tomsguide.com and may be paired with 16GB RAMon top models for the first time since the S21 Ultra tomsguide.com. Note: Samsung might reintroduce its in-house Exynos 2600 chip in some S26 units (likely European models), but most regions (e.g. US) should get the Qualcomm chip tomsguide.com.
• Camera Upgrades: The S26 Ultra’s quad-camera system will bring subtle but meaningful hardware improvements for better low-light performance. It retains the 200MP ISOCELL HP2 main sensor, but with a much brighter f/1.4 lens (vs f/1.7 on S25) to capture ~47% more light notebookcheck.net. The 12MP 3× telephoto camera is getting a new 12MP sensor (replacing the S25 Ultra’s 10MP module) for 20% higher resolution notebookcheck.net. The 5× periscope telephoto keeps its 50MP sensor, but its aperture widens from f/3.4 to f/2.9 – a 38% increase in light intake notebookcheck.net. The 50MP ultrawide remains unchanged after the big jump from 12MP to 50MP that Samsung introduced on the S25 Ultra tomsguide.com. All this means the S26 Ultra should take cleaner, brighter shots in dark conditions and sharper zoomed images, building on the S25 Ultra’s already excellent camera foundation. Samsung is also rumored to add a new laser autofocus module and upgraded “ProVisual” AI image processing engine for faster focusing and smarter image enhancements tomsguide.com. On the front, both have 12MP selfie cameras, but the S26 Ultra may enable 4K 120fps slow-motion selfie videos, a feature trickling down from the iPhone realm tomsguide.com.
• Battery & Charging: Samsung is sticking with a 5,000 mAh battery on the S26 Ultra – the same capacity as the S25 Ultra, which delivered over 17 hours of web surfing in independent tests tomsguide.com. What is changing is charging speed: One UI 8.5 code points to 60W fast charging support on the S26 Ultra tomsguide.com, up from 45W on the S25 Ultra. In practice, the S25 Ultra refuels to ~71% in 30 minutes at 45W tomsguide.com; the S26 Ultra at 60W could top 80% in that time (and fully charge in under an hour). Both support fast wireless charging, but the S26 Ultra and its siblings are expected to adopt the latest Qi2 standard with magnetic alignment (à la MagSafe) for more efficient wireless charging and accessory attachment techradar.com. Despite rumors Samsung was developing new silicon-carbon battery tech to boost capacity, insiders say the S26 will use it to shrink the battery’s physical size (making the phone thinner) while keeping 5000 mAh capacity steady tomsguide.com.
• Software: Out of the box, the S25 Ultra runs Android 15 with One UI 7.0, whereas the S26 Ultra will ship with the newer Android 16 and One UI 8.x. Samsung has massively improved its update policy – the S25 Ultra is promised up to 7 years of OS updates phonearena.com, so both it and the S26 Ultra will be supported well into the future. One UI 7 introduced a host of AI-powered features on the S25 (thanks in part to deep integration of Google’s Gemini AI): e.g. “Cross-app Actions” that let you perform complex multi-app tasks via voice, smarter text extraction and search (Circle to Search), and a “Now Brief” customizable AI feed tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. We can expect One UI 8 to push this further – Samsung is reportedly even testing integration of third-party AI assistants (like Perplexity AI in Bixby) and more on-device AI smarts tomsguide.com. In day-to-day use, both phones will feel smooth and snappy. iOS-like refinements (e.g. an upgraded control center in One UI 7, new live lockscreen info widgets) make Samsung’s software more polished than ever tomsguide.com, while still offering customization and features (Samsung DeX, S Pen software suite, etc.) that you won’t get on an iPhone.
• Connectivity: The Galaxy S25 Ultra is already at the cutting edge here – it supports Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) for multi-gig wireless speeds, plus Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, Ultra Wideband and a USB-C 3.2port phonearena.com. The S26 Ultra will of course include all that, potentially upgrading to the very latest Bluetooth standard (5.4) and leveraging Wi-Fi 7’s full potential as Wi-Fi 7 routers become more common. Both devices offer extensive 5G support (sub-6GHz in global models, plus mmWave on US carrier versions) and dual SIM capabilities (nanoSIM + eSIM). One question mark is satellite connectivity – Apple and Huawei now enable emergency satellite SOS messaging on their phones, and Google’s working on it too, but Samsung has been quieter. There were reports of Samsung partnering on satellite texting for the S24, but no such feature materialized in the S25 Ultra. It’s possible the S26 Ultra could add a basic satellite SOS function via Qualcomm’s modem capabilities, but so far there’s no solid leak confirming this. On the charging front, as noted, the S26 series will fully adopt Qi2 wireless charging with magnets; Samsung actually added Qi2 support in the S25 Ultra’s hardware (it was Qi2-compatible sammobile.com), but the new generation will lean into it more with magnet-assisted wireless chargers (Google’s Pixel 10 is reportedly doing the same) techradar.com. Both phones have USB-C ports (USB 3.2 Gen 2×1), allowing wired video output and fast data – and unlike the latest iPhones, Galaxy Ultras still support expandable storage via USB drives (but not microSD).
• Pricing & Availability: The S25 Ultra launched in February 2025 at a base price of $1,299 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage in the US (₤1,249 in the UK, €1,449 in Europe) tomsguide.com phonearena.com. That was the same MSRP as the prior S24 Ultra, despite the upgrades. Samsung generally holds Unpacked launch events in late January, with retail availability by mid-February. In fact, the Galaxy S25 series was announced on January 22, 2025 and hit shelves by Feb 7 phonearena.com tomsguide.com. Following this pattern, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to be unveiled in late January 2026 and ship in the first half of February 2026 tomsguide.com. The big question is pricing – will Samsung bump it up? Thus far, indications are that pricing will remain stable. Qualcomm reportedly isn’t charging Samsung extra for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chip vs last year’s chip tomsguide.com, and the S25 Ultra held the line on cost despite new features. Unless inflation or supply issues intervene, we’re likely to see the S26 Ultra also start around $1,299 for 256GB (with higher tiers ~$1,419 for 512GB and ~$1,659 for 1TB, similar to S25 Ultra) tomsguide.com. Samsung will surely continue its pre-order deals (e.g. free storage upgrades or trade-in credits) to sweeten the pot tomsguide.com. In short, the S26 Ultra should launch at roughly the same price point as the current S25 Ultra, with wide availability through carriers and Samsung’s store by February 2026.
• Galaxy S26 vs S25 Series Lineup: Beyond the Ultra, Samsung’s 2025 and 2026 flagship lineups have some notable differences. The Galaxy S25 series consisted of a 6.2-inch base S25, a 6.7-inch S25+ (Plus), and the 6.9-inch S25 Ultra sammobile.com. The S25+ and base model shared most specs (both had flat displays at 120Hz and triple cameras – reportedly including a 50MP main sensor, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP 3x telephoto, similar to the S24 generation), whereas only the Ultra had the 200MP camera, periscope zoom, and S Pen. For 2026, Samsung is apparently rebranding the lineup: leaks claim there will be no “Galaxy S26+” and no standard “S26” at all notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net. Instead, Samsung may introduce a Galaxy S26 Pro (around 6.3″) as the smallest model and a Galaxy S26 Air (around 6.7″) as the middle tier, alongside the Ultra notebookcheck.net. This naming echoes Apple’s strategy (“iPhone 17 Pro” and a rumored “17 Air”), suggesting Samsung wants the base model to sound more premium (“Pro”) and the Plus replacement (“Air”) to emphasize thinness/lightness. Indeed, the S26 “Air” is rumored to be an even thinner, sleeker device – one leak pegs it at just ~5.5mm thick while still packing a large battery androidpolice.com techradar.com (take that with a grain of salt). Dummy unit photos also show the S26 Air/Pro adopting a new design: the mid-tier S26 (likely the Air) has a prominent rectangular camera bump reminiscent of an iPhone, whereas the Ultra sticks to the floating lens design (and the smaller Pro may as well) techradar.com. In terms of features, the S26 Air and Pro are expected to inherit some of the Ultra’s goodies. Notably, both the S26 Pro and Air will reportedly use the same 200MP main camera sensor as the Ultra notebookcheck.net – a big step up from the S25/24 base models’ 50MP cameras. However, the non-Ultras won’t have a periscope zoom; they’ll likely stick to a single telephoto (possibly 3×). In fact, leaks say the S26 Air will upgrade its ultrawide camera from 12MP to 50MP (matching the Ultra’s) notebookcheck.net, bringing the entire series closer in camera quality. Other differences: the smaller S26 models won’t have S Pen support and will probably use aluminum frames (the S25 Ultra’s titanium build was exclusive to Ultra tomsguide.com). Display resolutions may also differ – the S26 Pro/Air are expected to use flat Full HD+ displays (as the S25 did), whereas the Ultra alone gets the 1440p QHD+ panel. All S26 models should share the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip (though perhaps binned lower for thermals in the smaller phone) and support features like Wi-Fi 7 and Qi2 wireless charging. In summary, Samsung is reshuffling its lineup in 2026: the Ultra remains the no-compromise flagship, while the lower S26 models get new names and significant upgrades (bringing them closer to Ultra-level specs) to better compete in their classes.

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Other Upcoming Flagships

Samsung’s top Ultra phone never exists in a vacuum – it will go head-to-head with rival flagships. Here’s how the Galaxy S26 Ultra (based on what we know so far) stacks up against its major competitors:

• Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Apple’s 2024 flagship is the current benchmark for many. It too sports a 6.9-inch display, and while Apple didn’t increase the resolution (2796×1290) or peak brightness from the previous generation, it’s an incredibly bright and color-accurate screen – Tom’s Guide noted the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s display is “impressively high brightness” and one of the best of the year, essentially tied with the Pixel 9 Pro XL for top honors tomsguide.com. (The iPhone 16 Pro Max hits about 2,000 nits peak, whereas the S25/S26 Ultra reach ~2,300–2,600 nits in ideal conditions phonearena.com.) With the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s new anti-reflective tech, Samsung could gain an edge in outdoor visibility. Performance-wise, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 3nm A18 Pro chip delivers blistering speed, but so did the S25 Ultra’s chip – in fact, the S25 Ultra beat the iPhone in multi-core CPU and graphics tests (though the iPhone still led in single-core) tomsguide.com. The S26 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen2 is expected to widen multi-core and GPU gaps further. Where Apple shines is efficiency and software optimization: despite a smaller 4,685 mAh battery, the iPhone 16 Pro Max achieved 17.5 hours in the same battery test (just edging the S25 Ultra’s 17.3 hours) tomsguide.com, thanks to iOS optimizations. The S26 Ultra’s Android 16 + One UI and new chip may narrow that efficiency gap. Camera-wise, Apple takes a different approach. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 48MP main camera (with Apple’s excellent sensor fusion and Smart HDR), a new 48MP ultrawide (up from 12MP, indicating Apple’s also upping resolution for wider shots), and a 5× optical telephoto (120mm equivalent) with 12MP sensor. In our experience, Apple focuses on consistency and color accuracy across its lenses rather than sheer megapixels tomsguide.com. In contrast, the S26 Ultra packs a 200MP main and dual zooms including a high-res 5×; it will likely retain an advantage at extreme zoom ranges (Samsung’s Space Zoom can hit 50–100× digitally, whereas the iPhone tops out around 25×). The iPhone’s strength is in video – features like 4K ProRes and the rock-solid stabilization make it a mobile filmmaker’s dream, though Samsung is closing the gap (offering 8K recording and potentially 4K120 on the front camera as noted). One area Samsung decisively leads is charging and openness: the iPhone 16 Pro Max still uses a 30W charger (50% in 30 minutes) and now a USB-C port limited to USB2 speeds on the non-Pro models (the Pro Max has USB3 but with Apple’s ecosystem lock-ins) – far behind the Galaxy’s 45W/60W charging and easy plug-and-play support for USB-C accessories. Also, the S26 Ultra will support expandable storage via external drives and more customization in software. Overall, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a formidable rival, offering a brilliantly polished experience, longer OS support (iOS updates for 5+ years), and tight integration with Apple’s ecosystem. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, aims to beat it in raw hardware (display, camera zoom, charging) and flexibility. Which is “best” will depend on whether you value Apple’s ecosystem and refinements versus Samsung’s feature-packed, more open approach. Notably, both phones are now similarly sized – the iPhone 16 Pro Max grew to 6.9″ and ~240g with a sturdy titanium design like Samsung’s, so fans of big, premium phones have strong options on both iOS and Android.
• Google Pixel 9 Pro (and 9 Pro XL): Google’s late-2024 Pixel 9 Pro is all about software prowess and camera algorithms. It actually comes in two sizes this cycle – Pixel 9 Pro (6.7″) and Pixel 9 Pro “XL” (rumored 7.0″), the latter likely being what Tom’s Guide referred to in display tests tomsguide.com. The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s displayreportedly hit an astounding 2,649 nits peak brightness, slightly surpassing even Samsung and Apple’s panels tomsguide.com. Google calibrated it for excellent colors too, so the Pixel screen is on par with the iPhone 16 PM as one of the year’s best. The S26 Ultra will have to match that brightness (its predecessor reached ~2,373 nits in PhoneArena’s 20% APL test phonearena.com) – Samsung’s anti-glare coating may help it appear even brighter in sunlight. In performance, however, Pixel phones typically lag: Google’s Tensor G4 chip (if so named) prioritizes AI tasks and efficiency, but can’t compete with Qualcomm or Apple on brute force. For context, the Pixel 9 Pro XL scores were roughly half of the S25 Ultra’s in CPU benchmarks tomsguide.com, and it lacks the high-end GPU power for heavy 3D gaming. Day-to-day, Pixel phones run smoothly (pure Android 14/15 with Material You) but the S26 Ultra will feel more future-proof for performance-intensive use cases. Where Pixel excels is computational photography. The Pixel 9 Pro still uses a 50MP main sensor, 48MP ultrawide, and 5× 48MP telephoto (along with Google’s clever Super Res Zoom). Though Samsung has higher raw sensor counts, Google’s image processing often produces stunning results with minimal effort – especially in HDR and Night Sight. That said, Samsung has closed the gap considerably with improved Nightography and will benefit from those larger apertures on the S26 Ultra in low light. The Pixel’s Achilles heel in recent years has been battery life: despite a 5,000+ mAh battery, the Pixel 9 Pro XL only managed about 13 hours in the Tom’s Guide battery test (significantly behind Galaxy and iPhone) tomsguide.com. The Tensor chips tend to run hot and aren’t as power-efficient. So the S26 Ultra is likely to outlast the Pixel on a charge, and it will definitely charge faster – Pixel 9 Pro is capped around 30W wired charging (taking roughly an hour to hit 50–60%), whereas the S26 Ultra can do 60W (80+% in 30 mins). One more point: software and AI. Pixel phones showcase Google’s latest AI features – from the Assistant’s call screening and hold times, to on-device dictation that’s superb, to “Magic Editor” photo tricks. Samsung offers many similar features (and even more customization), but Google’s are often a step ahead in ease of use. Still, Samsung’s partnering with Google (Gemini AI is integrated on the S25), so the S26 Ultra will benefit from those advancements as well tomsguide.com. Both Pixel and Galaxy will get Android updates for years – Pixel guarantees 5 years, Samsung now promises up to 7. Ultimately, Pixel 9 Pro vs Galaxy S26 Ultra is a contest of Google’s software-first philosophy versus Samsung’s hardware-maximizing approach. The Pixel is ideal for camera simplicity and clean Android, but the S26 Ultra offers more versatility (stylus, expandable storage, PC-like DeX mode, etc.) and far greater raw horsepower.
• Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Xiaomi’s Ultra flagships are arguably the most spec-stuffed Android phones around, and the 15 Ultra (2025) is no exception. In fact, it launched in China in March 2025 and immediately one-upped Samsung’s S25 Ultra in several areas. Consider charging: the Xiaomi 15 Ultra supports a lightning-fast 90W wired charging and 80W wireless charging, plus 10W reverse wireless theverge.com. This HyperCharge system can refill its large 5,410 mAh battery in about 20 minutes (wired) – an insane speed that makes even the S26 Ultra’s 60W look slow by comparison. Xiaomi also equipped the 15 Ultra with Leica-tuned cameras in a distinctive circular module. Notably, it has four rear cameras: a 50MP main (1-inch type sensor, f/1.7), a 50MP ultrawide, a 50MP 3× telephoto, and a breakthrough 200MP periscope telephoto offering 4.3× optical zoom theverge.com. That 200MP periscope is something even Samsung hasn’t tried – it gives Xiaomi’s long-zoom shots a ton of detail (Leica provides color tuning and some film-like presets). The Galaxy S26 Ultra, with its 50MP 5× lens, might actually concede the pure zoom resolution crown to Xiaomi here, although Samsung’s image processing and potentially longer digital zoom (Xiaomi goes up to ~120× digital) will be comparable. Performance-wise, Xiaomi 15 Ultra runs on the same class of chip (Snapdragon 8 “Elite” Gen1, akin to S25’s chip), with up to 16GB RAM and 512GB/1TB storage options theverge.com. So the S26 Ultra’s newer Snapdragon 8 Gen4 will likely pull ahead of the Xiaomi in speed and efficiency by a generation. In terms of display, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a slightly smaller 6.73″ 1440p LTPO AMOLED (1-120Hz) which is gorgeous, but Samsung’s display leadership means the S26 Ultra’s 6.9″ screen will be as good or better in brightness and color. Xiaomi’s phone heavily emphasizes a camera-first design – it even has a faux-leather and metal two-tone back that makes it look like a classic Leica camera theverge.com. At ~$1300+ import price, the 15 Ultra is expensive and mainly targeted at photography enthusiasts. Its international availability is limited (it may not officially launch in North America or Europe), whereas Samsung will sell the S26 Ultra globally with robust support. Xiaomi’s MIUI software is feature-rich but can be heavy and is not as universally liked as One UI – and Samsung will beat Xiaomi on long-term updates. All that said, Xiaomi often pushes innovations that Samsung later adopts. The 15 Ultra shows what’s possible: incredible charging speed, overkill camera specs, and premium materials. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will counter with a more balanced package – very fast (if not Xiaomi-fast) charging, an excellent camera system enhanced by smarter AI rather than sheer megapixels, and Samsung’s trademark extras like the S Pen. For a general tech-savvy audience, Samsung’s device may be the safer bet, but Xiaomi’s Ultra certainly gives Samsung a run for its money in the spec war. It’s a reminder that competitors like Xiaomi (and Vivo, Oppo, etc.) are nipping at Samsung’s heels, especially in Asia, with features like 1-inch sensors and super charging. Samsung appears to be responding by improving its own cameras and finally bumping charging speeds to keep the Galaxy Ultra series competitive tomsguide.com.

Bottom Line: The Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to be an evolutionary upgrade over the S25 Ultra, polishing the design and boosting specs in key areas like the camera system, chipset, and charging speed. It likely won’t reinvent the wheel – Samsung’s recent flagships have stuck to a winning formula of incremental refinement phonearena.com. For S25 Ultra owners, the S26 Ultra’s improvements (brighter lens, faster silicon, etc.) may feel modest on paper, but they target real-world gains in low-light photography, device longevity, and user experience. Against 2025’s top phones – iPhone 16 Pro Max, Pixel 9 Pro, Xiaomi 15 Ultra – the S26 Ultra will arrive well-equipped to compete or lead. It may not have the one “revolutionary” feature, but taken together, its upgrades could make it one of 2026’s most complete flagship phones tomsguide.com. We’ll have to wait for the official launch and real-world tests to see just how far Samsung pushes the Ultra this time. But based on credible leaks and Samsung’s track record, Galaxy fans can expect an absolute powerhouse that refines the S25 Ultra’s strengths and addresses some of its weaknesses – all while keeping the device familiar and ultra-premium in true Galaxy Ultra fashion.

Sources: Samsung & industry insiders via SamMobile and Android Authority sammobile.com notebookcheck.net; hands-on review data from Tom’s Guide tomsguide.com tomsguide.com; leak reports from TechRadar phonearena.com techradar.com, PhoneArena phonearena.com phonearena.com, and NotebookCheck notebookcheck.net notebookcheck.net; competitor info from The Verge, Tom’s Guide, etc. theverge.com tomsguide.com. All specifications and features for the S26 Ultra are based on leaks and may be subject to change until Samsung’s official announcement. But if these reports hold true, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be an exciting step up from an already stellar S25 Ultra.