Headline features of latest Samsung flagship include special screen that stops shoulder surfers spying on your contentThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra front and back with the integrated S Pen stylus(Image: Samsung)
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a refined evolution of the firm’s extra-premium flagship.
It pairs Android 16 and the firm’s One UI 8.5 software with a large 6.90in, 3120×440 resolution, 120Hz display and what it says is the most powerful implementation of Qualcomm’s latest high-end system-on-a-chip. The Elite 8 Gen5 for Galaxy here is paired with an Adreno 840 GPU and aided by 12GB of superfast LPDDR5x RAM.
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The Ultra has always got the biggest and most dazzling screen, the best cameras and the integrated S Pen stylus that ensures it can win every argument over which is the most complete Android flagship phone.
The headline feature this year is the pixel-level Privacy Display designed to reduce shoulder-surfing by obscuring side and top viewing angles of your notifications and any specific apps you choose such as banking or messaging.
It uses a mix of wide pixels and narrow pixels in the display. When the filter is turned on, the display relies on the narrow pixels, which reduces the viewing angle from all sides. Looking straight at the screen, you can still see everything perfectly, but move off centre and the difference becomes apparent and your phone’s display will not be visible to onlookers.
You can opt for full privacy protection too but this will reduce the resolution of your dazzling display.
The other standout feature this year is the introduction of the camera’s horizon lock when using the video camera. Enable the super-steady camera and it will lock the camera in place. It is ideal when capturing sports events or your children’s activities as no matter what happens the horizon lock will hold the video in place. And it does this so seamlessly, you won’t be able to tell in the resulting clips where it kicked in.
The S26 Ultra camera experience is solid and consistently reliable(Image: Samsung)
Elsewhere, this is as slick and polished a user experience as you can get on a top Android handset in 2026 especially when it comes to the four rear cameras which include a superb 200MP resolution primary lens with an f/1/4 aperture that lets in plenty of light. Yes, the Honor Magic 8 Pro has a superior zoom camera and it’s also true that Xiaomi 17 Ultra offers a more fun and exciting camera experience overall, but Samsung trumps both of those devices on well-stabilised video. Overall, the camera experience is solid and consistently reliable.
Battery capacity remains the same at 5,000mAh, but the more efficient software and hardware improvements mean this device actually lasted longer during testing than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra which has a 20 percent larger capacity 6,000mAh power pack. There is also a welcome battery experience boost with the introduction of support for 60W superfast charging. There is also support for Qi2 25W wireless charging but S26 Ultra lacks built-in magnets like you get on Pixel 10 flagships and iPhones.
There are plenty of AI features on board too, many of which are also on every other phone these days and only a few of which are actually that useful, such as transcription, image editing and text tools. Call assist blocks spam calls by answering for you and asking the caller their reason for ringing; a popular feature that is already on Pixels and iPhones.
Samsung promises seven years of OS upgrades and security updates for the S26 Ultra(Image: Samsung)
Samsung’s version of Google’s Magic Cue is called Now Nudge. It pulls data from various apps on your phone and offers timely suggestions above the keyboard in messaging apps. It will suggest recent photos, calendar events, locations and other information. It is not yet as useful as Magic Cue.
Samsung promises seven years of OS upgrades and security updates for S26 Ultra. You get the latest Bluetooth 6 and Wifi 7 connectivity along with NFC, an ultra-wideband chip for precision finding, NFC for contactless payments, GNSS navigation and USB 3.2 Gen 1 for video output and fast data transfer
Galaxy S26 Ultra verdict
I actually enjoyed testing the Galaxy ZFold 7 foldable more than last year’s non-folding S25 Ultra, even though the latter had the superior spec sheet. Even now, I’d probably recommend that as the most fun and cutting-edge Samsung phone you can buy. But it’s not without its flaws.
And while the non-folding Galaxy S26 Ultra may not be as exciting as its foldable cousin, in terms of the overall package this is as complete as Android gets in 2026 especially with that integrated S Pen stylus.
Galaxy S26 Ultra pricing
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra costs from €1,499 (for 256GB of storage).
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