{"id":426847,"date":"2026-02-15T10:18:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T10:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/426847\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T10:18:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T10:18:23","slug":"samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-launches-within-weeks-and-pre-order-bonuses-have-been-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/426847\/","title":{"rendered":"Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra launches within weeks, and pre-order bonuses have been announced"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samsung fans, if you\u2019re itching to upgrade your smartphone<\/a>, you don\u2019t have long to wait. Samsung<\/a> has officially confirmed its next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on 25 February in San Francisco, where it is set to unveil the Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.<\/p>\n

While most details are still under wraps, Samsung has already teased that its new Galaxy phones will feature a new \u201cprivacy display\u201d feature, which makes on-screen content harder to read from off angles while staying clear when viewed head-on. Beyond that, leaks point to a fairly iterative upgrade, with a familiar design, small battery improvements and performance improvements powered by either a new Snapdragon or Exynos chipset.<\/p>\n

As always, leaks have been coming at us at breakneck speed. From price and release date to specs, cameras and battery life, I\u2019ve rounded up all the rumours you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26 Plus and regular S26. <\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy S26 release date: When will the new smartphones launch?<\/p>\n

As predicted, the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on Wednesday 25 February 2026 in San Francisco. The tech giant is expected to release the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and regular Samsung Galaxy S26 at the keynote, with pre-orders going live the following day. <\/p>\n

While Samsung hasn\u2019t officially confirmed the release date yet, multiple reliable leakers have claimed pre-orders will open on 25 or 26 February, with general availability beginning on Wednesday 11 March. Apparently, Samsung is avoiding<\/a> launching the phones on Friday, 13 March because it\u2019s\u2026 well, superstitious. <\/p>\n

The event comes a little later than usual. Samsung has released its previous Galaxy phones in January for the last two years. Earlier reports suggested<\/a> it had shifted to a later launch window because Samsung decided to scrap its ultra-thin Edge model following weak sales, though the company hasn\u2019t publicly commented on that.<\/p>\n

Samsung has also confirmed some tasty bonuses for anyone who pre-orders the phone in advance. Customers who pre-order any Galaxy S26 model will receive double the storage at no extra cost. That means if you pay for the 256GB version, you\u2019ll receive the 512GB model instead.<\/p>\n

And if you register your interest ahead of 25 February, you\u2019ll also receive a \u00a330 voucher to spend on the Samsung website when you pre-order a Galaxy S26 device, as well as entry into a draw to win one of ten \u00a3500 Samsung vouchers.<\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy S26 price: How much will the smartphones cost?<\/p>\n

Every year, rumours suggest Samsung\u2019s flagship phones will creep up in price. More often than not, that increase doesn\u2019t materialise. That might not be true for some international markets, however. <\/p>\n

On 12 February, reliable Korean outlet ET News reported<\/a> that the Galaxy S26 line-up could see a price rise in Samsung\u2019s home market. According to the publication, the 256GB model is tipped for a 99,000 won (\u00a350) price hike, while the 512GB model could increase by 160,000 won (\u00a381). <\/p>\n

The reported increases are apparently down to rising memory costs driven by AI demand. Leaker Roland Quandt, however, claims<\/a> the price hike won\u2019t come to most international markets, with Samsung absorbing the increase of memory storage.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, it was claimed that the starting prices for the Samsung Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra would remain the same in the US. I\u2019m hoping that\u2019s the same for the UK market. If correct, the Samsung Galaxy S26 could start at \u00a3799, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus could start at \u00a3999, and \u00a31,249 for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.<\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy S26: Design and display<\/p>\n

Rumours about the Samsung Galaxy S26 design have been circulating since the autumn. While leaks suggest the S26 and S26 Plus will look fairly similar to their predecessor, the biggest design tweaks could come to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. <\/p>\n

In December, Samsung accidentally leaked renders of the S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra in the One UI 8.5 source code. Discovered by Android Authority, the renders<\/a> show what each phone looks like from the rear. <\/p>\n

The renders from Samsung line up with other CAD renders released in subsequent weeks. The Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus seem to ditch the floating-style camera array on the rear in favour of a camera island that looks similar to the camera bar on the iPhone 17, with three cameras housed in a vertical pill shape, with a sensor to the left. <\/p>\n

The display is also headed for a slight increase, while the overall proportions will remain the same. According to Ice Universe, the Samsung Galaxy S26 will boast a 6.3in Super AMOLED display, up on the S25\u2019s 6.2in. The S26 Plus is reportedly getting the same 6.7in display found on the S25 Plus. <\/p>\n

Overall, both phones look broadly the same \u2013 they both feature the same flat design and the same rounded corners as their predecessor. The main difference is the camera bump. <\/p>\n

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, has a slightly upgraded design. According to the latest rumours, the S26 Ultra could boast a slightly slimmer frame, potentially around 0.4 mm thinner than the S25 Ultra. <\/p>\n

And following early rumours that the stylus might be dropped, leaked CAD renders from Ice Universe suggest<\/a> Samsung has instead found a way to keep the internals the same while providing Qi2 wireless charging compatibility without interference from the S Pen\u2019s digitiser. The S Pen itself could have a new design<\/a>, according to Ice. <\/p>\n

Like the S26 and S26 Plus, the S26 Ultra is expected to boast a vertical bar that houses all the sensors, and will be kitted out with metal rings around each camera.<\/p>\n

In terms of the display, it\u2019s expected to remain 6.9in in size, but be upgraded to an M14 OLED material, which should slightly improve efficiency. A report from The Elec in early 2025 suggested peak brightness could climb to around 3,000 nits.<\/p>\n

The most interesting display-related change is Samsung\u2019s newly confirmed \u201cprivacy display\u201d technology, which the company announced<\/a> in late January. Rather than relying on a physical privacy screen or accessory, the feature is designed to work dynamically at the panel level, keeping the display clear when viewed head-on while reducing visibility from off angles to deter shoulder surfing. Samsung hasn\u2019t confirmed which devices will support the feature, but reports so far suggest it could debut on the Galaxy S26 Ultra rather than the entire lineup.<\/p>\n

In January, SammyGuru reported the feature had been found buried within internal builds of One UI 8.5. According to the report<\/a>, Samsung\u2019s own Tips app revealed an animated explainer for Privacy Display, showing how the feature will work in practice. The animation discovered suggests the screen will remain fully visible when viewed head-on, but dim automatically when viewed from the sides, top or bottom, making it harder for people nearby to read sensitive content. SammyGuru also claims the feature will live within the Display section of Settings, with a Quick Settings toggle and optional app-based automation.<\/p>\n

Similar to Apple, Samsung might do away with titanium and return to aluminium for the S26 lineup, according to an October report<\/a> from tech site Fudzilla. As with the iPhone, it could help improve thermal performance and make it lighter in the process. <\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra colours<\/p>\n

In January, rumours about the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra\u2019s colours began circulating online. Ice Universe claimed<\/a> the sim card tray on the S26 Ultra gives away the pro phone\u2019s four different colours \u2013 black, white, sky blue and cobalt violet (a purple colour). Ice Universe has since elaborated, stating that the white is almost a pure white<\/a>. A few days later, reliable leaker Evan Blass claimed the S26 Ultra would also come in silver shadow and pink gold \u2013 these are likely Samsung-exclusive colours, reserved for those who purchase the phone from Samsung directly.<\/p>\n

As for the regular S26 and S26 Plus colours? Rumours have been thin on the ground, but according to a Finnish publication<\/a>, who has a source at an online Finnish retailer, it\u2019ll come in the same four colours as the Ultra \u2013 black, white, cobalt violet and sky blue. I\u2019m a bit dubious about this one, so we\u2019ll have to wait and see. <\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy S26: Specs <\/p>\n

According to rumours, the S26 and S26 Ultra will continue to use different chipsets. Chinese news site ITHome reported in December that the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus will use Samsung\u2019s recently-announced Exynos 2600 chipset, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will use Qualcomm\u2019s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t worry if you fear a disparity in performance. According to reliable leaker Jukanlosreve, the new Exynos 2600 has six times the NPU performance of Apple\u2019s A19 Pro chip, which is in the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It\u2019ll also reportedly have 29 per cent better GPU performance than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. <\/p>\n

Recently, there\u2019s been talk of the S26 featuring AI-powered scam detection which has, so far, only been found in Samsung\u2019s Pixel range. Essentially, AI-scam detection is a handy feature that assesses incoming phone calls and texts when they arrive\u00a0from unknown numbers and then flags if they could be a scam \u2013\u00a0helping you to avoid a massive headache down the line. This rumour was initially raised by Android Authority<\/a>, which uncovered potentially telling coding within the Phone by Google app \u2013\u00a0the S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra together with coding for the feature, as well as Pixel phones. <\/p>\n

Read more: A tech critic\u2019s review of the iPhone 17<\/a><\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy S26 cameras <\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it doesn\u2019t look like Samsung is planning major camera upgrades for most of the Galaxy S26 range. So far, leaks have focused almost entirely on changes coming to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. <\/p>\n

In November, reliable leaker Ice Universe stated that the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra will all use the same 3x telephoto camera, retaining a 10MP ISOCELL sensor with an f\/2.4 aperture. With no credible leaks pointing to new sensors for the main or ultrawide cameras on the S26 and S26 Plus, both models are expected to rely on software and processing improvements rather than significant hardware changes.<\/p>\n

While Ice Universe has said Samsung will keep the same 10MP 3x telephoto camera across the entire Galaxy S26 lineup, there may still be optical upgrades on the Ultra model. On 15 January, tipster Ahmed Qwaider claimed on X that Samsung will upgrade the Galaxy S26 Ultra\u2019s 200MP main camera with a wider f\/1.4 aperture, up from f\/1.7 on the S25 Ultra. <\/p>\n

In the same post, Qwaider also suggested the 5x 50MP telephoto lens could move from f\/3.4 to f\/2.9, potentially improving light capture for long-distance photography.<\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy S26 battery life <\/p>\n

Lastly, battery life. You\u2019ll be pleased to hear that the Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra are predicted to have bigger batteries. <\/p>\n

According to tipster Qwaider, the base Galaxy S26 will get an upgraded 4,300mAh battery (over the S25\u2019s 4,000mAh), while the S26 Ultra will get an upgraded 5,200mAh battery (slightly more than the S25 Ultra\u2019s 5,000mAh). For those rocking the Plus model, it\u2019s expected to keep the same 4,900mAh battery as the previous model.<\/p>\n

The biggest change coming to the S26 Ultra is in how your phone charges, however. According to Qwaider, the S26 Ultra will feature 60W wired charging, up from 45W on the S25 Ultra, so you\u2019ll be able to charge from zero to full much faster.<\/p>\n

Finally, all three models are predicted to come with Qi2 wireless charging, potentially with built-in magnets for better alignment and faster charging speeds up to 25W for the S26 Ultra, according to details found in the One UI 8.5 source code discovered<\/a> by Android Authority.<\/p>\n

For more, have a read of our round-up of the best Samsung phones <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Samsung fans, if you\u2019re itching to upgrade your smartphone, you don\u2019t have long to wait. Samsung has officially…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":426848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2306,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-426847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-mobile","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/426848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}