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The improved cameras create detailed images and videos (David Phelan\/The Independent)Cameras<\/p>\nDesign<\/p>\n
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra now looks more like the regular S26, with more generously curved corners than the tighter ones seen on last year\u2019s S25 Ultra, which gave it a squarer look and feel. The other visually noticeable design change, apart from new colours, is the camera panel. There are still four rear cameras: three arranged in a vertical column, and the fourth lens, plus a laser focus sensor and flash, in another. <\/p>\n
Where it differs from last year\u2019s Ultra model is that the left column now sits on a raised panel, which enables the cameras to maintain focal lengths (this is a matter of physics) while keeping the main body of the camera nice and thin.<\/p>\n
In fact, this is the thinnest-ever Ultra, down from 8.2mm last year to 7.9mm in 2026. You may ask whether a fraction of a millimetre could make a difference. It does. This is a big phone, but the thinness achieved makes it just that little bit more comfortable. It\u2019s also the lightest Ultra, around 4g lighter than last year\u2019s model. It feels good in the hand, though it\u2019s certainly still big: those with smaller mitts should try it out for size before buying.<\/p>\n
Of course, it\u2019s even bigger if you put it in a case, which you probably will, as it\u2019s an expensive piece of kit. For this phone, there\u2019s another really good reason to clad it. Although the S26 series phones are capable of fast wireless charging, they lack the ring of magnets that enable the phone to snap into place on a compatible charging pad. Without these, you could wake up in the morning to find that when you plonked the phone down, it didn\u2019t quite connect and didn\u2019t charge at all. <\/p>\n
Many third-party cases offer Qi 2 capabilities to overcome this problem, and since Samsung has increased the wireless charging speeds on the new phone, it\u2019s a feature worth having. I\u2019ve been testing the phone with the Spigen Ultra Hybrid MagFit, which works like a dream.<\/p>\n
Samsung hasn\u2019t said why there\u2019s no magnet ring, but in the past, it\u2019s been said that the S Pen and magnets would interfere with each other. If you\u2019re not familiar, the S Pen is the slim stylus that slots into the base of the phone and lets you scribble on the screen for notes, impromptu artwork and lots of other features. You can use Galaxy AI to turn simple drawings into something more sophisticated, too. <\/p>\n
The new phone has an improved vapour cooling chamber inside. That\u2019s important if you\u2019re playing a game on your phone, for instance, and you don\u2019t want to feel as though the phone is turning into a hand warmer. <\/p>\n
The main colourways this year are black, white, sky blue and cobalt violet, with pink gold and silver shadow available as online exclusives at the Samsung store.<\/p>\n
Galaxy AI<\/p>\n
Samsung\u2019s flavour of AI is enhanced this time around. Previously introduced features, such as live translation of phone calls, are still here, along with Now Brief, which serves up your day\u2019s activity proactively \u2013 for instance, telling you when you need to head to the airport to be in time for your next flight. <\/p>\n
And there\u2019s a new feature, Now Nudge, which is similar to the Magic Cue found on Pixel phones. It aims to make the phone more useful by being proactive. For instance, it scans data on your phone so that if, say, someone texts you about photos taken recently, it can find them and suggest them to you \u2013 no need to change apps to scour for them yourself. <\/p>\n
Note that it works with the Samsung keyboard, the default option on the phone, so if you habitually switch to Gboard or another keyboard, you won\u2019t be able to use Now Nudge.<\/p>\n
Processor and performance<\/p>\n
The latest flagship has the most recent top-flight processor from Qualcomm in a bespoke version for Samsung: the Snapdragon 8 Elite gen 5 for Galaxy. The other two phones in the range use Samsung\u2019s own Exynos 2600 in the UK, but have the Qualcomm chip in the US, China and Japan. <\/p>\n
Qualcomm\u2019s processor is fast and efficient, capable of running Galaxy AI at speed and ensuring everything happens on the device quickly, whether that\u2019s opening apps or applying Samsung\u2019s fancy photo-improvement features. <\/p>\n
The improved cameras create detailed images and videos (David Phelan\/The Independent)Cameras<\/p>\n
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You won\u2019t need to keep looking over your shoulder, thanks to the phone\u2019s privacy display (David Phelan\/The Independent)<\/p>\n