Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review: The best Android phone just got better

With most of the major phone companies launching flagship phones yearly, this constant grind to push new hardware sometimes feels like there isn’t actually anything new to push at all.

With the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, this really isn’t the case. In fact, Sammy’s new handset brings with it one of the most innovative phone features in recent years — the ability to block your screen from prying eyes, thanks to some mind-blowing display tech.

My colleague Hermione recently wrote about the virtues of this tech when living somewhere as busy as London — it really is a welcomed layer of discretion on a phone that is in pretty much every way on top of its game.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is another stunning device from Samsung and the most premium non-folding phone the tech giant has produced.

I have been using the Android handset as my main whip for a number of weeks now — and have fallen for the thing in a big way. Even its use of AI smarts, which I usually pour scorn on, have won me over. Just how, I hear you scream? Well, here are 5 things to know about the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra…

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: In Short

• Privacy Display: Innovative Flex Magic Pixel technology limits screen view from prying eyes.
• Redesigned Form Factor: Softer, curved edges replace the S25's sharp design, plus a visually improved, raised camera enclosure.
• Ultimate Power and Efficiency: Features the powerful, overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip for smooth performance and 30+ hour battery.
• Advanced Camera System: The 200MP main and 50MP telephoto cameras have wider apertures for better light and sharper images.
• New AI Smart Features: Fun and useful enhancements like Super Steady Video and impressive background noise removal from videos.

1. Design lacks sharpness — and that’s a good thing

Samsung now offers a consistent look and feel across all three devices in the S26 range (which comprises the S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra). There is a lovely unified look that is all about smooth, curved, round edges — gone are the sharp edges of the S25 and I prefer this softer form factor.

There is also now a consistency in terms of colours. The choices you have are: Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue. There are also two online exclusive colours on offer: Silver Shadow and Pink Gold (Samsung loves a colour adjective).

As for price, this is how much you need to ask your bank manager for: the 256GB version costs £1,279, 512GB £1,449 and the 1TB model is £1,699. Expensive, sure — but the tech on show here is worth it.

The Galaxy S 26 Ultra is the only one in the range that comes with the almighty S Pen — it’s situated within the chassis, fitting in there nice and flush, and it is still a stunning stylus and one that has been redesigned. It’s now thinner with an improved grip.

It also comes with a screen that sports Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass which has anti-reflective properties. The S26 Ultra is the thinnest Galaxy S Ultra phone yet and, at 214 grams, it’s one of the lightest too.

When it comes to the chassis itself, Samsung has moved away from titanium on to something called Armor Aluminium 2 — we’re guessing there is a better durability factor here, but we’re not sure why it’s switched this up.

As great as the design is, it's only really when you flip the phone over that you see real differences with the S25 Ultra. That is because of the camera enclosure — it’s been redesigned and looks great, with the three lenses now in more of a raised section.

While this does mean that it causes the handset to rock when the phone is flush on a surface, it does look a whole lot better. Other than that, there is definitely a feeling of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ with the look of this Ultra iteration.

2. The S26 Ultra is the ultimate private chancer

At first glance, it’s clear that the Galaxy S26 Ultra's display is the same size, resolution and brightness as the S25. This is no bad thing, as the 6.9-inch OLED panel is still stunning, with its 2600 nits and 1-120Hz variable refresh rate and stonking QHD+ resolution (1440 x 3120 pixels).

But there is a big difference — and it’s something of a game changer when it comes to phones. It’s called simply Privacy Display, but the tech behind it is far from simple, being a version of Samsung’s Flex Magic Pixel technology which limits the field of view someone can read a phone, meaning those who are next to you won’t be able to see what you are typing or, ahem, sending.

This tech can be ramped up or down, depending on what kind of privacy you want and it is certainly one of the standout, unique things about the S26 Ultra. This is also display tech that isn’t available on any other phone in the range.

I tried this feature in a number of places, including out and about and on the Tube and it really does keep prying eyes away. Well, at least I hope it does because the things I wrote about the person sitting next to me on the Northern line are not for publication here and if they did see it then they are much more forgiving than most.

Jokes aside, it is rare that we see game-changing technology like this nowadays, so good work Samsung on developing it. We reckon iterations of this tech will be in every phone going forward.

3. It’s the most powerful Ultra yet

Inside the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. This is a 'for Galaxy' version of the chip, which essentially means that it is overclocked for the handset. This is no understatement: this chip is one of the most powerful to be in a phone, so performance punches way above its weight.

Flipping through apps and socials are a breeze, while gaming didn’t seem to warm the handset up too much. There is a vapour chamber for cooling on board, so that is obviously working well.

Battery wise, there is a 5,000mAh on board. While this hasn’t changed since the S24, Samsung’s new chip seems to help with conserving energy as we managed 30 hours’ plus without having to charge the thing. And when we did charge it, the 60W charger got us to 78% in 30 minutes.

As for the cameras, there have been some small but powerful tweaks. The main camera (as well as the 5x telephoto) now have wider apertures, so more light can be let in, leading to better images.

Megapixel wise, they do stay the same. The 5x telephoto is 50MP, the main is 200MP (thanks to processing) and the 3x optical zoom still clocks in at 10MP but uses a new sensor.

Taking photos with the S26 Ultra was a joy. While the sun finally came out, it was the night photography that impressed me the most — images stayed sharp, even when the available light was just a street lamp or two.

There is a 100x zoom on board, which is also impressive but the quality does wear a little thin at that point, even with some neat AI interpolation.

4. There’s a bevy of new AI features — which you will (mostly) want to use

While the biggest new feature on board is the already mentioned Privacy Display, there are a number of new and fun feature enhancements added for the S26 Ultra.

There’s a Super Steady Video feature that uses the phone’s gyroscope. While this isn’t a new feature as such, it now has the ability to lock in horizontal mode. The outcome is really steady footage, no matter how wild you have been with your hand movements. And boy were my hand movements wild when I tried it — Samsung has done well here, catering for the extreme sports crowd who will be shooting content on the go.

There’s also the ability to take background noise out of video (you can do this on YouTube and Netflix videos as well) and really focus on what people are saying. This is incredibly impressive and will help those who struggle with dialogue, even if the result won’t exactly be what the director intended.

There’s a bevy of new AI features, too, including a feature that gets AI to respond and screen unknown calls.

AI is prevalent throughout the S26 Ultra, whether it enhances the pictures you take on it, helping you create new ones, or just to aid productivity on the device.

5. If this all sounds too premium, there is a budget alternative...

Samsung hasn't just launched the S26 Ultra, which is the most premium version of its handsets, but two other phones, too (we haven’t reviewed these, though).

The others are the Samsung Galaxy S26 and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus. Neither of these handsets come with the new Privacy Display feature but they share a lot of the new features of the S26 Ultra.

When it comes to screen size, the S26 clocks in at 6.3 inches and the S26 Plus has a 6.7-inch screen.

Samsung Galaxy 26 Ultra: Final Verdict

The best Android phone just got better. The Samsung Galaxy 26 Ultra is a stunning, premium device that has power to spare and a battery life that lasts for ages.

Design has been improved, with better curves and a new, nicer lozenge for the cameras on the back. The colours on show are decent, too, while the AI features on board range from fun to actually really bloody useful. And then there’s the new Privacy Display — this really is a piece of tech that changes how you use a phone.

The price will be a bit much for some, but if you can stomach it then you will be rewarded with a handset that excels in pretty much everything it does.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is available now, from £1,279.

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