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| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone shown from the back highlighting its quad camera system |
"The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the most ambitious Android phone Samsung has ever shipped — and the first flagship where on-device AI actually feels useful. Here's our full review."
readingMinutes: 7
After two weeks with the device, one thing is clear: the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra isn't just another spec bump. It's the first mainstream phone where on-device AI stops being a marketing slide and starts replacing the cloud round-trips wشe've gotten used to since 2023.
Design and display
Samsung kept the flat-edge titanium frame from the S25 Ultra but shaved another 0.4 mm off the thickness. The 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 3X panel now hits a peak of 3,200 nits, which is genuinely usable in direct sunlight. The S Pen is back — and finally regains Bluetooth gestures that were quietly removed last year, as The Verge first reported during the Unpacked event.
Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2
Every S26 Ultra worldwide ships with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 — no Exynos split this year. Geekbench 6 multi-core hits 11,400, roughly 18% above the S25 Ultra and within striking distance of the A19 Pro inside Apple's flagship. If you want our take on that competing chip, see our iPhone 17 Pro deep dive.
Galaxy AI, now mostly on-device
This is the headline. Samsung is using a custom 4B-parameter Gemini Nano 2 variant co-developed with Google, plus its own Gauss2 model, to run Live Translate, Note Assist, generative photo edits and Circle-to-Search locally — no network required. In our testing, Live Translate latency dropped from ~900 ms (cloud) to under 200 ms.
For the bigger picture on where Google is taking on-device intelligence next, read our coverage of the Gemini Agent Platform and Ironwood TPU.
Cameras
- 200 MP main (1/1.3", OIS) — same sensor, new pipeline
- 50 MP 5× periscope telephoto with variable aperture
- 12 MP 3× telephoto
- 50 MP ultrawide with autofocus for macro
ProVisual Engine 2 noticeably reduces the over-sharpened look that plagued the S25 Ultra. DXOMARK currently ranks it second overall, just behind the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Battery and charging
The 5,200 mAh battery comfortably clears a full day of heavy use (8h+ screen-on). Wired charging stays at a conservative 65 W, while Qi2.2 wireless finally hits 25 W with no proprietary case required.
Price and availability
Starting at $1,299 for 256 GB, the S26 Ultra is shipping now in the US, EU and most of Asia. Samsung's official spec sheet is on the Samsung Galaxy site.
Key Takeaways
- First flagship where Galaxy AI runs almost entirely on-device.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 worldwide — no Exynos.
- 3,200-nit display is the brightest ever shipped on a phone.
- Battery life is the best of any Galaxy Ultra to date.
Conclusion
The Galaxy S26 Ultra isn't a reinvention — it's the moment Android's on-device AI story finally catches up to the hardware. If you're on an S23 Ultra or older, this is the upgrade. If you're on an S25 Ultra, hold off unless local AI matters to you. Either way, 2026 just got a lot more interesting for Android.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra cost?
The S26 Ultra starts at $1,299 for the 256 GB model, with 512 GB and 1 TB options at $1,419 and $1,639 respectively.
Does the Galaxy S26 Ultra use Snapdragon or Exynos?
Every region gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 — Samsung dropped the Exynos split for the Ultra line in 2026.
Is Galaxy AI free on the S26 Ultra?
Yes. All on-device Galaxy AI features are free through at least the end of 2026; only a few cloud-only features may move to a paid tier later.
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