Updated February 23, 2026: Samsung has confirmed the Galaxy S26 series will debut at its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25 in San Francisco, with pre-orders opening the same day and retail availability expected around March 11. Official promo materials have now confirmed the S26 Ultra's camera specs, 5,000mAh battery, and key features.
The double-storage pre-order bonus (256GB to 512GB free) is confirmed in multiple markets, though US availability remains uncertain. Samsung is positioning "agentic AI" and the new Privacy Display as the event's headline features.
If you've been eyeing Samsung's next big thing, you might want to mark your calendar for February 25, 2026.
This strategic four-week delay from Samsung's typical early-year launch schedule gives the company extra time to finalize what could be one of the most significant smartphone upgrades of 2026.
The shift to a February announcement, with retail availability expected shortly after, matches Samsung's historical patterns for earlier Galaxy S models like the S22 and S23 series. Consistent leaks from reliable sources like Ice Universe confirm this timeline adjustment appears strategic rather than problematic.
The company reportedly wants to ensure everything from chip production to AI feature integration is polished before the big reveal.
Samsung's Official Galaxy S26 Teaser Videos
Samsung has dropped three official teaser videos for the Galaxy S26 series, each showcasing a specific camera capability:
Closer demonstrates the phone's improved zoom, tracking a dog in a moving car from a distance. Groove captures a DJ performing in challenging low-light conditions, highlighting upgraded Nightography video recording. Glow shows a woman dancing with fireworks, with the AI camera capturing details without overexposing the scene.
These teasers confirm Samsung is making camera improvements a central selling point for the S26 series, with particular emphasis on AI-enhanced video zoom and low-light performance. Samsung is branding the S26 camera as the "brightest" and "easiest" Galaxy camera ever, thanks to AI.
Galaxy S26 Ultra Release Date & Availability
Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event is scheduled for February 25, 2026, in San Francisco, California. The keynote begins at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. GMT and will be livestreamed on Samsung's YouTube channel and website.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 series will open immediately after the event on February 25, with a pre-sale period running through early March and the phones going on general sale on March 11.
This is a noticeable shift from Samsung's recent pattern. The S24 Ultra launched on January 31, and the S25 Ultra hit shelves on February 7. The S26 Ultra's late-February announcement pushes everything back by about four weeks.
This delay isn't due to production problems but rather Samsung's decision to refine the lineup after cancelling the S26 Edge and finalizing the Exynos 2600 integration for the standard models.
Galaxy S26 Ultra Specs at a Glance
Let's cut through the noise and lay out what you're actually getting with the S26 Ultra. Here's everything we know so far, based on official promo materials, reliable leaks, and certifications:
| Display | 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz LTPO, ~2,600 nits peak brightness, M14 OLED with Color-on-Encapsulation technology, 10-bit color support, Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2 protection, Flex Magic Pixel AI privacy display |
|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 "For Galaxy" (TSMC 3nm, globally for Ultra model; 2x prime cores at 4.74GHz + 6x performance cores at 3.63GHz) |
| Memory & Storage | 12GB RAM standard (16GB with 1TB variant in expanded markets), 256GB / 512GB / 1TB with UFS 4.1, LPDDR5X at 10.7Gbps |
| Rear Cameras | 200MP main (ISOCELL HP2, f/1.4, OIS, Super QPD), 50MP ultrawide (Samsung JN3, f/1.9, autofocus), 50MP 5x periscope telephoto (IMX854, f/2.9, OIS), 10MP 3x telephoto (ISOCELL 3LD, f/2.4, PDAF, OIS) |
| Front Camera | 12MP with autofocus, f/2.2, 85-degree FoV (up from 80°), dual-pixel PDAF |
| Battery & Charging | 5,000mAh (~31 hours video playback), 60W wired (Super Fast Charging 3.0, 75% in 30 minutes), 25W wireless, Qi2 compatible (magnetic cases required, no built-in magnets) |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9mm, 214g (down from 8.2mm / 218g on S25 Ultra) |
| Design | Armor Aluminum 2.0 frame (replaces titanium), rounded corners, redesigned raised camera island, built-in S Pen with curved redesign |
| Software | Android 16, One UI 8.5, Galaxy AI 2.0, Bixby with Perplexity AI integration, EdgeFusion AI (Nota AI), APV codec |
| Colors | Cobalt Violet (hero color), Black, White, Sky Blue (plus Samsung.com exclusives: Silver Shadow, Pink Gold) |
| Additional | IP68, ultrasonic fingerprint, stereo speakers, 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, UWB, NFC, satellite communication (Skylo NTN) |
The big story here isn't any single spec. The jump to 60W charging paired with Qi2 wireless charging support addresses long-standing complaints. The f/1.4 camera aperture should deliver genuinely better low-light shots. And the new 50MP ultrawide sensor finally replaces the aging 12MP unit from previous generations.
Global Snapdragon consistency for Ultra buyers also means no more "did I get the good version?" anxiety. The "For Galaxy" variant runs an overclocked prime core at 4.74GHz, and early Geekbench 6 scores (single-core: ~3,700, multi-core: ~11,400) show it outperforming the Apple A19 Pro in multi-core tests by roughly 6%.
These aren't just numbers on a spec sheet, they're practical improvements you'll actually notice in daily use.
What's Changing in Samsung's Flagship Lineup
First things first: the Galaxy S26 Edge is officially cancelled. Following disappointing sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung has confirmed it's simplifying its lineup to just three models: the standard S26, S26 Plus, and the flagship S26 Ultra. Samsung is also expected to announce the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro alongside the S26 series at Unpacked.
Thailand's NBTC certification has confirmed the Galaxy S26+ will use the model number previously assigned to the cancelled Edge.
This move away from the ultra-slim Edge design makes sense when you consider market trends. Consumers have consistently shown they prioritize battery life and camera quality over razor-thin profiles, especially at premium price points.
According to a report from 9to5Google, Samsung also scaled back several planned upgrades across the S26 and S26+ to keep costs in check, focusing its most meaningful improvements on the Ultra model.
Design-wise, the S26 Ultra is moving toward rounder corners and a more comfortable in-hand feel, though the phone will maintain its signature flat edges. The camera setup is also getting a visual overhaul, with the camera bump thickness increasing from 2.4mm to 4.5mm for a more prominent, raised camera island design reminiscent of the Galaxy Z Fold style.
Samsung is doing away with the individual rings around each camera lens, which addresses previous user complaints about the design and gives the phone a cleaner, more integrated look.
Galaxy S26 Ultra Colors: Cobalt Violet Takes Center Stage
Evan Blass has leaked both an official marketing poster and a 360-degree video of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, both showcasing the phone's new hero color: Cobalt Violet. The 10-second 360-degree clip reveals the phone from every angle, highlighting its flat display with ultra-thin bezels, centered punch-hole selfie camera, and the redesigned camera island.
Samsung has finalized four main launch colors for the S26 Ultra: Cobalt Violet, Black, White, and Sky Blue, with Silver Shadow and Pink Gold available as Samsung.com exclusives. The notable absence of "Titanium" in these color names confirms Samsung is switching from a titanium frame to aluminum for this generation.
As with previous Ultra launches, expect Samsung to reserve its most interesting color variants for direct online purchases through Samsung.com, while carriers get the standard black, white, and blue options.
Aluminum Frame Returns: Samsung Ditches Titanium
Samsung is moving away from titanium for the Galaxy S26 Ultra frame, as evidenced by the leaked color names dropping the "Titanium" prefix. This mirrors Apple's similar move from titanium to aluminum on the iPhone 17 Pro.
The switch to Armor Aluminum 2.0 makes engineering sense. Aluminum offers approximately 20 times better thermal conductivity than titanium, which should help the S26 Ultra manage heat more effectively during demanding tasks like gaming or 4K video recording.
The phone measures 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9mm and weighs around 214 grams, making it slightly thinner (down from 8.2mm) and lighter (down from 218g) than the S25 Ultra. The frame uses an aluminum alloy with a brushed metal finish.
While some fans may miss the premium titanium branding, the improved thermal performance should translate to more consistent sustained performance without throttling.
Exynos 2600 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Which Chip?
Contrary to earlier hopes for a unified global chipset, Samsung is bringing back the regional processor split, but with a significant twist. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will exclusively feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 "For Galaxy" globally, ensuring consistent flagship performance for Ultra buyers regardless of region.
This TSMC 3nm processor features a custom-tuned configuration with two prime cores overclocked to 4.74GHz and six performance cores at 3.63GHz. Early Geekbench 6 results show stabilized scores of approximately 3,700 single-core and 11,400 multi-core, representing roughly a 16% single-core and 7.5% multi-core improvement over the S25 Ultra.
The chip's NPU delivers a 39% jump in AI processing, the GPU is 24% more capable, and the CPU runs 19% faster than the previous Snapdragon 8 Elite.
The standard S26 and S26 Plus will use a dual-chip strategy. Markets like the US, Canada, China, and Japan get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while Europe, South Korea, and select Asian markets receive Samsung's newly unveiled Exynos 2600, the world's first smartphone chip built on a 2nm manufacturing process.
Exynos 2600: Samsung's 2nm Gamble
Samsung officially unveiled the Exynos 2600 in December 2025, and the specs are genuinely impressive. Built using Samsung Foundry's cutting-edge 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process, the chip features a unique 10-core CPU configuration.
It uses one prime core running at 3.8GHz, three high-performance cores at 3.25GHz, and six efficiency-focused cores at 2.75GHz based on Arm's latest v9.3 architecture.
Samsung claims up to 39% better CPU performance compared to the Exynos 2500, with a massive 113% jump in AI processing capabilities. The new Xclipse 960 GPU promises double the graphics performance of its predecessor.
The Exynos-powered models will primarily reach European and Korean markets. Notably, the Exynos 2600 doesn't have a built-in modem, so it pairs with the new Exynos Modem 5410, built on a 4nm process, which also enables the phone's satellite connectivity features.
Samsung's "Heat Path Block" technology relocates RAM to the side of the processor rather than stacking it on top, allowing direct copper heat sink contact. This addresses the thermal throttling issues that have plagued previous Exynos chips and could finally close the performance gap with Snapdragon variants.
Camera Upgrades That Actually Matter
The S26 Ultra's camera system gets a meaningful overhaul across all four rear lenses, with Samsung's official promo materials now confirming the full camera configuration:
The 200MP main sensor (ISOCELL HP2) gains a wider f/1.4 aperture (up from f/1.7), which allows approximately 47% more light capture compared to the S25 Ultra. This translates to noticeably better low-light performance and more natural background blur without software trickery.
The biggest surprise is the 50MP ultrawide camera (Samsung JN3, f/1.9, 1/2.5-inch sensor) with autofocus, a massive jump from the S25 Ultra's 12MP ultrawide. This should deliver dramatically sharper and more detailed wide-angle shots.
The telephoto system is getting meaningful attention too. The 50MP periscope lens (IMX854, 1/2.52-inch sensor) for 5x optical zoom moves to f/2.9 (from f/3.4) for roughly 37% brighter shots. The 3x telephoto uses a new ISOCELL 3LD sensor, natively 12MP but outputting 10MP by using only the center crop. This isn't a downgrade.
Samsung uses the extra pixel area to enable gimbal-like stabilization, faster HDR stacking, and near-zero shutter lag. The sensor and DRAM can rapidly capture multiple frames before you realize you've tapped the shutter. The selfie camera stays at 12MP with f/2.2 aperture and dual-pixel PDAF, but gains a wider 85-degree field of view (up from 80°) with a slightly larger punch-hole cutout.
All cameras support 4K video recording at 60fps with Super HDR, with 8K at 30fps HDR available on the main camera. Samsung is also debuting the APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec, a direct competitor to Apple's ProRes that offers 20% more storage efficiency while supporting 12-bit color depth, HDR, and LOG video profiles.
LUT (Look-Up Table) support is built into the Gallery app, letting creators preview cinematic color grades on their footage.
Samsung is also implementing a new noise reduction algorithm across the entire S26 series, which Ice Universe says significantly reduces noise in images and videos. Combined with a 12-bit color pipeline (68 billion colors), this addresses the banding issues commonly seen in blue skies and gradients on previous Galaxy devices.
Ice Universe has confirmed a significant philosophy shift: the Galaxy S26 Ultra will embrace more realistic photography with reduced post-processing. Instead of high contrast and heavily saturated images, Samsung is prioritizing colors that accurately represent the real environment.
There are also reports from PhoneArena and Android Central suggesting the S26 Ultra may feature a mechanical variable aperture on the main camera, giving photographers more control over depth of field and light intake. If confirmed, this would be a return to a feature Samsung last used on the Galaxy S9.
EdgeFusion AI: Samsung's Software-First Camera Revolution
Beyond hardware, Samsung is betting big on AI-driven camera enhancements. The company's partnership with Nota AI powers EdgeFusion technology, which handles multi-photo merging and aggressive computational reconstruction entirely on-device, no cloud dependency required.
EdgeFusion enables real-time AI image generation in under one second and can transform daytime shots into convincing night scenes while restoring missing details through computational reconstruction. Samsung is describing this as a shift from chasing megapixel counts to letting AI handle the heavy lifting.
On the software side, code snippets found in unreleased One UI 8.5 builds point to a new Camera Assistant that adds settings and toggles for video recording, specifically sharpness and autofocus speed controls, allowing users to achieve more cinematic-looking videos.
A new Advanced Photo Assist feature also enables studio-level photo editing with text prompts.
S Pen: Redesigned and Still Here
Despite widespread rumors about Samsung potentially ditching the S Pen, the stylus is confirmed to remain with the S26 Ultra, though this might be its final appearance.
The S Pen is getting a redesign to match the phone's new aesthetic, with a curved top edge replacing the flat, boxy profile of previous generations. This allows the stylus to sit flush with the S26 Ultra's rounded corners, though some early hands-on reports suggest the increased corner curvature makes S Pen insertion slightly trickier than on the S25 Ultra. Notably, the leaked official poster shows the S Pen in black regardless of the phone's color.
Samsung removed Bluetooth features like Air Gestures and remote camera controls with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and those aren't coming back. The S Pen remains a capable writing tool with pressure sensitivity and hover functions, but the advanced wireless tricks are gone.
Industry observers suggest the S26 Ultra could be the last Galaxy Ultra to ship with a built-in S Pen slot, as the space it occupies could be used for larger batteries or additional components in future generations.
Charging Finally Catches Up
Samsung's charging speeds have felt stagnant compared to Chinese competitors for years, but the S26 Ultra finally closes some of that gap. The phone jumps from 45W to 60W wired charging, with certifications and Samsung's own leaked 60W charger images supporting this upgrade. Official promo materials indicate it can reach 75% battery in about 30 minutes. Samsung is branding this "Super Fast Charging 3.0."
Wireless charging is getting a notable upgrade too. The S26 Ultra supports Qi2 wireless charging, though it does not include built-in magnets, confirmed with "100% accuracy" by Ice Universe. Samsung is instead offering magnetic cases and accessories (including a leaked magnetic power bank and MagSafe-style charging puck) to enable magnetic alignment.
Wireless charging speeds are jumping from 15W to 25W, making cable-free charging significantly more practical.
However, disappointing news for base model buyers: the standard Galaxy S26 will reportedly stick with 25W charging speeds despite earlier rumors of a 45W upgrade. The S26 Plus remains at 45W with a 4,900mAh battery. The base S26 does get a small battery bump to 4,300mAh (up from 4,000mAh).
Galaxy S26 Ultra Display & AI Features
The 6.9-inch display features ultra-thin 1.2mm bezels for an almost uninterrupted edge-to-edge viewing experience. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2, the industry's first scratch-resistant, anti-reflective glass ceramic cover. Ice Universe claims the new display "eliminates tempered glass protectors" and replaces the need for anti-reflective films. All three S26 models get Gorilla Glass Armor 2, which is a significant upgrade for non-Ultra buyers.
The AI-powered Privacy Display feature may not be exclusive to the Ultra model. All three phones in the Galaxy S26 series could feature Samsung Display's Flex Magic Pixel technology.
This feature makes the screen less visible when viewed from side angles, with two intensity levels: a standard mode and a "Maximum privacy protection" mode for situations requiring absolute confidentiality. Users can configure it to activate automatically based on specific apps, notifications, or when away from home.
Samsung has already teased this feature in official videos, showing it working on a crowded bus. Chinese smartphone brands are reportedly already testing similar hardware-based privacy displays, with competing implementations potentially launching as early as September 2026.
The display uses M14 OLED technology with Color-on-Encapsulation (CoE), which helps slim down the overall phone thickness while improving color accuracy. Peak brightness is expected to remain at 2,600 nits. The display now supports 10-bit color, contributing to more accurate and realistic tones.
Samsung officially confirmed that One UI 8.5 (running on Android 16) will launch with the Galaxy S26 series. One UI 8.5 is bringing Storage Share, a feature that shows files from other Galaxy devices directly in the My Files app. Audio Broadcast uses Auracast to enable effortless communication with LE Audio-supported devices nearby.
Bixby Powered by Perplexity AI
Samsung is overhauling its voice assistant with a major upgrade. Bixby in One UI 8.5 integrates Perplexity AI, the search-focused AI company that Samsung has invested in, to deliver more accurate and conversational responses. The integration is already live in the One UI 8.5 beta on Galaxy S25 devices.
Samsung is positioning "agentic AI" as the central theme of Unpacked 2026, with the tagline "The Next AI Phone Makes Your Life Easier." The upgraded Bixby can act as a true device agent, capable of performing multi-step tasks across apps on your behalf, interacting with third-party apps and services autonomously.
Samsung has confirmed a dedicated "Hey Plex" wake word as an alternative activation method alongside "Hey Google" and "Hey Bixby."
This represents Samsung's strategy to make Bixby genuinely competitive rather than relying solely on Google's Gemini integration. Perplexity brings real-time web search capabilities and cited sources to Bixby's responses, addressing one of the assistant's long-standing weaknesses.
Battery: No Silicon-Carbon This Year
Despite earlier rumors of a 5,200mAh capacity, Samsung's own leaked promo materials now confirm the S26 Ultra sticks with 5,000mAh, rated for approximately 31 hours of video playback. Samsung is not adopting silicon-carbon battery technology this generation, unlike Chinese competitors offering 6,000–7,000mAh capacities and in some cases, up to 10,000mAh.
Samsung is prioritizing power efficiency through the M14 OLED panel, the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, and software optimizations rather than raw capacity increases.
Combined with the 60W charging upgrade and more efficient display, real-world battery life should still improve noticeably over the S25 Ultra.
S26 Ultra RAM & Storage Options
The S26 Ultra will stick with 12GB of RAM as standard across most global markets, with a 16GB RAM variant paired with 1TB storage available in expanded markets. Leaker AhmedQwaider has confirmed the 16GB + 1TB variant will see broader availability this year, including the Middle East region.
Storage options remain 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, all using faster UFS 4.1 technology. RAM speeds are getting a significant bump from 8.5Gbps to 10.7Gbps LPDDR5X, a 26% bandwidth increase that Ice Universe says provides "significant camera benefits" for image processing.
Satellite Connectivity: Beyond Emergency SOS
The entire Galaxy S26 series is confirmed to support satellite communication via Skylo's NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network). This enables emergency SOS messaging and satellite texting when you're outside cellular coverage, similar to Apple's satellite SOS feature.
All three S26 models have been FCC-certified with both Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) and NTN support. The feature may be limited to certain regions at launch, with the US expected to be among the first markets.
What's more exciting is that Samsung's new Exynos Modem 5410 supports a three-tier satellite connectivity system: basic NB-IoT NTN for text and location sharing, LTE DTC for satellite voice calling, and NR NTN for high-quality communication including video. If Samsung activates the voice calling tier at launch, this would be a significant leap beyond what Apple and Google currently offer.
Pricing and Pre-Order Deals
The base Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB) is expected to remain at $1,299 in the US, matching the S25 Ultra's launch price. However, higher storage tiers may see increases, and 9to5Google reports that pricing for higher configurations may climb by around $100 depending on the market.
The double-storage pre-order bonus is back : at least in many markets. Samsung has confirmed that pre-order customers will receive a free upgrade from 256GB to 512GB in India, the UK, France, and other European countries. However, as of February 23, the US Samsung site does not mention this offer, leaving American buyers in limbo. There's no indication of a 512GB-to-1TB upgrade being available anywhere.
Samsung's Galaxy Reserve program offers up to $900 in trade-in credit (S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra owners can expect $800–$900), a guaranteed $30 Samsung credit, and a chance to win $5,000 in a sweepstakes; all for simply entering your name and email. Reports also suggest Samsung may offer up to $150 in cash discounts on Galaxy S26 devices.
The standard Galaxy S26 starts at $799 and the S26 Plus at $999. Both the S26 and S26+ are expected to see price increases of $40–$100 depending on the market. In South Korea, prices across the lineup may rise significantly, the top-tier S26 Ultra variant is approaching a 2-million-won price point, prompting Korean carriers to launch aggressive subsidy wars with perks like gold bars, Galaxy Watches, and stacked conversion subsidies of up to 500,000 won.
European pricing is expected to start at €999 for the S26, €1,269 for the S26+, and €1,469 for the S26 Ultra.
