Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Announced March 11, 2026
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a refined, high-performance flagship that introduces a unique Privacy Display and faster charging, yet it remains a conservative update that lacks major hardware breakthroughs. While it delivers excellent video quality and consistent performance, the device is notably expensive and retains several design limitations like the absence of Qi2 magnetic support.
Weighted from 47 reviewer scores
Pros
- Strong camera performance and video features
- Improved charging speeds and battery efficiency
- Top-tier processing power and responsiveness
- Ergonomic design with integrated S Pen
- Innovative Privacy Display technology
Cons
- Lacks magnetic Qi2 charging support
- Privacy Display causes viewing angle and brightness issues
- Physically unwieldy with camera wobble
- Iterative hardware updates and lack of innovation
- High price point
- Launch price $1,299 (USD)
- Main camera 200MP f/1.4 + 50MP Ultrawide + 50MP 5x Telephoto
- Video 8K 30p
- Display 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED 120Hz
- Chipset Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy 12GB, 16GB
What the Reviewers Say
All 47 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- PetaPixel 7.5/10
As much as I dislike the emphasis on AI, there is no denying that the S26 Ultra is a capable creative tool for advanced photographers.
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This S26 Ultra is $1,300 starting, so it's also very pricey, but I can at least say it's a really good phone with some clever new features.
- The Verge 8/10
The S26 Ultra is a return to form in some ways, but it remains a pricey device and generally A Lot of Phone. But that’s kind of the Ultra promise: unapologetically big, crammed with every feature you can imagine.
- WIRED 8/10
Samsung's top-tier flagship is an excellent smartphone, and the Privacy Display is a rare new feature that I now want on every handset.
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The Galaxy S26 Ultra remains the most capable of all slab phones, packed with an unrivalled set of features. If you want everything and the kitchen sink in a phone, this is the Android for you.
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Don't get me wrong, it's a solid phone, and it's probably going to be in my pocket for a lot of the year just because of its video quality. And it's probably still the best Android phone that you can get inside of the US.
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In my experience, the S26 Ultra is a fully complete device in almost every way. Excellent at pretty much everything, and I'm going to go into more detail as to why in this video from a Pixel user's perspective.
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It’s still a fantastic all-rounder, but not the automatic go-to option at the top-end of the market that it once was.
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The Galaxy S26 Ultra impresses with sharp cameras, smart AI features, a cutting-edge screen, and a classic design, making it easy to recommend to creatives pros.
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The Samsung S26 Ultra is by far Samsung's best Galaxy S phone yet, and while it doesn't reinvent the iconic Android handset, it moves the design, power, AI, and creative capabilities in a positive direction and without raising the price.
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The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the best Android phone yet with a truly innovative and useful Privacy Display. You also get promising ‘agentic AI’ features like Now Nudge, a thinner and lighter design and better photos in low-light.
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There's no doubt that the S26 Ultra is an improvement over last year's phone. It's faster, it takes better low-light photos and thanks to all of its new AI features, the handset feels smarter too.
- Digital Trends 9/10
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the most complete Android phone I’ve used this year. It doesn’t get there with a single headline feature, though.
- CNET 9.3/10
The S26 Ultra isn’t a dramatic departure from its predecessor, but it keeps what made the S25 Ultra shine while adding some notable capabilities.
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The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra's Privacy Display and impressive OS outshine the pack, giving you plenty of reasons to choose Samsung's latest flagship.
- PhoneArena 8.1/10
If you value the slim and light design, the One UI refinements, and the overall reliability of Samsung phones, the S26 Ultra is still the phone to buy in 2026.
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If you want a handsome phone that delivers the high-end specs you want, a great camera and awesome battery life, I’d look no further than Galaxy S26 Ultra.
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All these details may sound a bit nerdy, but they highlight a broader point - Samsung doesn’t appear particularly eager to push major advancements with this device despite the S Ultra being positioned as its ultimate smartphone.
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The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra spins a winning formula, boosting the camera, power and charging, while tweaking the design.
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[...] I would say the camera is not bad but again I see the disappointment with the loyal users.
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Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone might not be a game-changing upgrade compared with its Award-winning predecessor, but it's hard to argue that it hasn’t made some meaningful improvements to make it an even better smartphone for portable AV usage.
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For the average person who's upgrading, it is a nice phone.
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I think overall, this is still one of the most polished and well-rounded Android phones around.
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The experience is premium throughout, and it leaves me with no doubts that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the best Android phones available today. It’s incredibly quick, it’s packed with tons of useful features, and it still outperforms most of its rivals for video shooting.
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The Galaxy S26 Ultra is once again Samsung's best non-folding smartphone and our favorite flagship Android phone of 2026 so far, but it lacks any standout feature.
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Is there an analogy here with Guinness and Samsung phones that if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
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If you're a professional creator, an AI superuser, or a developer who can make the most of the snappy Qualcomm processor, then I think you'll be very happy.
- MakeUseOf 8.5/10
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is all about further refinement. Almost everything is better, but you might find it hard to notice the differences compared to recent iPhone or Android flagships.
- IGN 7/10
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the very definition of ‘playing it safe’. In so many ways, this is the exact same phone as the S25 Ultra, just with a slightly faster processor.
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I got to say, I rather like it. It ticks most of those requisite boxes to make my naughty bits suitably pointy.
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[I] think it's the most complete phone you can get.
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Okay, so overall after more than 3 months with the S26 Ultra, I believe Samsung has come a long long way.
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The S26 Ultra strikes me as a fantastic device that I’d be happy to continue using.
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It simply is a (mini) filmmaker's dream.
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[I] definitely can recommend it, especially with some of the latest trade-in values if you're thinking of switching from an iPhone to Android or maybe an older Android phone.
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It may not have huge upgrades specs- wise, but when it comes to the experience, there are some things that are going to affect your daily usage in a good way.
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Having said all of this, I think that the S26 Ultra once again deserves the Ultra name.
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In the end, small upgrade.
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I've said plenty about the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It's a solid flagship device, and while Samsung continues to play it safe, I feel like there's still room for more.
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[T]he Ultra no longer represents ultra specs. It's now representing of an ultra experience.
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[T]he S26 Ultra holistically just feels like a better experience to me right now.
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With that said, I do believe this is a worthwhile upgrade from the S24 Ultra and older. And of course, if you're a tech enthusiast, you love playing around with new features, and you have the cash to spare, you will definitely have a very fun time with this one.
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[I]f you're coming from a much older phone or switching brands entirely, yeah, this is an incredibly well-rounded phone.
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Take it from me, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the best phone that you can get right now.
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The S26 Ultra is easily one of my favorite phones to use right now. And if you are buying an Ultra this year, this is the one I'd recommend.
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[...] Samsung proved their point that to make an ultra phone, you don't necessarily need the ultra specs. There needs to be a balance between the two.
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[T]he Galaxy S26 Ultra, in my opinion, it is the best phone you could buy in the US.
