Samsung has introduced three new S26 handsets at the first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year: the S26, the S26 Plus and the uber premium S26 Ultra. The S26 Ultra continues the company’s tradition of Ultra handsets that offer top-of-the-line features that are lacking from the rest of their respective series. And this year, the Ultra’s Privacy Display is the clear highlight feature, allowing you to customize how visible your phone is to others around you.
Aside from that, the S26 Ultra’s other improvements are somewhat marginal. Yes, it’s now made out of aluminum, the screen is a touch bigger, a 16GB RAM option is available, the processor is improved and the charging speeds are faster, but the rest of the S26 Ultra’s features are similar to that of the S25 Ultra and the S24 Ultra. Even the price remains the same at $1,300.
Here is how the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra compares with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the S24 Ultra.
Watch this: First Look at the Galaxy S26 Ultra: Camera, Battery and AI Updates
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Design and display
The Galaxy S26 Ultra only has a marginally larger screen compared to the S25 Ultra and the S24 Ultra. Both the S24 Ultra and the S25 Ultra have 6.8-inch AMOLED screens with 3,120 by 1,440 pixel resolution, while the new S26 Ultra has a 6.9-inch AMOLED display also with a 3,120 by 1,440 pixel resolution. All three screens have a 1 to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
But it’s the pixel-level Privacy Display that’s particularly impressive with the S26 Ultra. When activated, the display will remain visible when looking directly at the phone while making it difficult to impossible to see what’s on screen from the side. In addition to letting you turn the feature on and off for different apps, you can even have the Privacy Display activate exclusively for notifications while keeping the rest of the screen plainly visible.
The S26 Ultra’s screen uses Gorilla Glass Armor 2 cover glass, while the S25 Ultra and the S24 Ultra both use Gorilla Glass Armor. Gorilla Glass Armor 2 is said to be more scratch and drop resistant compared to its earlier version.
Size-wise, the S26 Ultra is a touch bigger but also a touch thinner compared to its predecessors. CNET Senior Reporter Abrar Al-Heeti describes the new design as feeling thinner and lighter than prior Ultra phones during her hands-on time. It measures 6.44 by 3.07 by 0.31 inches, while the S25 Ultra’s dimensions are 6.41 by 3.06 by 0.32 inches and the S24 Ultra measures 6.4 by 3.11 by 0.34 inches. Also, the S26 Ultra has an aluminum frame. That’s a departure from the titanium frame found on both the S25 Ultra and the S24 Ultra.
The cameras on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Cameras
While the S26 Ultra certainly has the best camera hardware of the S26 lineup, it has the same exact camera specs as its predecessors. All three Ultra phones have four cameras: a 200-megapixel wide, a 50-megapixel ultrawide, a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto and a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto. That said, the S26 Ultra does have larger apertures and to capture better low-light photos. They also all have a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.
Many of the S26 Ultra’s camera upgrades come from software. There’s the Horizontal Lock feature that’ll keep the horizon steady while shooting video, selfies can now capture more natural skin tones and screenshots will now be sorted into its own categories within the Gallery.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra next to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Battery, processor and RAM
All three Ultra phones have a 5,000 mAh battery, but the charging speeds differ. The S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra have 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, while the new S26 Ultra has 60W of wired charging and 25W wireless charging. Just like the S25 Ultra, the S26 Ultra does not include magnets but can support magnetic charging accessories when using a case that includes them.
The processors in the Ultra phones also get progressively faster and more efficient with each generation. The S24 Ultra has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the S25 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy and the S26 Ultra ships with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.
While all three Ultra handsets come in three storage capacity options — 256GB, 512GB and 1TB — the S26 Ultra is the only one with a 16GB RAM option. (This ships with the 512GB and 1TB options.) The S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra only ship with 12GB of RAM.
Check out the below chart to compare more details between the S26 Ultra, S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraSamsung Galaxy S25 UltraSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate 6.9-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh ratePixel density 500 ppi501 ppi501 ppiDimensions (inches) 6.44×3.07×0.316.41×3.06×0.32 6.40×3.11×0.34 in.Dimensions (millimeters) 163.6×78.1×7.9162.8×77.6×8.2163x79x8.6 mmWeight (grams, ounces) 214 g (7.55 oz.)218 g (7.69 oz.)233 g (8.22 oz.) Mobile software Android 16Android 15Android 14Camera 200-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)200-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)Front-facing camera 12-megapixel 12-megapixel 12-megapixelVideo capture 8K8K8KProcessor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3RAM + storage 12GB RAM + 256GB; 16GB RAM + 512GB, 1TB12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TBExpandable storage NoneNoneNoneBattery 5,000 mAh5,000 mAh5,000 mAhFingerprint sensor Under displayUnder displayUnder displayConnector USB-CUSB-CUSB-CHeadphone jack NoneNoneNoneSpecial features Aluminum frame; 7 years of OS and security updates; IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 60W wired charging (charger not included); 25W wireless charging; no magnets for accessories; Galaxy AI; Gorilla Glass Armor 2 cover glass; privacy displayTitanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass; ultrawidebandTitanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glassUS price starts at $1,300 (256GB)$1,300 (256GB)$1,300 (256GB)
