There is no need to decide whether Galaxy S26 Ultra Samsung's best smartphone right now. There's a simple answer to that: It is! Two key factors help it do this: the evolution of the Ultra model and technological progress. Galaxy S26 Ultra He has what no one else has.
Od Galaxy S22 Ultra The most equipped classic Samsung has gradually changed in design. Originally, it wanted to appeal to all previous owners of the Note series, but now it is going its own way and is actually connected to it only by the integrated S PenOtherwise, it is a unique device that has lost its characteristic features, but is much easier to control.
More comfortable yet unified design
With a sharply cut frame, holes in pants pockets and bruised palms are gone. Galaxy S26 Ultra is more unified and similar to other models in the series. It has already gotten rid of the curved display, and the corners have finally received rounded features, although Samsung already showed us a little about it last year. This year, one model of the S26 series is the same as the other, with the same form factor not only of the body, but also of the camera module.
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I definitely don't cry after the Note series and personally I accept this roundness only because it helps with comfort. I have the opposite opinion about the camera module. It takes inspiration from the model Galaxy Z Fold7, which is not necessarily bad. What is bad is how massive it is. On a flat surface, typically a table, with Galaxy S26 Ultra you just don't want to work. And not even in the case, because even in it the phone will really wobble uncomfortably. It "hurts" a lot, especially when working with S PenI wish you could just have your phone lying next to you and tap it with your stylus. It would be nice, but it's a punishment like this.
Since I am the one S Pen bitten, so it's worth mentioning it in a few lines. Even though there's actually not much to say about it in the end. It has a rounded end, where the engineers didn't realize that the stylus could be inserted into the phone body even when turned, and would therefore stick out of its corner unsightly and impractically. Even if impractical: It's actually practical, but no one probably intended it to be. When you have S Pen in the body upside down, it clicks on it better and is easier to remove. Otherwise it is thinner, but it still holds well and can do the same thing as last year, so Bluetooth we really didn't get back.
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The design change also took place on the frame, although not so much for the eye. Titanium replaced aluminum and it was a good move. Titanium was unnecessarily expensive and its properties were not groundbreaking. In fact, I still don't understand why companies, especially Apple and Samsung, had to put in their top models. Now someone has finally thought and prioritized heat dissipation rather than something that the vast majority of phone owners, who will lock their phones in covers anyway, will not appreciate.
All of this also affects the dimensions themselves. Galaxy S26 Ultra is the thinnest and lightest Ultra, without losing performance, battery size or other important specifications. The dimensions are: 163,6 x 78,1 x 7,9 mm and weight 214 g. For such a "paddle" (taking into account the size of the display), these are great values, especially when compared to the iPhone 17 Pro MaxIt is 8,75 mm thick and weighs 233 g. That's not just a hunch, it's downright obese.
A truly revolutionary display
The main star Galaxy S26 Ultra is clearly the display. Even though the entire phone has undergone some evolution, this is where the revolution took place. It is controversial, but many will buy the device for the Privacy Display. The specifications remain the same, so there is a 6,9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with QHD+ resolution and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, offering 2,600 nits of peak brightness.
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Privacy Display is an ideal combination of hardware and software, allowing you to hide content that you don't want anyone around you to see. The more angle the person looks at, the less they will see. The feature has several settings, where you can turn it on universally, selectively for selected applications and system options, and there is also a toggle maximal privacy, which will hide the content even more. In both cases, however, it is necessary to consider a slight adjustment of the brightness downwards.
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This is logical, because the brighter the display, the easier it is to read data from it. The function therefore needs to dim the brightness in order to adjust the display. However, you won't notice it much when looking directly at it, except perhaps in direct sunlight. However, it is worth remembering that if you take a few hundred nits off the total brightness of 2,600 nits, you still have a lot left. The activation system is also great: From the quick menu panel or by immediately double-clicking the side button. And you can do this even in your pocket, for example, when you are on public transport. Of course, the display still contains ultraThe sonic fingerprint reader is fast and accurate, and of course the Privacy Display doesn't bother it at all.
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Power to give away
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is a workhorse. It's the best you'll find in an Android mobile phone. There's no room for compromise. "For Galaxy" of course means that Samsung had Qualcomm optimize it for its specific use and for its AI. But how do you evaluate something that has no limits? You can check out the Geekbench 6 benchmark results in the gallery below. Just note that two tests are performed for the GPU with different display resolutions set. Samsung still leaves 1080 x 2340 natively, but the phone can do 1440 x 3120, you just have to set it manually.
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I didn't find any flaws, but I didn't expect to find any. Even the most demanding games run smoothly, you can have a bunch of apps open, and you can record 8K video. Galaxy S26 Ultra will reward you with a slight warmth in your hand, which is not tragic at all. Samsung has worked hard on cooling, not only with the aluminum chassis, but also by adding an additional layer in the form of thermal paste.
The base model will offer you 256GB of integrated memory and 12 GB of RAM. For the most demanding, there is also a 1TB memory with 16 GB of RAM. Do you want a phone for 7 years, after which Samsung guarantees software updates for the S26 series? The highest varianta seems like a logical choice, where you just change the battery after a while and drive boldly on. That is, if in the field of AI nestI don't think it's anything drastic, or rather, it won't skyrocket in terms of demands. By the way, those 7 years mean that Galaxy S26 Ultra will still have the current system in 2033.
Samsung also pleased with 60W charging. You can charge 75% of the 5000mAh battery in 30 minutes, but those are paper numbers. It only varies slightly, sometimes it's faster, sometimes slower, it also depends on how much juice you have left in your device and if you have something running in the background. However, the great thing is that with the right adapter you can get to 100% of the battery value in under an hour, usually in 45 minutes. Wireless charging has also been accelerated, offering a power of 25 W. It's a shame that there are no integrated magnets. Do you want them? You have to buy a cover.
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Cameras more sensitive to light
This year, there were upgrades to the aperture. It has improved for both the main 200MPx and the periscope telephoto lens. In the first case by 47% to f/1.4 and in the second by 37% to f/2.9. You won't notice it during the day, as soon as it starts to get dark, you get less noise, better details and exposure. However, the periscope is completely redesigned, which is ALoP technology with a folded prism zoom structure. It also provides better quality in the case of 10x zoom, but the 30x, 50x and 100x zoom is more or less the same (whether it's bad or good is the angle of view).
The biggest pain is the 3x telephoto lens, which I would either fundamentally improve or throw away completely. On the one hand, I understand Samsung, because 4 is more than 3, but why have something here that doesn't stand up to the quality of the others? Neither day nor night. Ultraa wide-angle lens traditionally blurs the sides, but that's its general problem and S26 Ultra is no exception. But it has enough details, it just needs a little cropping. However, I enjoy shooting with the new Ultra and I generally like the results, and that's the main thing.
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Cameras Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Main camera: 200 MPx, aperture f/1.4, 1/1.3", 0.6µm, optical stabilization (OIS)
- Periscopic telephoto lens: 50 MPx, 1/2.52", 0.7µm, 5x optical zoom, f/2.9 aperture, OIS
- Telephoto lens: 10 MPx, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, 3x optical zoom, f/2.4 aperture, OIS
- Wide angle lens: 50 MPx, 1/2.5", 0.7µm, 120° field of view, f/1.9 aperture
- Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 1/3.2", 1.12µm
It's a shame that the front camera hasn't been touched on. On the one hand, it's true that we criticize when Samsung copies, but if it copied the front 18MPx camera from the iPhone 17, we would probably be happy for it. We haven't seen any progress here, maybe next year. It's also worth noting that, apart from the default 12MPx shooting, the main sensor also offers the option to shoot up to 24 MPx, you just have to download the Camera Assistant app. If you want to be more professional, there's also Expert RAW.
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A fundamental shift has taken place in video. Not only is there a new professional video codec with lossless 8K recording at 30 fps, but above all the horizon lock function. Horizon Lock has brought video stabilization to perfection. No matter how much you shake the phone in your hand, the recording will still keep a straight horizon. And even if you stick the phone on a drill or close it in the drum of a washing machine. It's hard to believe, but it works.
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Logical evolution and one revolution
Galaxy S26 Ultra, and her two siblings, arrived first with a smooth environment One UI 8.5 and ambitious integration Galaxy AI, which through advanced agents and function Now Nudge makes everyday tasks easier, although key voice innovations still lack support for Czech (like the entire Now Nudge). The main added value for domestic users is represented by the creative Photo Assist tools for generative image editing using text and the practical AI Scanner, which effectively digitizes documents even in offline mode. The innovation is complemented by the improved Audio Eraser noise reduction.
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We expected evolution, and we got it. The most critical voices are that Samsung didn't innovate significantly this year, but I have to disagree. Galaxy S26 Ultra is a logical evolution of previous models, because it is not completely new to be called revolutionary. After all, which phone has been truly revolutionary in recent years? Perhaps the first Fold? However, the new product brings a revolution, and by that I mean its display, of course.
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It is the first, it is unique, it eliminates the need to buy protective glasses with a darkening filter and thus actually saves you money. You can use it, but you don't have to at all, or only where and when you need it. That is its strength. If it doesn't appeal to you, that's completely fine. If you don't find these improvements enough and you don't buy the new product, because you need it, Galaxy S23 Ultra, that's also perfectly fine. But if you want the top of the Android world, it's right here and all year long 2026 will be.
