Samsung is about to unveil its new flagship phone lineup on February 25, 2026. The company has scheduled a Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco where they will show the world their latest Galaxy S series phones.
This year, Samsung is bringing three phones: the regular Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26 Plus, and the top model Galaxy S26 Ultra. This article focuses on the Ultra model because that is the one most people are excited about.
Pre reservations for these phones have already started in India from February 11. You can book your phone by paying a token amount of ₹999, which is refundable. The pre reservation is available on Samsung’s official website, Amazon and Flipkart. So if you want to make sure you get the phone on launch day, you can pre reserve it right now.
Table of Contents
What is Privacy Display Feature?
Samsung recently put up a 15 second video teaser on YouTube showing a new privacy feature. The video shows two people on a metro train trying to peek at someone’s Galaxy S26 phone screen. But the phone user instantly turns on the privacy display feature, which stops the people next to them from seeing what is on the screen, even from side angles. The tagline says “Can your phone do that?” at the end of the video.
This zero peeking privacy feature is something new that Samsung is highlighting. It will let you use your phone in public places like metro, bus, or office without worrying about people looking at your screen. You just enable it when needed and your screen becomes visible only to you from straight on, not from the sides.
Display and Design
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to come with a 6.9 inch M14 OLED display. The M14 OLED technology is an improvement over the previous generation displays. It should give you better colors, deeper blacks, and good brightness levels for outdoor visibility.
Design wise, Samsung might keep things mostly the same as the S25 Ultra. But there are some small changes expected. The camera layout on the back might be slightly different. The profile of the phone could be slimmer.
The corners might be a little more rounded compared to the S25 Ultra. But overall, if you see the phone from a distance, it will look similar to last year’s model. Samsung is not doing a major design overhaul this year.
Processor
S26 Ultra will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor in most markets including India. But some regions might get phones with Samsung’s own Exynos 2600 chipset instead. Samsung is calling the upcoming phone an AI Phone, which means it will come with improved AI features built into the system.
The phone will run on Android 16, which is the latest version of Android. On top of that, you will get Samsung’s One UI interface. One UI is Samsung’s custom skin that adds extra features and customization options on top of regular Android.
For you in India, you will most likely get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 version. This chip is powerful and handles everything from heavy gaming to video editing without any lag. The phone should stay fast and smooth even after using it for many months.
Camera System
Now, here is something that might disappoint some people. According to leaks, the S26 Ultra will keep the same 200MP main camera sensor from the Galaxy S25. Samsung is not upgrading the main camera megapixels this year. The camera setup will include a better ultrawide lens and a telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom.
These improvements are supposed to make pictures clearer, help the camera perform better in low light situations, and make the zoom work better no matter what you are photographing. But the core 200MP sensor stays the same.
Samsung’s logic here is that the 200MP sensor is already very good. Instead of changing the hardware, they are improving how the camera processes photos using software and AI. Better image processing can sometimes give you better results than just adding more megapixels.
The telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom means you can zoom into distant objects without losing quality. The ultrawide lens improvements should help when you want to capture big group photos or wide landscape shots.
Battery and Charging
One of the biggest leaks suggests that the S26 Ultra might skip two major upgrades that people were hoping for. The battery capacity is expected to stay similar to the S25 series, which is around 5,000mAh. Some leaks were suggesting Samsung might put a bigger 6,000mAh or 6,500mAh battery, but that does not seem to be happening.
For charging, reports say Samsung is not significantly increasing the charging speed either. The phone might continue with the same charging speeds as the S25 Ultra. This means you are probably looking at around 45W wired fast charging. Some competitor phones offer 65W, 80W, or even 100W charging, so Samsung is being conservative here.
A 5,000mAh battery should still last you a full day with normal use. And 45W charging is decent, though not the fastest in the market. You can charge from 0 to 50 percent in about 25 to 30 minutes.
Expected Price in India
Now let me talk about what you will probably have to pay for this phone. This smartphone is expected to follow similar pricing to last year’s Galaxy S25 series. In India, the higher end models with more RAM and storage could cost between ₹1,55,000 and ₹1,70,000.
The best configuration in this price range is likely to come with 16GB RAM and 1TB internal storage. This is for people who want maximum performance and storage space. If you do a lot of multitasking, keep many apps installed, store lots of photos and videos, and want your phone to stay fast for many years, this configuration makes sense.
There will probably be other configurations with less RAM and storage that cost less. Maybe 8GB RAM & 256GB storage option, or 12GB RAM & 512GB storage option. These will be priced lower, probably starting around ₹1,20,000 to ₹1,30,000.
Yes, this is expensive. Samsung’s Ultra models are always priced high because they are flagship phones with premium materials, best specs and longest software support. You pay a premium for the Samsung brand and ecosystem.
Should You Pre Reserve or Wait?
Since pre reservations have already started with a ₹999 refundable token amount, you might be wondering if you should book now or wait. Here is my take on this.
If you are definitely planning to buy the S26 Ultra and you want it on launch day, pre reserving makes sense. The ₹999 is refundable, so you are not losing money if you change your mind later. Pre reserving usually comes with some launch offers too, like cashback, exchange bonuses, or free accessories.
But if you are not 100% sure, i would say wait for the launch event on February 25. See all the official specifications, watch some hands on videos, check what launch offers are actually being given, and then decide. Sometimes the pre launch hype makes a phone look better than it actually is. Seeing real reviews and comparisons helps make better decisions.
Also, keep in mind that Samsung phones usually get discounts after 2 to 3 months of launch. If you can wait, you might get the same phone for ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 less during sales. But if you want it immediately and want to be among the first people to own it, pre reserve now.
What Makes This Phone Special
Despite not getting major battery or charging upgrades, the S26 Ultra still has things going for it. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor is one of the most powerful mobile chips available. The 200MP camera, even though it is not new, is still excellent for photography. The M14 OLED display should be top quality. The One UI software with Android 16 will bring new features and improvements.
Samsung also provides long software support. You will get major Android updates for 4 to 5 years and security patches for even longer. This means your ₹1.5 lakh investment will stay secure and updated for many years.
The phone will also work seamlessly with other Samsung products like Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch, and Samsung TVs. If you are already in the Samsung ecosystem, this phone fits right in.
My Honest Opinion
From everything I am seeing in these leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra looks like a safe, incremental upgrade over the S25 Ultra. Samsung is not taking big risks or making major changes. They are keeping what worked last year and making small improvements here and there.
The lack of battery and charging upgrades is disappointing. Competitor brands are pushing bigger batteries and faster charging. Samsung seems to be falling behind in these areas. The camera staying the same might also disappoint people who were hoping for a 300MP or better sensor.
But Samsung knows their audience. Ultra buyers are people who want the best Samsung phone, regardless of how big the upgrades are from last year. They want the premium build, the ecosystem, the brand value and the software support. For those people, the S26 Ultra will still be worth buying.
If you own an S24 Ultra or S25 Ultra, upgrading to S26 Ultra might not make much sense unless you really want the latest model. But if you have an older phone from S22 or earlier, or if you are switching from another brand, the S26 Ultra will feel like a massive upgrade with all its features and capabilities.
The final verdict will only be clear after February 25 when Samsung shows everything officially. Until then, these are the expectations based on leaks and teasers.
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[ Author ] – Safdar Khurshid researches and evaluates consumer electronic gadgets, including smartphones, laptops, accessories, and everyday tech products, with a strong focus on long term usability, real world performance and buying mistakes people often regret later. His work is centered on helping readers understand trade offs clearly, so they know not just what to buy but also what to avoid.
