Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Expected Differences

Published: Oct 17, 2025, 9:22 AM

The Galaxy Ultra series from Samsung has consistently ranked among the best Android flagships, combining power, camera excellence, and productivity. The current Galaxy S25 Ultra maintains this reputation well into late 2025, but the next generation is on the horizon.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to debut around January 2026. Based on early leaks, we anticipate smaller, incremental upgrades rather than any groundbreaking changes. This preliminary comparison examines how the S26 Ultra might enhance the solid foundation laid by the S25 Ultra, and whether the expected upgrades—such as a new camera sensor, smarter OLED display, and faster charging—will be worth the wait.

Design and Size

Samsung has meticulously refined the design of the Ultra series over the years. The Galaxy S25 Ultra reintroduced flat sides with subtly rounded corners, giving it a sleek, serious appearance reminiscent of the old Galaxy Note days. The S26 Ultra is not expected to stray far from this design, although there are whispers of a slightly slimmer frame, about 0.4 mm thinner than before. Other than that, the shape and materials are likely to remain largely unchanged.

The general layout of buttons, ports, and the S Pen silo should stay the same. Early rumors suggesting the stylus might disappear have been debunked, and leaked CADs confirm its presence, although Samsung reportedly had to adjust its internal layout to maintain Qi2 wireless charging compatibility without magnetic interference from the pen’s digitizer.

However, we might see some tweaks on the back of the S26 Ultra. The S25 Ultra’s "floating camera rings" design wasn’t universally loved, as the protruding lenses tend to collect pocket lint. The S26 Ultra may reintroduce a raised camera island for a more cohesive look and to accommodate a rumored larger camera sensor. The phone could also feel slightly different in hand due to its slimmer build, although the weight is expected to remain roughly the same.

Color options are likely to stay within Samsung’s familiar palette of professional hues, so we can expect black, silver, gray, and blue variants, along with Samsung.com exclusives for those seeking something different. Keep in mind that these exclusive colors often take longer to repair if you have Samsung Care Plus, as spare parts for these special models are not produced in large quantities.

Display Differences

Samsung’s displays have long set industry standards, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel is already impressive, offering excellent visibility and color accuracy. The S26 Ultra is expected to maintain a similar screen size, but Samsung is reportedly switching to its new M14 OLED material stack with CoE (Color-on-Encapsulation) technology. This approach lowers power consumption and potentially increases peak brightness to 3,000 nits, compared to the S25 Ultra’s 2,600-nit maximum. Additionally, the next Gorilla Armor layer is rumored to be even less reflective, improving outdoor visibility.

Another intriguing feature in the rumor mill is "Flex Magic Pixel," a system that can subtly limit viewing angles to enhance privacy without dimming the display. Early firmware leaks mention a "Privacy Display" toggle, suggesting this feature might be software-controlled if it makes it to launch.

Beyond that, we can expect the same sharp QHD+ resolution, smooth 1–120 Hz refresh rate, and vibrant HDR output characteristic of the Ultra line. The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner should also remain fast and accurate, with face recognition enabled by the front camera.

Performance and Software

Under the hood, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will almost certainly upgrade to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) chip. Built on a refined 3 nm process, it promises significant gains in GPU and NPU performance (around 30% and 40% respectively), along with slightly faster CPU clocks compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite in the S25 Ultra. Additionally, a new Adreno 840 GPU should improve energy efficiency during graphic-intensive tasks.

Samsung is expected to stick with 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, though this year’s memory modules are rumored to be an improved, faster version that uses slightly less power while boosting speeds. Storage options will likely remain the same—256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB—and we can again expect Samsung to offer a "free storage upgrade" for early adopters during the launch period.

On the software side, the S26 Ultra will debut with Android 16 and One UI 8, extending Samsung’s seven-year update promise all the way to 2033. We can also expect deeper integration with Google’s Gemini AI, along with Samsung’s own generative tools like Live Translate, Note Assist, and AI-enhanced photo editing. Some rumors suggest Samsung is exploring partnerships with Perplexity AI, although Gemini remains the backbone of Galaxy AI for now.

Reports indicate that Samsung may add a new 5G modem, the Qualcomm X85. If so, we expect it to bring faster data transfers, better battery efficiency, and AI tuning, with peak download speeds of 12.5 Gbps and upload speeds of 3.7 Gbps.

Camera

The S25 Ultra introduced modest camera improvements, enhancing software tuning and reducing Samsung’s tendency to oversharpen images. For the Galaxy S26 Ultra, changes may finally come in the form of hardware upgrades.

According to the latest leaks, the main 200 MP sensor could be replaced by a larger 1/1.1-inch Sony sensor; alternatively, Samsung might retain its HP2 sensor but widen the aperture to f/1.4. Either option would significantly enhance light capture, resulting in improved dynamic range and a shallower depth of field, creating a more natural bokeh effect without relying on portrait mode.

The rest of the camera setup is expected to remain unchanged: a 50 MP ultra-wide camera, a telephoto camera with 5x zoom, and a secondary telephoto camera with 3x zoom. Samsung’s color tuning will likely continue the "realistic" approach initiated with the S25 Ultra, favoring balanced colors over overly vibrant hues from earlier models.

The selfie camera is said to remain at 12 MP, with the long-rumored under-display version unlikely to appear this year. In terms of video, this may be where Samsung focuses much of its attention. With Apple leading in cinematic recording and stabilization, Samsung is expected to close the gap through smarter HDR algorithms, improved microphone audio, and possibly new shooting modes.

Battery Life and Charging

Samsung’s conservative approach to batteries will likely continue with the S26 Ultra, with all signs pointing to another 5,000 mAh battery. However, even without an increase in capacity, we might see energy efficiency gains from the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the new OLED panel.

Battery life on the S25 Ultra was already solid, achieving eight hours in our custom benchmark. While that’s not class-leading, it’s reliable for a full day and then some. The S26 Ultra will likely show similar results.

What may finally change are the charging speeds. For the first time in years, Samsung is rumored to upgrade its wired charging to 60 W, a welcome increase from the S25 Ultra’s 45 W. If true, the S26 Ultra could reach 50% charge in about 25 minutes, compared to 35 minutes for the S25 Ultra.

Wireless charging will likely remain at 15 W, but this time with full Qi2 magnetic compatibility if Samsung’s engineers successfully isolate the S Pen digitizer from magnetic interference.

Summary

If the reports are accurate, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will see improvements in several key areas, but we won't witness any groundbreaking changes. The most significant upgrade is expected in the camera, which should deliver higher-quality images thanks to a larger sensor or wider aperture. The display could also make headlines with its new OLED materials and privacy settings.

Performance should see the usual generational gains, and faster 60W charging would finally address one of the few lingering complaints about the Ultra series. That said, the overall experience will likely feel quite familiar to current S25 Ultra owners.

Pricing is expected to remain stable, around the $1,300 mark, with Samsung offering the usual enhanced trade-ins and storage upgrade promotions. The official reveal is anticipated for January 2026, although some reports hint at pre-orders opening as early as December 2025.

In short, if you already own a Galaxy S25 Ultra, you may not feel compelled to rush for an upgrade. However, if you're still holding onto an older Ultra or simply want the most refined Android flagship Samsung has to offer, the Galaxy S26 Ultra may present some intriguing perks that justify the purchase.