The yearly Galaxy S-series update is here and the S26 Ultra gets the latest Qualcomm flagship chip, a new privacy display that keeps peeping eyes off your screen and the fastest charging on a Galaxy to date. It’s a tad thinner (7.2mm) and lighter (214 grams) than its predecessor, replacing the titanium frame with aluminium and retaining the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back.

There’s not much visual change upfront – see it on video here. You get a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution and a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It’s rated at up to 2,600 nits peak local brightness, just like the S25 Ultra, and features Corning Gorilla Armor 2 protection. Samsung is not killing off the stylus as the S Pen lives on for yet another year, but it’s still Bluetooth-less. The impressive anti-reflective display coating, ultrasonic fingerprint scanner and 12MP selfie cam are all here too.

The new bit is the Privacy Display, which dims parts of the screen when viewed from an angle. It’s actually a hardware breakthrough with Samsung able to dim out specific pixels of the screen so they appear black when viewed from the side.

This should be great for keeping out peeping passersby on public commutes, and it works in tandem with the software too, being able to dim notifications, pop-ups and password entries so your info stays secure. Privacy display can be toggled manually, or you can entrust the phone to automatically enable it when you’re on the go.

Unlike its S26 siblings, the S26 Ultra gets Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in all regions. That’s paired with 12GB RAM on the base 256GB storage version and the 512GB model, while the 1TB trim gets upgraded to 16GB RAM.

Galaxy S26 Ultra isn’t going for a drastic shakeup in the camera department. The 200MP main cam from last year is once again present, but it now features a wider f/1.4 aperture for better light pickup in low light scenarios. Samsung claims the updated main sensor can capture 47% more light.

There’s a smaller 1/3.94” sensor for the 10MP 3x telephoto compared to the 1/3.52” imager on the S25 Ultra. The longer reaching 50MP 5x telephoto gets an updated f/2.9 aperture, which is 37% brighter than before. The 50MP ultrawide lens remains unchanged from last year.

Samsung is hesitant with battery upgrades, hence why the S26 Ultra got the same 5,000 mAh battery capacity as the last few generations of Ultra Galaxies. But there is faster charging this time around. The S26 Ultra finally overcame the 45W charging threshold and is now capable of delivering 60W wired charging speeds, though you’ll need to supply your own charger. That should be good enough to give you a 0-75% charge in 30 minutes.

You also get up to 25W wireless charging via compatible Qi 2.2 chargers and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

Just like its S26 siblings, the S26 Ultra boots One UI 8.5 based on Android 16 and there are plenty of Galaxy AI features on board.

Samsung’s Photo Assist suite allows for fast editing and enhancements using Galaxy AI right in the native Gallery app. Galaxy AI will also categorize your screenshots by category. Creative Studio offers an easy way to create custom stickers, greeting cards and wallpapers from your photos or rough sketches.

Audio Eraser is gaining support for third-party apps like YouTube, Netflix and Instagram and will be able to reduce background noise and isolate voices so you can actually hear what’s happening on your favorite TV show.

Call Screening will filter incoming calls and prevent spam by answering calls and identifying the caller while also giving you an on-screen transcript.

Now Nudge can offer contextual information based on what you’re doing with your phone. For example, it can suggest relevant photos when messaging friends or remind you of calendar appointments so you can easily make plans. Now Brief can use info from your notifications, messages and emails so you get contextual information and shortcuts right on your home screen.

Galaxy S26 Ultra will be available in Black, Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, and White alongside two online exclusive hues – Silver and Pink Gold, which will be available via Samsung.com.

The baseline 12/256GB trim starts at €1,450. The middle ground 12/512GB model will go for €1,650, while the top-tier 16GB/1TB is set at €1,950. Pre-orders start today, while official sales are scheduled for March 11.