Ever been the victim of your own success? You went above and beyond for a task, only to be chastised for not keeping up with that lofty standard in subsequent work.

That is exactly the position Samsung found themselves in when it comes to their latest flagship, S-tier device, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Is it a bad thing though, given that a company is so synonymous with great products that delivering something that is ‘good’ is no longer enough? After the release of the universally lauded S24 Ultra, Samsung could be somewhat forgiven for experimenting when releasing the S25 Ultra but playtime is over.

It’s 2026, Samsung. Give us the good stuff. Sadly though, Samsung it was a case of one step forward, another step back with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Perfect = Good?

Now let us be clear from the offset. Laid aside its contemporaries and rival brands, the S26 Ultra is a phenomenal smartphone but we cannot help but point out some questionable decisions. The most obvious one would be Samsung’s decision to revert to aluminum after moving to titanium for their S24 and S25 Ultra devices. While Samsung reasoned this by claiming that aluminum has better heat management compared to the tougher and more elegant titanium, we cannot help but feel this feels like a regression than innovation.

Another questionable missing element is that the S Pen which comes included with the device still lack bluetooth capabilities; a feature so synonymous with Samsung Ultra devices until removed in last year’s model. Sections of the tech scene also called for the stagnant battery state, as Samsung stuck with the tried and tested, yet dated, 5000mAh.

However, credit where it is due, after using this device throughout its review period, battery life has been surprisingly encouraging, beating last year’s device’s performance significantly. It is safe to say, battery level anxiety is now no longer an issue. And whilst many still yearn for the boxy look, we actually enjoy the curves on this device, making it much more palm-friendly especially for long bouts of doomscrolling.

Now onto the good stuff.

Unlike many devices in the market where major selling points tend to cater to power users, Samsung’s ‘killer feature’ for the S26 Ultra is useful even for the non-tech inclined. Previous years saw Samsung focusing (too much) on their A.I capabilities. They very much stuck with the same script this year, harping on incremental improvements to their baked-in A.I features. However, the star of the show is definitely the Privacy Display which works as described on the tin.

Utilising a first-of-its-kind, ‘Privacy Display’, this is a baked-in, system-led feature which blurs out the screen for everyone else apart from the user. In short, say goodbye to shoulder peepers. What sets this feature apart from the run-of-the-mill physical privacy screen is the ability to choose when the effect kicks in, and when it stays normal. Apps which require security and privacy when in use, such as banking and texting apps are prime targets for this feature although you can leave it active by default.

The ONLY downside we noticed would be the reduced clarity and brightness when the Privacy Display feature is active. The screen is dulled and images appear washed out. This is definitely one area which we expect future iterations to improve on. Apart from that, the Privacy Display appears to be the feature which we expect to be carried forward and at the very least, imitated by rival brands.

Camera-wise, while many tend to call the setup on the S26 Ultra similar to the S25 Ultra, one can instantly notice the improvement in low-light photos. Samsung’s buzzword for it is ‘Nightography’, equipping the S26 Ultra with wider aperture (f1.4) makes photo taking once the sun sets an experience you’d look forward to. We were in Sydney recently and managed to capture several brilliant photos to showcase what the S26 Ultra has to offer in multiple lighting conditions. Check them out.

If you’ve been on socials lately, you surely have seen countless posts focusing on the Horizontal Lock feature for super steady videos on all S26 Series. While from the offset it appears to be just another marketing lingo for super-steady recording, this actually works really well in maintaining stability of the videos recorded. So much, that rotating your phone 360-degrees with the feature active still results in a level frame.

In terms of looks, we have to point out that the S26 Ultra isn’t Samsung’s prettiest flagship in recent years. That award, in our books at least, goes to the S23 Ultra. We aren’t saying this year’s model is ugly though; it’s just that it lacks the wow factor synonymous with previous models. Available in four ‘safe’ colours; black, while, cobalt violet and sky blue with pink gold and silver shadow as online exclusives, we imagine the designers at Samsung opted to tone down a bit with the wacky tones.

Now to address that annual query – Is the S26 Ultra worth getting if I already own last year’s model. The answer would be no. Economics and logic dictates that answer. HOWEVER – this is going to sound like a broken record – if you are always on the lookout for the best there is and is already in search for an upgrade, you can not do any wrong in going for the S26 Ultra. In our books, the new features which we mentioned above; Privacy Display, improved focus on ‘Nightography’ and the Horizontal Lock are all features and party tricks that separates itself from its older brother. Sold? Good. You should be able to score some pretty sweet deals via Samsung’s official page which includes a free storage upgrade.

In a nutshell, the S26 Ultra again represents the pinnacle of Samsung’s innovation and willingness to pivot rather than just stay on course with the familiar. It is a bold move by the Korean giants to put aside the buzzword of these past couple of years – A.I – and return to focusing on actual, physical and tangible user experiences such as the Privacy Display and Horizontal Lock.

Features that average Joes like you and I actually give a damn about. It’s a flagship phone. Like a Ferrari, you don’t talk about how much torque it produces to friends and family. It’s a Ferrari. Cool car go fast. It’s a Samsung. Expensive phone does cool things.

Final Score: 90/100

A unit of the Samsung S26 Ultra was provided to us courtesy of Samsung Malaysia. This, however has no bearing on our thoughts, opinions and review of the device.

VITAL STATISTICS

• Platform: Android 16, One UI 8.5 ~ up to 7 major Android upgrades,
• Body: 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) ~214g
• Frame: Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (2×4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6×3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M)
• GPU: Adreno 840
• Display: Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
• Memory (Internal): 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM
• Main Camera: 200 MP, f/1.4, 23mm (wide), 50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm (periscope telephoto) 5x zoom; 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), x3 zoom; 50 MP, f/1.9, 120? (ultrawide)
• Video: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
• Sound: Stereo speakers, no jacks given
• Battery: Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable
• Price: Starts from RM 5,999 (256GB, 12GB RAM)