Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: Is It Actually Worth Upgrading?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is here, and as always, the big question on everyone's mind is: is this a real upgrade, or just a yearly refresh dressed up in new packaging? If you're sitting on an S25 Ultra wondering whether to pull the trigger, this one's for you.
The Short Answer
If you own an S25 Ultra — probably not worth it. If you're coming from the S23 Ultra, S22 Ultra, or older — absolutely yes. And if you're buying fresh into the Ultra lineup in 2026, the S26 Ultra is the obvious choice.
What's Actually New?
Design
Samsung has managed to slim things down to just 7.9mm, down from 8.2mm on the S25 Ultra, and the new model weighs only 214 grams — 4 grams less than before. That might sound trivial, but this was already one of the S25 Ultra's biggest selling points, so squeezing even more out of it is genuinely impressive.
The back has also been redesigned — the corners are more rounded, making it easier to hold, since the sharp corners of the previous model made the phone feel bigger than it actually is. However, the camera island now sticks out more, which is a step back, and the frame is made of Armor aluminum 2, which can be seen as a step back from the titanium frame on the S25 Ultra.
Performance
Samsung says the S26 Ultra has a 19% faster CPU, a 24% stronger GPU, and a 39% improved NPU compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, thanks to the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. That NPU boost is significant because it directly powers all the Galaxy AI features. The S26 Ultra comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy no matter where you buy it from — Samsung still refrains from splitting chipsets with Exynos versions for the Ultra.
The Privacy Display — The Headline Feature
This is the most talked-about addition. The Galaxy S26 Ultra packs an all-new Privacy Display feature that's sure to captivate tech enthusiasts. It makes the screen appear dark to anyone viewing from an angle — genuinely useful for commuters and business users. The catch? Maximum brightness is slashed in half when Privacy Display is active, so it's a trade-off you'll need to decide if you care about.
Charging — A Genuinely Big Upgrade
Charging speed has always been the Galaxy S series' Achilles heel, but that's no longer the case with the new Galaxy S26 Ultra. The phone now supports 60W fast wired charging over Power Delivery, a step up from the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 45W charging, and the results reveal the upgrade is far from trivial. Getting to ~75% in 30 minutes is a welcome and very real improvement.
Battery Life
In theory, the Galaxy S26 Ultra and S25 Ultra should have very similar battery life, as the only thing that has changed is the chipset. However, the Galaxy S26 Ultra shows a notable improvement in web browsing and video streaming battery tests.
The Camera: Better, Worse, or the Same?
Verdict: A genuine — but modest — step up. Not a revolution, but not stagnation either.
On paper, the specs look almost identical: same 200MP main sensor, same 50MP ultrawide, same 12MP front camera. But the devil is in the details.
The biggest hardware change is the aperture. The Galaxy S26 Ultra offers wider apertures for its main and 5x telephoto cameras — the 200MP main sensor has a wider f/1.4 aperture, up from the Galaxy S25 Ultra's f/1.7. In plain English: more light hits the sensor, which means better low-light performance and faster shutter speeds.
In real-world tests, the Galaxy S26 Ultra shows significant gains over its predecessor — its 200MP main camera captures a brighter overall picture complemented by a warmer color temperature, and it pulls ahead by resolving more fine detail.
For the 5x telephoto, Samsung is using a new technology called All Lens on Prism (ALoP) instead of the classic periscope style — supposedly for a smaller camera module and improved low-light performance.
On the selfie side, the selfie camera's sensor is the same, but the lens is wider — a welcome development and one of the more meaningful upgrades.
There is one notable concern though: the 3x bridge camera between the primary and periscope has a smaller, albeit newer, sensor — an across-the-board head-scratcher, especially when set against the improvements to the other cameras.
DXOMark's analysis paints a nuanced picture: the telephoto module delivers cleaner images thanks to improved noise control and more natural rendering, though fine detail capture has slightly decreased compared to the predecessor. Color reproduction has also improved, with more accurate tones and better white balance in natural scenes.
The overall takeaway from real-world shooters? The Galaxy S26 Ultra's biggest strength is its consistency — images are almost always perfectly balanced, with natural colors, accurate lighting, and fine detail. It might not always be the best in any one specific area, but overall its images are often considered the best median result.
The Pros
- Faster charging (60W vs 45W) — the biggest practical win
- Better camera apertures — real improvement in low light
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 — noticeably faster, especially for AI
- Privacy Display — a first for mobile, genuinely useful
- Slimmer and lighter — marginally, but still
- Same $1,299 starting price — no price hike at the base level
- Better battery efficiency from the new chip
- Android 16 + One UI 8.5 out of the box
The Cons
- Aluminum frame instead of titanium — a downgrade in materials
- Camera bump protrudes more — wobbles on flat surfaces
- Screen brightness unchanged — rivals like the Pixel 10 Pro XL go brighter outdoors
- 3x telephoto sensor is slightly smaller — a head-scratcher
- No Galaxy AI exclusives — there are no AI features that won't be available on the S25 Ultra, which seriously weakens the upgrade argument
- Privacy Display halves brightness when active
- Incremental, not transformative — similar story to S25 vs S24
Who Should Buy the S26 Ultra?
Buy it if you:
- Are coming from the S23 Ultra or older
- Are buying your first Ultra
- Care a lot about charging speed or Privacy Display
- Are a content creator or photographer who wants the best available
Skip it if you:
- Already own the S25 Ultra — the upgrades simply don't justify the cost
- Are on an S24 Ultra and happy with it
- Don't care about Privacy Display
Final Verdict
The Galaxy S26 Ultra represents a fairly minimal upgrade from the S25 Ultra — but it's fair to say most people don't upgrade every year, so if you're jumping from a model 2, 3, or 4 generations old, you will notice a much greater difference. For anyone entering the Ultra lineup now, it is undoubtedly worth the purchase — you get the cleanest, most complete version of Samsung's 2026 flagship vision, and it arrives at the same $1,299 starting price, which is arguably the best part about this release.
S25 Ultra owners? Hold tight. Your phone is still brilliant, still getting 7 years of updates, and still one of the best Android phones on the planet. The S26 Ultra isn't passing you by — it's just inching ahead.
Check the current price of the Samsung S26Ultra on Amazon UK → [ https://amzn.to/4dQPBmX ]
Check the current price of the Samsung S25Ultra on Amazon UK → [ https://amzn.to/3Qh1rgw ]
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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