Table of Contents

Following our exclusive leaks of the two smaller Samsung Galaxy S26 series phones, which showed you the designs of both phones, we’re back with the top-end model, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Same as with the other two smartphones, we have CAD-based renders of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to share with you. These images represent what the final model will look like, which completes our trio of leaks for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra CAD renders

Speaking of which, we have three images to show you, and you can check them out in the gallery below this paragraph. The device is shown from several different angles, which leaves nothing to the imagination. And if the images are not enough, you’ll also find a video below the image gallery, which will give you a 360-degree view of the device. While Samsung didn’t reinvent the wheel here, there are some changes worth noting. We’ll talk about the Galaxy S26 Ultra first, and later on in the article, we’ll compare it with its predecessor.

As you can see, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a flat display once again. It will include a centered display camera hole up top. The bezels around the display will be thin and also uniform at the same time. The corners of the device will be slightly rounded, just so that they don’t cut into your hand when you’re holding the phone.

On the right, you’ll see all the physical keys that will be included. As per usual, the power/lock button sits below the volume up and down keys. Nothing will sit on the left side, while the SIM card tray will be located at the bottom. You’ll also find the phone’s main speaker at the very bottom. A Type-C USB port and the S Pen stylus will also sit down there. The stylus will be located in the bottom-left corner, at the very corner, actually.

What about the back side? Well, the phone will once again include four cameras, but the setup will look different. The camera placement will stay similar, but not all cameras will protrude from the backplate directly. Three cameras on the left will be vertically aligned, and sit on top of a camera island, which will protrude on the back… quite a bit, actually. It is said to protrude 4.5mm total, while the phone itself will measure approximately 7.9mm.

The camera setup on the back looks a bit different

The fourth camera will be placed next to the middle camera on the camera island, but it will protrude directly from the backplate. It will not sit along with the other three cameras. The same goes for the LED flash and an additional cutout for sensors, both of which are placed above that fourth camera. The phone’s backplate, as you can see, will basically be completely flat. The frame of the phone will be flat, for the most part. The very edges of it will curve towards the front and back, just a little bit, to make the phone more comfortable to hold.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specifications (rumored)

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a powerful set of specs, that’s for sure. Quite a few information did surface already, even though we’re still months away from the phone’s announcement. So, let’s see what the phone is expected to offer, shall we? Starting with the processor. The all-new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will be used by Samsung. Qualcomm confirmed as much during the Snapdragon Summit 2025, even though exact phones were not mentioned. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will certainly be amongst them, though. It will probably use the ‘for Galaxy’ version of the chip aka an overclocked version.

The dual chip strategy seems to be back

That may not be the only chip that the phone ends up using, however. Based on a report, the upcoming Exynos 2600 chip could also be used, in some markets. In the past, Samsung used the Exynos chip in Europe intensely. That’s when the US and China were getting the Snapdragon treatment. That was mostly the case with the base and ‘+’ models, however. It remains to be seen what will Samsung do this time around. An Exynos version does seem like a real possibility at this point, though. (Up to) 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM is expected, and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 or perhaps even UFS 4.1 flash storage. The storage will not be expandable.

What about the dimensions? The phone is said to measure 163.4 x 77.9 x 7.9 (12.4mm with the camera bump). It is tipped to weigh only 217 grams. In terms of the display, the phone is tipped to use the new M14 OLED panels. That display is also said to feature CoE (Color Filter on Encapsulation) technology. That tech will allow the display to be thinner, reduce glare, and improve light transmission. The display size is tipped to be 6.89 inches, though it will likely be marketed as a 6.9-inch panel. It will basically the same in size as the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s panel.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra could support faster charging

When it comes to charging, rumors are going back and forth. Some are claiming that 45W wired charging will be unchanged, while others are saying it will support 60W wired charging. It remains to be seen. We are, however, hoping that Qi2.2 wireless charging will be supported, at 25W max. The phone will include magnets on the inside, so we’re hoping that Samsung will make full use of them. Android 16 is expected out of the box, along with One UI 8 or One UI 8.5, even. A 5,000mAh battery will likely remain unchanged compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, however.

Regarding cameras, well, we won’t see a major boost, unfortunately. There will still be four cameras on the back. The main camera will be a 200-megapixel unit (f/1.4 aperture, 1/1.3-inch sensor size), and will be accompanied by a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. The telephoto camera could actually get a downgrade. A 10-megapixel unit (1/3.94-inch sensor size, f/2.4 aperture, 1.0um pixel size, 3x optical zoom) could be used, which is smaller than the Sony IMX754 inside the Galaxy S25 Ultra. What about the periscope telephoto unit? Well, Samsung will still use a 50-megapixel unit with a 1/2.52-inch sensor size and 5x optical zoom.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Specs (Rumored)

How will the Galaxy S26 Ultra compare to its predecessor?

How does this compare to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the current-gen model? Well, generally speaking, the designs are very similar, with the major difference being on the back, with the design of the camera section. We have two comparison images that will give you a better look and allow you to compare for yourself. Those images are placed in the gallery below, and show the Galaxy S25 Ultra on the left, followed by the Galaxy S26 Ultra on the right.

You can clearly see how similar they are. The first thing that you’ll likely notice is the camera portion difference, but that’s not the only difference here. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature slightly more prominent curves on its corners, compared to its predecessor. We do believe this is a welcome change, but it all depends on what you prefer. The position of the side buttons will be very similar.

You’ll notice that the positioning of the camera cutouts on the back remains pretty much unchanged, but thanks to the addition of the camera bump on the back of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the two setups look quite different. The camera lenses themselves also bring a different visual presentation. The ones on the Galaxy S26 Ultra will look a little bit stealthier, as it will not have glossy accents around its camera sensors. The placement of the Samsung logo on the back will remain the same.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S26 Ultra spec comparison

As is the case every year, there will be some spec similarities between the new model and the old one. So let’s focus on that, and see what spec changes you can expect there. The first one that comes to mind is always the SoC. Yes, Samsung will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Qualcomm’s brand-new 3nm chip. On top of that, it could also use its own Exynos 2600 chip, a 2nm processor that recently entered mass production. Their availability could be region-based, as it was the case in the past. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, on the other hand, used the Snapdragon 8 Elite exclusively. Samsung had some issues bringing the Exynos 2500 to the market in time, especially as many units as the company needed for the Galaxy S25 series.

The display will be better, but similar

The display size will remain unchanged, as will the resolution and refresh rate, at least based on rumors. However, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a more technically advanced screen, and glare resistance will once again be in high focus. Depending on the market, the Galaxy S25 Ultra offered up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Chances are that we’ll see a similar approach with the new model. The same can be said for storage, actually, as the new model will also likely go up to 1TB. You won’t be able to expand that storage. Samsung is once again expected to use UFS 4.0 flash storage.

The same 5,000mAh battery will be used in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The phone is tipped to support faster charging, though. We’re not sure if it will come to fruition, but 60W wired charging is tipped. We’re also hoping that 25W wireless charging will be on offer. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will have built-in magnets, so we’re hoping for Qi2.2 magnetic charging. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is limited to 15W wireless charging. Considering that Qi2 with magnets will be supported, we’re guessing that reverse wired charging will be on offer, not reverse wireless charging, unlike on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Don’t expect a major boost in the camera department

The cameras will be slightly different. The main camera will remain unchanged. It will be a 200-megapixel 1/1.3-inch unit, but the new model is tipped to have a wider aperture at an f/1.4, compared to 1/1.7. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will get an inferior telephoto camera, but only slightly. A 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (1/2.5-inch sensor size) and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/2.52-inch sensor size) from the Galaxy S25 Ultra are expected to make an appearance on a new model as well.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will ship with Android 16 out of the box, along with One UI 8 or 8.5. The Galaxy S25 Ultra included Android 15 out of the box, with One UI 7, though One UI 8 is running on the phone now. The same IP68 certification will be used by the new phone.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Which phones will the Galaxy S26 Ultra directly compete with?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will have plenty of competition in the market, needless to say. Apple launched its iPhone 17 Pro Max handset earlier this month, while the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL arrived in August. Both of those phones will be direct competitors to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The OnePlus 15 is right around the corner, it’s expected to launch globally either by the end of the year, or in early January next year. Either way, it will almost certainly arrive before the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and it will almost certainly undercut it in terms of pricing. In fact, it’s expected to be more affordable than any other phone we’ve mentioned here.

When it comes to phones outside of the US, there will be plenty more to choose from. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max has been announced in China, and it’s coming to global markets in the coming months. That phone has two displays to compete with the best of Samsung, and a powerful camera setup too. The Vivo X300 Pro is on its way as well, and the same goes for the OPPO Find X9 Pro, both of which will be direct competitors to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. The HONOR Magic8 Pro is also worth mentioning, as it’s also expected to launch in the near future, and it will also be a premium smartphone offering. If you’re looking to step away from both Google and Apple, the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra is an option as well.

Other Galaxy S26 series phones

As many of you already know, we’ve already shared, exclusively, the Galaxy S26 Pro and Galaxy S26 Edge CAD-based renders, revealing the design of both of those phones. This completes the Galaxy S26 family, as we’re waiting for Samsung to announce both phones. More information will be coming in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned for that.