Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra represents Samsung’s latest flagship phone in its long-running S series, combining cutting-edge hardware, refined design and deeper artificial intelligence capabilities. It is designed to cater to anyone who wants top-tier performance, sleek industrial design and a rich suite of photography and video tools, all powered by significant advances in both silicon and software. The phone was unveiled in early 2026 and is available to purchase in Australia with pre-orders already underway, with general retail availability expected around 11 March 2026 through major carriers and retailers after a pre-order period that runs from late February into early March. 

At its core, this flagship is built around a large 6.9-inch display that incorporates Samsung’s built-in Privacy Display technology — a first for mobile — to help obscure on-screen content from shoulder surfers while maintaining brightness and clarity when you’re using the phone directly. The design itself has been subtly refined compared with its predecessor, with a new seamless glass camera island that flows into an armour-aluminium frame for tough, premium feel, as well as water and dust resistance to IP68 standards. 

Performance is driven by a custom-tuned Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, which brings improvements to the central processing, graphics and neural processing units over previous generations. This translates into snappy responsiveness for demanding apps, smoother gameplay with advanced graphics support and lower power consumption for everyday tasks. Samsung’s vapour-chamber cooling system has also been enhanced to dissipate heat more efficiently, helping keep performance consistent even during extended usage such as gaming or video editing. 

Photography and videography are core strengths of the S26 Ultra. The rear camera array is anchored by a 200 MP wide sensor with a bright f/1.4 aperture, supported by a 50 MP ultra-wide and 50 MP telephoto lens, all of which benefit from Samsung’s updated ProVisual Engine for improved image processing. This setup offers strong low-light performance, finer detail and dynamic range, and advanced capabilities like 100× Space Zoom for capturing distant subjects. On the front, a 12 MP selfie camera uses an AI image signal processor to deliver more natural skin tones and balanced highlights and shadows. Video features such as Super Steady and Horizontal Lock help keep footage stable and level, even when recording on the move. 

Beyond hardware, Samsung has embedded a suite of intelligent software enhancements through One UI 8.5. These include Galaxy AI features such as Photo Assist, which allows you to refine images using simple text prompts, and proactive tools like Now Brief and Now Nudge that provide contextual suggestions based on how you use the device. These features aim to streamline everyday interactions, from organising schedules and reminders to crafting creative content without switching between multiple apps. 

Battery life is a strong suit, with a 5000 mAh capacity that supports all-day performance and up to around 31 hours of video playback on a single charge. Fast charging technologies are supported as well, with the ability to recharge to approximately 75 per cent in around 30 minutes, helping reduce downtime between uses. Storage and memory options range up to 1 TB of internal storage paired with 16 GB of RAM for those who need plenty of room for photos, videos, games and files, alongside variant choices at 256 GB or 512 GB with 12 GB of RAM. 

Outright recommended retail prices in Australia reflect the premium nature of the device, with the 256 GB model around AU$2,199, 512 GB around AU$2,499 and the top-end 1 TB option at about AU$2,949. These figures are typical of flagship hardware that blends cutting-edge performance with future-focused features.

Colours available include Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black and White, with exclusive options like Silver Shadow and Pink Gold available through Samsung’s online store. Whether you’re upgrading from an older flagship or looking for the most capable Android phone on the market, this latest Ultra model brings together premium display tech, powerful internals, advanced imaging and a rich suite of intelligent features to match the needs of modern smartphone users.

This description was generated with the help of AI and last updated February 2026.