bet everything on AI

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, when the hardware is practically unbeatable there is only one plan left: bet everything on AI

S-Day has arrived. Samsung has just made the Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra official, its three new high-end proposals. A continuous evolution with some functions that we had not seen to date and a complete commitment to photography.

We review the technical specifications and features of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the new reference in the high-end Android and a real commitment to artificial intelligence.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, technical sheet with specifications and price

The return to aluminum and a very special screen

The design of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra makes it the thinnest Ultra yet. Despite this, the cooling system has been improved using a vapor chamber, which is essential to keep Qualcomm’s best processor to date at bay, which we will talk about later.

We return to aluminum and say goodbye to titanium. A small leap back in the hardness of the material to achieve a somewhat less heavy design and, above all, be able to dissipate heat better.

If we turn it around, we find a 6.9-inch screen, with QHD+ resolution and Samsung’s own technologies (ProScaler) to improve image scaling. This allows you to obtain extra sharpness in texts and deeper colors without giving up realism.

But what is most striking about the panel is not its specifications: it is its privacy function. A function that is difficult to describe beyond “genius”, and one that the rest of the manufacturers will undoubtedly have to take into account so as not to be left behind.

What are you looking at, gossip?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra debuts the Privacy Screen function, one of the biggest advances we have ever seen in an OLED panel. the phone is capable of independently controlling the pixel emission in certain areas of the screen, so that they disperse light in a very specific way. Through this light dispersion system, the user who is using their mobile phone will be able to see all the contents, but if someone tries to gossip about us from the side, it will be impossible.

It is the natural replacement for privacy screen protectors, which darken as the viewing angle of the screen varies. This function allows you to hide sensitive elements such as pop-up notifications, passwords, gallery, etc. How does it work on a technical level?

In normal mode, the pixel emission is traditional. In security mode, the largest pixels in specific areas are turned off, leaving only those that emit light at a narrower angle active. In other words, Only the pixels that we can see from the front emit light.

Let’s talk about chicha… and AI

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the only member of its family to incorporate the Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite 5the latest chip from the Taiwanese giant. It does so accompanied by up to 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, with the classic base configuration of 256 + 12 GB. Since it has the best possible muscle, the key is in AI.

This year, Samsung wants the user to choose their own path.

Gemini remains the heart of your AI ecosystem, embedded in features like Circle to Searchreservation management, natural consultations, etc. Perplexity It has a more agentic role, aimed at obtaining information from the system through natural conversation. Bixby, which is still alive, is integrated into practically all native applications, and allows you to interact with them using voice commands.

Regarding new features, in addition to the one related to screen security, SPAM calls or calls not registered in the agenda now They will be attended by an AI agent which will notify us in real time about whether we want to pick up the call or not.

This phone comes with Android 16 along with One UI 8.5a new version focused primarily on natural language with Bixby on both desktop and web search.

The cameras

At the hardware level, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra repeats with a 200 megapixel main sensornow being 47% brighter compared to the previous generation. The telephoto lens increases resolution to 50 megapixelswith five optical magnifications and up to 10x hybrid.

There are no changes in the telephoto lens with three optical magnifications or in the ultra wide angle lens, the two most accessory sensors in this model. But it’s not all hardware, Samsung has made some tweaks to improve this configuration.

• There are improvements to the noise reduction engine.
• The algorithm adapts to the lens you are shooting to apply the necessary settings.
• Super stabilized video has improved.
• New codec to record in 8K in a more compact format and without losing information.
• Through AI, we can add content to images using prompts.

In our in-depth analysis we will check if the changes in the algorithm have been enough for this camera to aspire to the podium of the best photography phones of 2026. An increasingly complex and fierce competition.

Versions and price of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at a price of 1,449 euros, rising to 1,699 euros in its 512 GB version. It can be purchased on the official Samsung website and its usual suppliers.

Image | Xataka