Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: What’s different and is it worth the upgrade?

Samsung debuted the Galaxy S26 series last night. The South Korean brand has not made any significant hardware upgrades this year, at least on the standard and plus models. Meanwhile the ultra model packs some new features and improvements here and there. These might feel essential if you’re on an older Samsung flagship. Let’s dig deeper to find out how the Galaxy S26 Ultra compares against last year’s Galaxy S25 Ultra. 

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S26 Ultra: design

Samsung has managed to trim the Galaxy S26 Ultra thickness this time as well. It now measures 7.9mm thin and tips the scales at 214 grams compared to 8.2mm and 218 grams on the S25 Ultra. 

The latest generation flagship also comes with a pill-shaped module on the back panel that houses three sensors and another sensor outside. The new design is a departure from the floating individual lens design found on the Galaxy S22 and later. Another notable change is that the South Korean brand has further made the edges of the Galaxy S26 Ultra rounder for ease of comfort. 

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: What is Privacy Display?

The Galaxy S26 Ultra sports an armor aluminium frame instead of titanium on the last year’s model. The screen and glass back panel are shielded by Gorilla Armor 2 and Victus 2 respectively.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S26 Ultra: display

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra retains the same 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2x display with a QHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is now 10-bit instead of 8-bit, meaning that the device can now display can now output 1.07 billion colours, up from 16.7 million on the predecessor. 

With this year’s Ultra model, Samsung is introducing a built-in hardware feature called Privacy Display. Think of it as screen protectors without actually having to rely on them. The feature is built on pixel level that limits viewing angles for others. It combines hardware and software to dim certain areas of the screen, specific apps, or tasks like entering passwords. These can always be customised. The display stays clear for the user head-on but makes it impossible to view from side angles.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S26 series prices in India, sale date, pre-order offers and more

The partial screen privacy intelligently limits visibility and there’s also maximum privacy protection that makes visibility difficult. However, Samsung cautions that maximum setting may affect both normal and side viewing. 

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S26 Ultra: camera

Samsung hasn’t made much changes in the optics department on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The 200MP main camera now has a wider aperture of f/1.4 compared to f/1.7 on last year’s model. Same is the case with the 50MP periscope telephoto lens where the aperture is now f/2.9 from f/3.4.

The result is that the sensor can intake more light delivering clear pictures with richer details in low light environments. This new change is also expected to benefit the phone’s video shooting capabilities in night scenes. The device retains the 10MP telephoto unit and a 50MP ultrawide-angle lens. 

Samsung’s Super Steady mode now features horizontal lock that is usually found on action cameras. It uses the phone’s gyroscope and accelerometer. Recording with the Galaxy S26 Ultra locks the horizon even if the phone tilts or rotates and automatically corrects any shaky footage. This makes it useful for recording scenes that involve a lot of motion and also eliminate the need of a gimbal. 

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S26 Ultra: hardware

Underneath the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra houses a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor in all markets. The phone packs 12GB RAM with 256GB or 512GB storage options whereas the top-end configuration maxes out at 16GB RAM and 1TB storage. 

The latest smartphone is backed by the same 5,000mAh battery unit as its predecessor. However, the brand has finally upgraded the charging speed after nearly four years. The S26 Ultra can be topped at 60W wired or 25W wireless speed. There’s also support for 4.5W wireless charging. 

Software-wise, the Galaxy S26 Ultra ships with OneUI 8.5-based Android 16 OS out of the box. It comes with new features like support for OS-level Perplexity AI, screenshot analyzer, call screening, now nudge, and audio eraser support for third-party apps. These are expected to trickle down to older flagships. 

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: pricing

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra starts Rs 1,39,999 for the base variant whereas the 12GB + 512GB costs Rs 1,59,999. The top-tier 16GB+1TB configuration is priced at Rs 1,89,999. 

There’s a significant price difference between this and last year’s ultra models. The S26 Ultra seems worth upgrading to if you’re arriving from S24 Ultra or older. The Galaxy S25 Ultra still has a lot to offer especially with 7 years of OS updates. With the latest offering, you would only get speedier charging, faster processor, improved camera, and the biggest upgrade in form of privacy display.

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