Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Rumors Explained: What’s New and What’s Missing

The launch of the Galaxy S26 series is approaching rapidly, with expectations pointing to an official unveiling just weeks away. According to circulating industry rumours, Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event is expected to take place on February 25 in San Francisco, placing the announcement well within the coming month. Despite the proximity of the rumoured date, no official invitations have surfaced so far, leaving the timeline dependent on final confirmation.

Over the past several months, a steady stream of leaks and reports has revealed most of what can be expected from Samsung’s next flagship lineup. At this stage, very little remains undisclosed, making it possible to form a fairly complete picture of the Galaxy S26 series ahead of launch.

Galaxy S26 Line Up And Naming

Earlier speculation suggested Samsung might experiment with new branding, possibly replacing familiar names with alternatives such as “Edge.” However, recent leaks strongly indicate a return to the traditional naming structure. The lineup is expected to include three models:

• Galaxy S26
• Galaxy S26 Plus
• Galaxy S26 Ultra

Built-In Qi2 Magnets And Wireless Charging

One of the most notable hardware additions expected across the entire S26 lineup is the inclusion of Qi2 magnets built directly into the back of the devices. This would align Samsung more closely with Google’s recent hardware strategy while expanding accessory compatibility.

All three Galaxy S26 models are rumoured to support Qi 2.2 wireless charging, enabling speeds of up to 25W. If confirmed, this would give Samsung an advantage over recent Pixel devices, where faster wireless charging was limited to the highest-end variant.

Evidence supporting this change includes leaked CAD files—commonly shared with accessory manufacturers—that show cutouts consistent with magnetic alignment systems.

Additionally, leaked images of a Qi2-compatible magnetic battery pack and a new Samsung-branded Qi2.2 wireless charger further reinforce these claims. The charger reportedly supports 25W charging for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, while other models may be limited to 20W.

Despite the technical upgrade, branding around the magnetic system appears minimal, with no distinctive naming visible on leaked packaging.

Display Upgrades And Brightness Debate

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumored to receive several display-related enhancements. One potential upgrade is a shift from an 8-bit to a 10-bit display panel, possibly using Samsung’s new M14 OLED technology. This would allow for richer color depth, improved HDR performance, and smoother gradients.

A more noticeable improvement could come in the form of increased peak brightness. The M14 panel theoretically supports HDR brightness levels as high as 6,000 nits. However, conflicting reports suggest Samsung may retain a peak brightness of 2,600 nits across all three models.

Instead of increasing brightness, Samsung may rely on an improved anti-reflective coating, particularly on the S26 Ultra, to enhance outdoor visibility without pushing higher luminance levels. If true, this would place Samsung behind competitors in raw brightness numbers but could still result in strong real-world visibility.

Integrated Privacy Display Technology

Another potentially significant addition is a built-in privacy screen feature embedded directly into the display. Unlike traditional privacy screen protectors, this solution would be software-controlled and toggleable on demand.

Leaked information suggests the privacy mode could activate automatically based on location or network conditions, such as when leaving a trusted Wi-Fi environment. Samsung has indirectly teased this feature, referencing a new privacy layer designed to protect against shoulder surfing.

Further leaks indicate the privacy effect may apply only to specific screen regions, such as notifications or PIN entry fields, rather than the entire display. It remains unclear whether this feature will be exclusive to the Ultra model or available across the entire S26 lineup.

Battery And Charging Changes

Battery capacities are expected to see modest increases:

• Galaxy S26: approximately 4,300 mAh (up from 4,000 mAh)
• Galaxy S26 Ultra: approximately 5,200 mAh (up from 5,000 mAh)

These increases do not involve silicon-carbon technology and represent incremental improvements rather than major leaps. To offset the limited capacity growth, the S26 Ultra may support up to 60W wired fast charging.

Processor Strategy

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is widely expected to ship globally with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. Meanwhile, the standard S26 and S26 Plus may adopt the Exynos 2600 in select regions, with Snapdragon variants likely reserved for markets such as the United States.

Performance comparisons between Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 remain uncertain and will be a key point of evaluation post-launch.

Storage And Color Options

A positive change for base models may come in the storage configuration. Reports suggest Samsung could eliminate the 128GB option entirely, making 256GB the standard starting storage across all three models.

Color leaks indicate that the S26 Plus and S26 Ultra will share the same palette:

• Black
• White
• Cobalt
• Violet
• Sky Blue

Additional colors such as Silver Shadow and Pink Gold have been mentioned but may remain exclusive to Samsung’s online store.

Leaked SIM trays also suggest the phones will retain physical SIM support rather than transitioning to eSIM-only designs.

Camera Updates

Camera hardware changes appear minimal across the lineup.

Galaxy S26 & S26 Plus:
The main camera may retain a 50MP resolution with a new ISOCELL sensor, offering potential improvements through processing rather than hardware size changes.

Galaxy S26 Ultra:

• Main camera: 200MP, possibly upgraded to a new ISOCELL HP2 sensor with a wider f/1.4 aperture for improved low-light performance
• Ultra-wide: unchanged 50MP sensor
• 5× telephoto: 50MP with a possible new sensor and improved aperture
• 3× telephoto: rumored shift to a 12MP sensor, though physical thinning of the device could force compromises in sensor size

The overall camera layout may receive a cosmetic redesign inspired by the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but major photographic upgrades appear limited.

Pricing, Availability, And Outlook

Samsung is expected to maintain pricing parity with the Galaxy S25 series, at least for this generation. Availability will depend on the final Galaxy Unpacked date, but a late February announcement would likely lead to preorders in early March and retail availability by mid-March.

While the Galaxy S26 series does not appear to introduce sweeping changes, features such as built-in Qi2 magnets, enhanced privacy display technology, and refined charging capabilities represent meaningful refinements. Additional updates related to Galaxy AI are still unknown and may emerge closer to launch.

As with all pre-release information, details remain subject to change until official confirmation.

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Galaxy S26 may not be revolutionary—but it’s far from boring. For every confirmed leak and surprise reveal, keep reading StoryAntra.