Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Key Specifications
Display	6.9″ AMOLED 2X
Storage	16GB+1TB
Camera	200+50+10+50 MP
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Battery:	5000mAh

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has officially launched with a slimmer and lighter design compared to its predecessor Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Measuring just 7.9mm in thickness and weighing 214g, Samsung has refined the build to make it more comfortable in the hand. The phone retains Armor 2 protection on the front and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back, but one noticeable change is the frame — this time Samsung has switched from titanium to aluminum. The edges are now more rounded, improving ergonomics, while the IP68 rating remains unchanged for water and dust resistance. The S-Pen is still without Bluetooth support, similar to the previous two generations, but it is now slightly slimmer, thinner, and lighter. One major physical change is the larger camera bump, which causes noticeable wobbling when placed on a flat surface.

The display remains largely the same as before — a stunning 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X panel with QHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 2600 nits peak brightness. Samsung continues to use its latest M14 10-bit panel along with an anti-reflective coating. However, a new Privacy Display Mode has been introduced. When enabled, nearby people won’t be able to view your screen content. Users can even customize it to automatically activate when opening selected apps, adding an extra layer of privacy.

Performance sees a significant boost thanks to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Storage has been upgraded from UFS 4.0 to UFS 4.1, while LPDDR5X RAM is retained. Running on One UI 8.5 based on Android 16, Samsung promises 7 years of Android and security updates. Benchmark scores show around 11,000 in Geekbench multi-core, roughly 15% better CPU performance compared to its predecessor’s 9,600 score. AnTuTu scores reach approximately 3.5 million, a noticeable jump from the previous 2.75 million. The 5000mAh battery remains the same, but charging speeds improve to 60W wired (up from 45W) and 25W wireless (previously 15W).

In the camera department, hardware remains mostly unchanged, but with a key improvement in aperture. The quad-camera setup includes a 200MP OIS main sensor with a wider f/1.4 aperture (previously f/1.7), a 50MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom, a 10MP telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide sensor. The 12MP front camera also remains the same. While lens hardware hasn’t changed significantly, Samsung has enhanced image processing with more advanced AI optimizations, delivering better computational photography and improved overall image output.

When comparing the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra prices across Gulf countries and India, buyers can find significant differences once converted to Indian Rupees. For example, the 12GB + 512GB variant is priced around SAR 5,499 in Saudi Arabia, AED 5,099 in UAE, OMR 543 in Oman, KD 414 in Kuwait, QAR 5,139 in Qatar, and BD 552 in Bahrain, while in India it is ₹1,39,999. Using current exchange rates (1 SAR ≈ ₹24.15, 1 AED ≈ ₹24.7, 1 BHD ≈ ₹241), the Gulf prices in INR usually work out lower than India’s official price, especially in Kuwait and Bahrain, where the strong local currencies against the rupee make the phone notably cheaper. Similarly, for the 16GB + 1TB model, Gulf prices (e.g., SAR 6,699, AED 6,299, KD 499, BD 682) when converted also tend to be lower than India’s ₹1,89,999 listing. Overall, purchasing the phone in Gulf countries like Kuwait or Bahrain offers better value in terms of currency conversion, meaning lower effective prices compared to India once you account for exchange rates and potential import taxes. (Currency conversion approximations based on mid-market forex rates.)

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Specs (SM-S948B)