Major Galaxy S26 Ultra Leak Reveals Exciting Upgrades

It’s the Galaxy Unpacked week, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra is grabbing early headlines and for the right reasons. A fresh leak reveals some exciting upgrades Samsung has planned for its next Ultra. Slated to launch in early 2026, the device brings new camera hardware and more enhancements. While it isn’t a reinvention of the wheel, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to be a solid refinement across the board — slimmer, cooler, and just a bit smarter.

Galaxy S26 Ultra may sport a nearly bezel-free 6.9-inch display

Samsung is sticking with the winning formula on the front: a large 6.9-inch screen, just like on the S25 Ultra. But this time, expect even narrower bezels and a higher screen-to-body ratio. The Bluetooth S Pen isn’t returning, but Samsung reportedly hasn’t dropped the digitizer. The company tested a digitizer-free solution to save space, but the results weren’t good. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 may still feature a digitizer-less S Pen.

From the back, the Galaxy S26 Ultra might look similar to its predecessor — but there’s a welcome change. Those bulky, protruding camera rings that many described as “chip-like” are reportedly gone. The cleaner, more unified rear design from the S24 Ultra will return. The device still carries the same IP68 water and dust resistance rating but with a sleeker look and possibly a thinner chassis (8.1mm or thinner). Expect a lighter body too, possibly around 210 grams.

The camera setup includes a 200MP primary shooter, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP 5x telephoto camera, all unchanged from the S25 Ultra. However, the S26 Ultra may introduce a new, 12MP 3x zoom camera and a new selfie shooter. Coupled with Samsung’s next-generation ProVisual Engine, expect improvements in image processing, dynamic range, and low-light performance.

New processor with improved cooling

Inside, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be powered by Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip. While there have been rumors of Samsung potentially manufacturing this chip on its 2nm process, those plans may have hit a snag. In that case, expect Qualcomm to use TSMC’s 3nm process for its next flagship SoC. Samsung is also reportedly leveling up the memory game, offering 16GB of RAM across the entire storage tier — 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB.

To manage heat more effectively, the phone will get a vapor chamber cooling system that’s 1.2x larger than the one in the S25 Ultra. If true, this could mean significantly better thermal control, longer sustained performance under load, and better battery efficiency in the long run. The battery is still a 5,000mAh unit with 45W charging, but expect improvements in battery life. Whether these refinements are enough to drive stronger sales remains to be seen, but fans of the Ultra series have plenty to look forward to.