Samsung recently officially unveiled2026 flagship smartphone Galaxy S26 seriesAmong the newly launched lineup, the top-of-the-line Galaxy S26 Ultra undoubtedly stands as a benchmark for technological prowess once again. This update focuses on three core metrics: "performance," "camera," and "multi-model Galaxy AI." I conducted a quick hands-on review of the Galaxy S26 Ultra to experience the comprehensive evolution of this new flagship phone.
Performance Upgrades and a Thermal Revolution: Dedicated Processor and First-Ever Support for 60W Fast Charging
Firstly, in terms of hardware specifications, compared to the Galaxy S26 and S26+ which use Samsung's own Exynos 2600 in some markets, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, in order to maintain ultimate performance, is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor for Galaxy across the board, offering up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. To suppress the heat generated by the powerful performance, Samsung redesigned the built-in vapor chamber, which significantly improves heat dissipation efficiency by 21%. In actual high-load AI computing and gaming, the body's temperature control performance is noticeably more stable.
Furthermore, the Galaxy S26 Ultra finally sees a significant breakthrough in charging specifications. It features Super Fast Charging 3.0, supporting up to 60W wired fast charging, which can charge the 5000mAh battery to 75% in just 30 minutes. Additionally, the Galaxy S26 series supports Qi2 Ready wireless charging, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra supporting 25W. To maintain a slim and lightweight design, the phone itself does not have a built-in magnetic coil; a dedicated magnetic protective case is required to utilize the magnetic alignment function.
As for the S Pen, its design remains the same as its predecessor, and Bluetooth connectivity has not been added back. Therefore, it is not possible to remotely control the camera shutter via the S Pen button, which is a bit of a pity.
Performance test:
Towards Multi-Model Collaboration: Deep Integration of Bixby, Perplexity, and Google Gemini
This time, Samsung is no longer relying on a single model, but is moving towards an open ecosystem of "multi-model applications".
The built-in Bixby significantly enhances natural language recognition capabilities, enabling integration with Now Brief and Now Nudge. More notably, Samsung has announced its first deep collaboration with Perplexity, allowing users to activate it with the unique wake word "Hey Plex." This not only enables precise information searches but also deep integration with core applications such as Samsung Notes and Calendar, leveraging powerful agentic AI capabilities.
Meanwhile, Samsung continues its deep alliance with Google. Benefiting from the latest Gemini 3 model, the Galaxy S26 Ultra supports a futuristic "multi-step tasks" capability. Now you can directly "outsource" tedious tasks to AI using your voice, such as asking it to silently call an Uber or create a grocery shopping cart for you in the background, and you can simply monitor the progress through the notification bar (but the third-party app call functionality varies by market).
Furthermore, the highly praised "Circle to Search" feature has seen a significant leap forward. It now supports simultaneous recognition of multiple objects and introduces a "Find the Look" function for fashion enthusiasts. By circling people in photos, AI can automatically break down clothing, pants, shoes, and other items, and even supports "virtual try-on." Regarding security, this update also includes on-device AI-based scam detection, which analyzes fraudulent calls in real time and issues warnings.
Camera: 2MP ultra-high light intake and professional-grade APV recording
In terms of camera, the Galaxy S26 Ultra maintains its high-end lens configuration. The biggest upgrade is the 2-megapixel main lens with an aperture increased to f/1.4, significantly increasing light intake by 47%. Combined with the new ProScaler function and mDNle color contrast technology, night shooting sharpness and 10-bit color performance are noticeably improved.
For professional video creators, Samsung has added a new APV Pro Mode, which not only supports 8K 30fps shooting and professional-grade encoding (HQ 422 / LQ 422), but also adds a "Horizontal Lock" function that combines gyroscope and accelerometer data, making handheld recording as stable as a rock.
In addition, interesting AI photo editing features such as "Photo Assist" that restores the appearance of someone who has eaten cake, and "Ocean Mode" that can filter out bluish tones and restore the true colors of underwater scenes, greatly increase the fun of shooting.
Actual camera shooting:
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Camera AI Applications:
Ultra Exclusive: Privacy Display Electronic Privacy Technology
It's worth mentioning that the Galaxy S26 Ultra features an exclusive electronic privacy technology called Privacy Display. This feature can be triggered manually or automatically (e.g., when entering a password or opening a specific banking app). Once activated, it prevents others from peeking at the screen from the side, providing hardware-level privacy protection without affecting the everyday experience of using a screen protector.
Taiwan introduces eSIM for the first time, a truly all-around AI flagship.
Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra not only addresses the shortcomings of fast charging in terms of hardware, but also elevates the definition of "AI phone" from a simple generative tool to the level of "agent assistant" through the multi-model integration of Bixby, Perplexity, and Google Gemini.
The versions introduced to the Taiwan market are basically the same as those in the US market, and are available in four colors: Roaming Purple, Roaming Black, Roaming Blue, and Roaming White. The Galaxy S26 Ultra offers 12GB of RAM, with 256GB or 512GB options, and also offers 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 both offer 12GB of RAM, and are available in 256GB and 512GB storage options.
In addition, the Taiwan market also follows the US market by exclusively offering two limited-edition colors, Roaming Gold and Roaming Silver, on the Samsung online store. The three models, Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26, are also differentiated, all equipped with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage capacity. However, the limited-edition Galaxy S26 Ultra does not offer the option of 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage capacity.
