Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event is almost here, but a major early leak may have stolen a big part of the spotlight. The Galaxy S26 Ultra has reportedly surfaced in the hands of a YouTuber ahead of its official reveal, with early hands-on images already making the rounds. And if this leak turns into a full pre-launch deep dive, nearly every feature—good and bad—could be shown off to millions before Samsung gets a chance to control the narrative.
One of the biggest talking points so far is the S Pen, and it’s not the kind of attention longtime fans were hoping for. According to a clip shared on X by Sahil Karoul, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s S Pen appears to lack Bluetooth connectivity again. That means no “Air Actions” style features and, most notably, no ability to use the S Pen button as a remote camera shutter to snap photos from a distance. In the video, pressing the button doesn’t trigger the camera, reinforcing that Bluetooth-based controls aren’t present.
If that sounds familiar, it should. Samsung also removed Bluetooth functions from the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s S Pen, and despite ongoing complaints—and even a petition urging Samsung to bring the feature back—the company seems to be sticking with the same strategy for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Samsung’s reasoning may come down to usage habits. For many owners, the S Pen is more of an occasional tool than an everyday accessory. A lot of people rarely pull it out of the silo unless they need quick notes, precise edits, or handwriting support. From that perspective, Samsung may see Bluetooth hardware as an unnecessary cost or complexity for a feature set that only a smaller group consistently uses.
Still, there’s an obvious concern: when premium phones lose features year over year, it raises a fair question about value. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to sit at the top of Samsung’s lineup, and buyers typically expect the “Ultra” name to mean the most complete package—especially for productivity-focused extras like the S Pen.
On the performance side, early chatter suggests the Galaxy S26 Ultra could bring meaningful upgrades that help justify its flagship status. A previous leak claims it outperformed the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Geekbench 6 single-core and multi-core results, reportedly powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. There’s also mention that Samsung will stick with a 5,000mAh battery, but with improved endurance compared to earlier models—suggesting better efficiency rather than a bigger battery.
Another rumored highlight is a new “privacy display.” Tipster Ice Universe claims this feature is aimed at solving real-world complaints, pointing to Samsung focusing more on practical improvements instead of chasing small spec bumps like higher peak brightness numbers or incremental refresh rate tweaks.
If these leaks hold true, the Galaxy S26 Ultra may still arrive as one of the most powerful and refined Android flagships of the year. But for fans who relied on Bluetooth S Pen features—especially remote camera control—the repeated omission could be a dealbreaker, or at least a frustrating step backward in what’s supposed to be Samsung’s no-compromise phone.
