Fresh leaks have given us a near-complete look at Samsung’s next flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the biggest takeaway is that Samsung appears to be leaning back into a more familiar Ultra style while polishing the experience in key areas.
Leaked dummy units shared by @OnLeaks offer a clear preview of the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s design language. The phone is shown with rounded edges, a distinct camera island (a notable design cue that visually separates the camera area from the back panel), and a sleek all-black finish that even extends to the frame. The bottom edge includes a USB-C port, the S Pen slot, and a SIM card tray, which suggests Samsung is keeping the productivity-focused Ultra identity intact.
On the display side, early chatter points to changes across the lineup: the base Galaxy S26 is expected to move to a slightly larger screen, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumored to slim down a bit for a more refined in-hand feel. There’s also a reported tweak to the front camera cutout, with the selfie camera hole said to be about 4mm larger than the previous generation. If accurate, that could translate into a wider field of view for selfies and front-facing video.
Charging may be one of the most practical upgrades this year. The Galaxy S26 series is rumored to finally reach 25W wireless charging, with wired charging climbing to 60W. As with many recent flagship releases, the charging brick is expected to be sold separately.
Battery details, however, are a little more mixed. A recently spotted 3C certification leak from China points to a 5,000mAh battery for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. That lines up with what Samsung has used in prior Ultras, but it would be a step down from earlier rumors suggesting a 5,200mAh capacity.
Performance should remain a major selling point. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 exclusively, while the Galaxy S26+ and standard Galaxy S26 may use Samsung’s Exynos 2600 in select regions. If Samsung keeps that split, the Ultra will once again be positioned as the most consistent option globally for buyers who prioritize top-tier chipset performance.
Camera hardware changes sound modest, but the full setup still looks serious on paper. Current leaks suggest the Galaxy S26 Ultra may include:
– 200MP ISOCELL HP2 main camera (with a potentially wider aperture)
– 50MP ultrawide (listed as either ISOCELL JN3 or Sony IMX564)
– 12MP 3x telephoto (ISOCELL 3LD S5K3LD, possibly with a smaller 1/3.94-inch format)
– 50MP 5x periscope (Sony IMX854, possibly with a wider aperture)
– 12MP selfie camera (Sony IMX874)
While the sensor list implies the Galaxy S26 Ultra isn’t radically reinventing its camera hardware compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the rumored improvements focus heavily on how the camera feels and performs—especially for video creators and anyone who edits after shooting.
One of the most interesting rumored additions is an Advanced Video Professional (AVP) codec, said to enable RAW video capture at higher bitrates and with richer detail, offering more flexibility during color grading and post-production. There’s also mention of support for TILTA wireless lens controllers—gear commonly used in professional workflows to adjust focus more precisely—hinting that Samsung may be pushing the Ultra further into creator-centric territory.
Samsung is also expected to address a long-running complaint around skin tone rendering. “Enhanced lens and coating technology” is said to reduce the tendency for skin tones to come out overly yellow. And for those who prefer a more natural look, the Camera Assistant app may include options to reduce harsh detail processing, helping images look softer and more realistic rather than overly sharpened.
If these leaks hold up, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to be less about flashy redesigns and more about targeted refinements: a cleaner hardware identity, faster charging, a top-end Snapdragon chip, and camera upgrades that prioritize realism and professional-grade control.
