It’s that time of the year when Samsung gets ready to reveal its next big flagship for the year.
But if the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leaks end up being even remotely accurate, I’m going to keep saying the same thing I tell anyone who asks for phone-buying advice.
Don’t bother. Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra instead.
That’s not to say that Samsung’s next Ultra won’t impress. It probably will. But right now, it’s shaping up as one of those launches that shine on a spec sheet.
However, the differences appear to be so small that they won’t make any difference in actual use.
What will make a difference is the sheer amount of money you spend for the privilege of a 2026 model.
And that’s the key differentiator. When the jump from one model to the next is so incremental that you can’t actually see it in everyday use, the price is what becomes the deciding factor.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is already at a stage where you can find it at a steep discount. Put those two things together, and it’s a no-brainer. Last year’s model is the better buy.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to be a familiar refresh
A new Snapdragon chip won’t feel like an upgrade for most people
Samsung has a very straightforward playbook when it comes to the Ultra series.
It’s a straightforward and rather successful formula, and based on the S26 Ultra rumors floating around, it appears that the company has no interest in changing things up.
From what we’ve seen so far, the design looks largely similar to last year’s model. Yes, you get a big display with a premium build, but you get the same with the S25 Ultra.
Elsewhere, the camera setup looks largely unchanged. If anything, you can expect more tweaks to the camera software than anything else.
If Samsung’s rather good software support is anything to go by, you can expect to get many of those changes to the S25 Ultra, too.
If you like the idea of a top-of-the-line Ultra phone, the S26 Ultra will probably deliver the same experience. But the problem is, it doesn’t look like it’s delivering a meaningfully different one.
The one change that you can lock in for sure is that the phone will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
Now, don’t get me wrong, a faster chip is always appreciated, and Qualcomm’s latest is as screaming fast as they come.
But here’s the truth. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is already overpowered. At no point does it struggle with apps, multitasking, or feel sluggish. It has enough headroom for years to come.
Outside a small group of people who push their phones to the limits, or use them for heavy editing workflows, this upgrade in performance just isn’t something you’d ever notice.
The upgrades sound nice, but they won’t change your day-to-day
Faster charging and a refreshed design aren’t worth paying full price for
Another set of rumors suggests that the S26 Ultra could finally take a meaningful step forward with charging speeds, both wired and wireless.
And for sure, faster top-ups and more reliable wireless charging are a pretty meaningful upgrade in my books.
But that alone isn’t a game-changer. It doesn’t transform how you use your phone. Between efficiency gains and larger batteries, most phones actually last a full day and then some.
And faster charging, as cool as it is, isn’t a key decision maker when spending top dollar.
Finally, there are design changes to consider. Or the lack of.
The biggest rumors so far point to the camera modules being adapted from individual units for cameras to a singular unit.
That might look cleaner, or it might not.
Design is subjective. The only factor that is consistent is that it is too small a change to be a significant factor when making a purchase decision. Plus, people will slap it in a case anyway.
Unless the redesign results in something tangible, like a noticeably slimmer body or a serious camera improvement, it’s just not enough to justify the expense.
This is exactly where the Galaxy S25 Ultra starts looking like the smarter purchase.
It has pretty much the same hardware feature set, and you’re really not missing out on anything as far as actual real-world use goes.
Nor does it become worse just because Samsung is about to launch something new.
If anything, buying a flagship a year into its lifecycle often works out better, because the software has had time to mature and the real-world quirks have been ironed out through updates.
Last year’s Ultra is the smarter buy for most
If you’ve set money aside and want the absolute latest and greatest, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will probably be excellent. Samsung rarely misses with the Ultra series.
But if you want the smarter buy, get the Galaxy S25 Ultra while it’s discounted. It delivers the same Ultra essentials, and it does it without asking you to pay the early adopter premium.
7.5/10
- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- RAM
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12GB
- Storage
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256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra leaves the Note-like design behind for the very first time. With flat edges, curved corners, and a massive 6.9-inch display, this is a modern flagship through and through — and yes, that S Pen is still here too.
