Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S25 Ultra comparison
 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S25 Ultra |
Samsung has launched the new Galaxy S26 Ultra with several new features, including an innovative "Privacy Screen" technology, faster 60W charging, and camera improvements that enhance low-light performance.
The phone appears durable and likely to last for years, but this also applies to its predecessor, the S25 Ultra. So, if you bought this phone last year, there's little reason to upgrade this year, according to a report by Android Authority, a technology news site, which was reviewed by Mobi Alo.
A better phone, but not by a significant margin
Last year's S25 Ultra came with a number of useful improvements and was a good phone, so with the new enhancements in the S26 Ultra, it's even better.
The Privacy Screen feature, in particular, is a unique addition. It makes it difficult to see the screen from the side, making it harder for people around you to read what's on your screen, as if it were a built-in, on-demand screen protector.
The Privacy Screen feature isn't currently available on other phones, and it's not even on the lower-priced S26 models. It's exclusive to the S26 Ultra, at least for now.
In addition to enhancing privacy, the S26 Ultra's screen uses a 10-bit panel, enabling it to display more colors than the S25 Ultra.
Read also : Will Galaxy S26 prices rise? Leaks reveal potential surprises in Europe
While this is a great improvement in theory, its effect won't be noticeable to most users most of the time, and any difference will depend on the content displayed on the S26 Ultra's screen at any given moment.
While all the cameras on the S26 Ultra share the same resolution as those on the S25 Ultra, there should be some improvement in low-light performance thanks to the wider apertures of the main camera and the 10x optical zoom.
Combined with image processing improvements, Samsung says the wider apertures of the main and 10x cameras mean you can expect 47% brighter images from the main camera and 37% brighter images from the optical zoom.
The final notable change compared to last year is charging. The S26 Ultra can charge at 60W, going from 0 to 70% in about half an hour with the right charger, while the S25 Ultra's maximum charging speed was 45W.
The new phone also supports 25W wireless charging, compared to 15W last year, but it lacks the built-in magnets needed to use Qi magnetic accessories.
There are other changes as well, including a design difference between the two generations with a redesigned camera bump, more rounded corners, and a slightly thinner body on the S26 Ultra.
The new phone uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, which Samsung says improves CPU performance by about 19% and GPU performance by 24%. The new processor also appears to be significantly better at the device's built-in AI tasks.
Read also : Samsung launches the Galaxy S26 series of phones
Speaking of AI, the S26 Ultra comes equipped with Gemini, Galaxy AI, and Perplexity. There's a suite of AI-powered features, such as text-based photo editing, AI-generated screenshot grading, and AI-generated stickers and wallpapers.
Among the more useful additions, Samsung's Audio Eraser feature can now attempt to isolate and enhance audio in video content across various apps.
Is the S26 Ultra worth upgrading to?
There are certainly some noteworthy changes in the S26 Ultra, including improved low-light photography, a truly innovative privacy screen, and faster charging.
However, upgrading from the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the new Galaxy S26 Ultra would be pointless, as the new phone is virtually identical to the old one.
The S26 Ultra shares the same camera sensors as the S25 Ultra; a 6.9-inch, 1440p display with a 120Hz refresh rate; 12GB of RAM; and a 5,000mAh battery.
Read also : A leaker claims that the OnePlus 15T will get an ultra-thin magnetic cooling accessory
There are marginal improvements this year, of course, but last year's model was excellent and expensive, and with Samsung's promise of seven years of OS updates, it will remain a viable option for years to come.
Year-to-year improvements have slowed considerably since the beginning of the decade; and it hasn't been easy to justify annual smartphone upgrades to the average user for quite some time. Even for amateurs and enthusiasts, the S25 Ultra offers an experience that is almost identical to the new S26 Ultra.
