Stop looking at the big numbers. Seriously, put the spec sheet down.
Every year, I watch the tech press hyperventilate over geekbench scores and nit counts as if they actually change how we use our phones. They don’t. But the whispers surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra? They’re different. For the first time in a decade, it feels like Samsung is terrified of being boring—and they should be.
The leaks aren’t painting a picture of another “kitchen sink” flagship packed with features you’ll never use. Instead, we’re seeing a curated, almost risky pivot toward practical utility. I’ve sifted through the noise, and frankly, some of this stuff is going to tick people off. Good.
Here are the five actual surprises burying the lede.
1. The “Anti-Snooping” Screen We Actually Needed
Rumors are swirling about a “Flex Magic Pixel” feature. Terrible name, incredible concept.
If you’ve ever tried to read confidential documents on the Red Line train while the guy next to you practically breathes on your shoulder, you know the struggle. This isn’t just about brightness; it’s a hardware-level privacy toggle. Hit a button, and the viewing angles crash. The screen goes black for anyone not staring dead-center.
I’ve wasted countless dollars on those stick-on privacy protectors. They’re garbage. They dim your screen, ruin color accuracy, and peel at the corners after a month. If Samsung pulls this off natively? It puts the “business” back in “business class.” It’s tactile. Useful. And it solves a problem that actually exists in the real world, unlike 8K video recording.
2. 60W Charging is a Bad Joke
Let’s not mince words here: 60W in 2026 is embarrassing.
The leaks point to a bump from 45W to 60W. On paper, that looks like progress. In reality? It’s a rounding error. I tested the S25 Ultra against a budget Xiaomi handset last month. The Xiaomi charged while I made a coffee; the Samsung was still gasping for air at 40% when I finished my cup.
Early tests suggest the S26 Ultra hits 0-75% in 30 minutes. The predecessor did 72%. That’s a 3% gain. Three. Percent.
Why bother? Likely because they crammed in a slightly fatter 5,200mAh battery. But when Chinese competitors are normalizing 120W speeds that charge a phone in the time it takes to shower, Samsung’s conservatism feels less like “safety” and more like stubbornness. It feels like dragging a concrete block uphill just to get a few extra percentage points.
3. The “Exynos Lottery” Ends (For the Rich Kids)
I have screamed about this for years: Selling a phone with an inferior chip in Europe for the same price as the US model is a scam.
Finally, it seems Samsung got the memo. The Ultra is tipped to carry the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 globally. No more overheating, no more battery drain differences, just raw, consistent power.
But here’s the kicker—the regular Galaxy S26 is getting the new 2nm Exynos 2600. It’s a brilliant, cynical move. Samsung is basically using the base model buyers as beta testers for their new 2nm manufacturing process while shielding their high-paying Ultra customers from any potential fallout. Smart business? Absolutely. Fair? Hardly.
4. The S Pen Was Neutered, and Nobody Cared
Did you notice the S Pen got dumber?
Most people missed it, but the S25 Ultra quietly stripped the Bluetooth capabilities from the stylus to make room for Qi2 charging coils. No more remote shutter. No more waving it around like a wizard wand to change slides.
And guess what? The S26 Ultra is doubling down on this.
Honest opinion? Good riddance. In my ten years reviewing Notes and Ultras, I used “Air Actions” exactly twice: once to test them, and once by accident. It was bloatware disguised as hardware. Cutting the fat to make room for magnetic wireless charging (which I use daily) is the kind of ruthless prioritization Samsung used to be too afraid to make.
5. Display Stagnation is Real
While the privacy screen is neat, the rest of the display specs are seemingly frozen in time. 2,600 nits. Again.
“But that’s bright enough!” you argue. Sure, it is. But in this industry, if you aren’t moving forward, you’re backing up. Competitors are pushing 4,000, even 5,000 nits peak brightness. Not for everyday use, but for cutting through direct sunlight like a laser.
Worse, there’s chatter that we still won’t get high-frequency PWM dimming. As someone who gets headaches from low-frequency screen flicker, this is a dealbreaker. It’s neglecting the fundamentals while chasing the gimmicks. It’s like buying a Ferrari and putting budget tires on it.
The Verdict?
Samsung is betting the farm that you care more about privacy and consistency than you do about winning a specs war. It’s a mature strategy. A boring strategy? Maybe.
But after years of meaningless number-pumping, “boring but useful” might be exactly what the market is starving for. Or it might just be the reason I finally switch to Pixel.
We’ll see.