Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review: Premium flagship or overpriced upgrade as cameras and battery lag behind rivals?

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra arrives with flashy AI tools, faster charging, and a thinner design — but critics say the world’s biggest Android brand is playing it too safe while Chinese rivals race ahead in cameras, batteries, and innovation.

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Samsung has launched the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra with promises of smarter AI features, improved battery life, and faster charging, but early reviews suggest the South Korean tech giant may once again be relying more on brand power than groundbreaking innovation.

According to a detailed review by GSMArena, the S26 Ultra delivers a polished flagship experience but struggles to justify its premium price tag as competitors from China continue to outperform Samsung in several crucial areas.

The device starts at around $1,300 for the 256GB model, while higher-capacity models have become significantly more expensive due to rising memory chip prices.

While Samsung has improved charging speeds and introduced a new “Privacy Display” feature, critics argue the upgrades remain modest compared to aggressive hardware improvements seen in rival flagship phones from Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo.

The review noted that devices such as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra already outperform Samsung in camera performance and battery endurance, while upcoming models from Vivo and Oppo are also expected to further intensify the competition.

One of the biggest criticisms surrounds Samsung’s camera hardware.

Reviewers questioned why Samsung still refuses to adopt larger telephoto camera sensors despite years of complaints that Galaxy Ultra phones have fallen behind top Android camera phones in photography performance.

Battery technology also remains a concern.

While competitors increasingly use advanced silicon-carbon batteries for higher capacity and longer endurance, Samsung continues to rely on relatively conservative battery specifications that some tech enthusiasts now consider outdated.

The review also highlighted heavy CPU throttling during extended workloads, a lack of Dolby Vision support, and the company’s continued use of standard IP68 water resistance, even as some Android rivals now offer stronger IP69 ratings.

Despite the criticism, Samsung still retains major advantages in key global markets, particularly in the United States, where its main competitors remain Apple and Google rather than Chinese brands.

The review stated that the S26 Ultra performs strongly against the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL in areas such as fast charging, chipset performance, battery life, and display features.

Samsung’s signature S Pen also remains a unique selling point that competitors still cannot fully match.

However, reviewers suggested the company’s broader strategy has become increasingly predictable: avoid expensive hardware leaps, add enough upgrades to stay competitive, and rely heavily on AI-powered marketing features to maintain excitement.

Features such as “Privacy Display” and “Horizon Lock” were described as attention-grabbing additions, intended more for marketing campaigns and social media promotion than for major technological breakthroughs.

The review also pointed out that last year’s Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra may still represent better value for many buyers, especially since the S26 Ultra offers only incremental improvements.

Samsung’s long software support cycle means older flagship devices remain highly usable for years, reducing pressure to upgrade immediately.

Industry analysts say Samsung’s dominance and brand loyalty continue to shield the company from the intense criticism that other manufacturers might face for such limited year-over-year innovation.

Still, with Chinese smartphone brands rapidly improving camera systems, battery technology, and charging speeds, questions are growing over how long Samsung can maintain its premium flagship dominance without delivering more meaningful hardware changes.

For now, the Galaxy S26 Ultra remains a solid, polished, and feature-rich flagship phone — but perhaps no longer the most exciting one in the Android world.