Bloomberg — A smartphone doesn’t have to be completely redesigned for the latest version to significantly improve on its predecessor. While Apple Inc. (APPL) opted for a bold new design for its Pro models last year and has been in high demand ever since. Samsung Electronics Co. refrained from similar visual changes for its Galaxy S26 Ultra.
But don’t be fooled by the familiar: the new phone is my favorite “Ultra” that the company has released in several years.
Instead of a major overhaul, the leading Android phone maker has focused its efforts on a very practical hardware innovation: a privacy screen that will instantly appeal to anyone who constantly scrolls through sensitive information on their screen. If you work in finance, medicine, government, or any other field where you regularly work with confidential materials, this is a huge advantage.
Samsung has also included quality of life improvements such as Faster download speed. And while the S26 Ultra still has the same camera sensors as its latest predecessors, the company has made adjustments to help those cameras capture more light and detail.
Read more: Samsung launches Galaxy S26 with additional AI features and new headphones: prices
Some new AI capabilities have emerged, e.g automated tasks through the Google Gemini model, allowing you to automate multi-step tasks like ordering a ride home or re-ordering your favorite food for delivery. But these features are still in their infancy and aren’t a compelling enough reason to buy this device by themselves. Samsung has included at least one new AI feature, natural language image editing, which I have often used myself.
Samsung’s other two recently announced phones, the Galaxy S26 and S26+, have increased in price this year, making them harder to sell. however, The Ultra continues to cost the same as before at US$1,300, even with some improvements like the latest chip from Qualcomm Inc ( QCOM ).
After a week of testing ahead of the phone’s March 11 launch, here are six of my favorite features of the device:
Privacy screen
When activated, the 6.9-inch OLED display turns off the pixels that normally help keep the device visible off-axis, making It’s almost impossible for someone next to you on a train or behind you in an elevator to see what you’re doing.
The basic concept is similar to the third-party screen protectors you can buy for most phones. But they usually degrade the clarity of the screen. More importantly, once you’ve applied it, it stays on your phone all the time, making it difficult to show a group of friends your latest vacation photos or funny video.
See more: Five keys to the new Google Pixel 10a: Is it worth it compared to Apple’s iPhone 17e?
Privacy Display is much more flexible. You can leave the feature on all the time if you want, but it’s the smartest thing to do Choose specific apps to protect, such as banking software, password managers, Slack, Gmail, or whatever app you use for work. Another setting allows you to hide incoming push messages but leave everything else visible so that no one can monitor private messages as they arrive.
There are many times when only you should see your phone. The privacy screen offers a real security improvement that I hope other phone manufacturers try to replicate.
Tremendous download speed
If you have a fast enough socket, Samsung’s new phone can support wired charging speeds of up to 60W, going from being discharged to 75% in just half an hour. It’s faster than any previous Ultra. Wireless charging power has increased to 25W, but Samsung has yet to integrate magnets into the phone. The company says the vast majority of customers buy cases, so that’s what you’ll need to do if you want the Ultra to magnetically attach to MagSafe-compatible charging stands and accessories.
A lighter design
The S26 Ultra remains giant phonenow even a bit taller and wider than before. However, by replacing the titanium tanks with aluminum ones, Samsung reduced the weight enough to make it a the lightest Ultra model to date. The difference is noticeable when comparing the phone with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The more rounded corners of Samsung’s new phone also feel more comfortable in the palm of your hand than the squarer corners of the S25 Ultra.
Better camera performance in low light
Although the main sensor is the same, the larger aperture of the new main camera lens allows for better detail preservation when shooting at night or in dark environments. The difference is even more noticeable when recording video. Samsung now takes into account the noise created by its cameras in low-light conditions and automatically filters it out of clipsmaking them sharper than before.
Cue-based image editing
Among the latest features of Samsung’s “Galaxy AI” is a trick we’ve already seen at Google. On the S26 Ultra, You can make significant changes to your photo by simply entering the changes you want to see. An overcast day can turn into a sunset in an instant. You can remove imperfections or add elements to an image that were never there in the first place using natural language. It’s logical to have reservations about not being able to trust a “real” photo as these tools keep getting better and more convincing, but the convenience is undeniable.
S Pen
The Ultra’s signature built-in accessory didn’t get any new features this year and stayed on the phone for most of my testing time. However, in cases where it is useful, such as for write a quick note, sign a PDF, or make precise edits in Adobe Lightroomenabling the S Pen is worth it.
Innovative phone, but not essential
Like its predecessors, The S26 Ultra is designed for Android enthusiasts who need high performance, a large screen and a long list of Samsung software features. If you own an S24 Ultra or S25 Ultra, the latest improvements don’t make it a must-have device. The Privacy Screen is a new hardware update that helps make the device more personalized overall and may be a worthwhile purchase for those with a need for privacy.
Still, it’s at least nice to see a key selling point that has nothing to do with AI.
Read more at Bloomberg.com
