5 Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra rumors that’ll make you skip the S25 Ultra

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5 Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra rumors that’ll make you skip the S25 Ultra

I promise two things can be true simultaneously. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a good phone, but it also leaves people wanting more — especially since phones like the OnePlus 13 show more innovation. While the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a premium flagship that many will be happy with, I hope that Samsung takes a much ******* swing for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, giving us features and upgrades we probably should have had this year. Here are 5 rumors (and expectations) of what Samsung will offer in next year’s Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Next-generation chipsetFlagship power for a flagship phone

App drawer settings on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Snapdragon 8 Elite, which powers the Galaxy S25 Ultra, has been fantastic as advertised. I’m looking forward to what else the chipset can do over time, but it’s safe to assume Samsung will use whatever next year’s flagship chipset is in the Galaxy S26 Ultra. For now, I guess that it will be the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 or whatever nifty naming convention Qualcomm has in store for us next year. However, rumors suggest Samsung might give its Exynos chipset another try at the flagship level.

Samsung has previously used a split strategy for chipsets: Snapdragon-powered devices are sold in the US and Korea, while European and Asian users get an Exynos-powered variant. This has often frustrated overseas users, who feel they are getting an inferior device. We’ll see how well Samsung does with its chipsets in 2025, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Exynos makes a comeback with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

More RAM, pleaseIf you give us AI tools, give us the futureproofing

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Using new AI features on Galaxy S25 Ultra

We haven’t heard rumors about RAM for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but I’d be shocked if we didn’t see a 16GB model next year. I was disappointed and outspoken when Samsung limited the Galaxy S25 lineup to 12GB, especially since a 16GB version is available overseas. Phones like the OnePlus 13 and Pixel 9 Pro XL offer 16GB RAM models for less than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it’s a critical spec given Samsung’s heavy push into AI.

I often hear the counterargument that 12GB is more than enough, and we don’t use all the RAM on our smartphones, which is true, to a point. Sure, the programs you open up often don’t threaten the 12GB limit. However, from everything companies have told us over the last two years, RAM is vital for helping on-device AI run smoothly, which is precisely why

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made a point of including 16GB in each Pixel 9 model. Given Galaxy AI is such a focal point for Samsung, it’s odd that the company wouldn’t help futureproof our $1,300 smartphones. I expect the company to correct that mistake in 2026.

New battery technologyIt’s time for an update

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OnePlus 13 in blue sitting next to a Pusheen

I was caught off-guard when Samsung announced it was keeping battery sizes for the Galaxy S25 lineup the same as last year. I thought it was a miss, given companies like OnePlus fitted larger batteries in phones with newer battery technology — especially at flagship prices. However, changes at Samsung move slower, and we’ve heard rumors that silicon-carbon batteries are planned for the Galaxy S26 series, hopefully with higher capacities. Battery life has been impressive on the Galaxy S25 devices so far, but it doesn’t match what I’m getting on my OnePlus 13.

It’s also been 8 years since the Galaxy Note 7 disaster, so I think it’s time for Samsung to give us faster charging speeds. 45W isn’t cutting it in 2025, and while it’s good enough, we don’t pay Samsung prices to get the average. While testing my OnePlus 13, I forgot to charge it several times overnight, which was no issue since I was topped off in no time with 80W fast charging. It’s time for Samsung to match.

200MP periscope zoomKeeping pace overseas

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a smartphone face down on a bookshelf next to a book

We’ve seen a leak that Samsung is considering using a 200MP sensor for the periscope zoom on the Galaxy S26. This would keep pace with phones like the Vivo X200 Pro overseas, which already uses a 200MP sensor. While I would welcome a 200MP sensor, I think it’s just more important that Samsung do something with its camera hardware. We’ve been living with the same lenses for too long, and no matter what AI or computational enhancements Samsung makes to its image processing, it still feels like a lack of innovation without new hardware.

I’d also like the changes to come down the entire Galaxy S26 lineup. It’s borderline laughable that Galaxy S25+ users weren’t deemed worthy of the 50MP ultrawide sensor upgrade in their $1,000 smartphone this year, while Ultra users got it. It’s artificial gatekeeping from Samsung to protect more expensive phones, and I hope 2026 is the year it ends.

1-inch camera sensorA guy can dream

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samsung-galaxy-s25-ultra-colors-4

I don’t think it’s outlandish to ask a phone named Ultra for at least one or two specs worthy of the designation. I understand a 1-inch camera sensor would lead to a ******* camera hump on the back of the phone, but the Ultra has to stand for something. The Galaxy S26+ could be the sleek phone with a thinner frame, while the Ultra packs everything users paying $1,300 should expect.

If Samsung slowly removes the Ultra’s uniqueness, it could add features that make us feel better about getting the most expensive phone in the lineup. The removal of the Bluetooth S Pen didn’t sit well with people, and now there are rumors that it may not be included in future models. Samsung needs to take a bold chance, and a 1-inch camera sensor would go a long way towards that.

It’ll be interesting either way

Regardless of what Samsung does with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, there will be plenty to discuss. In 2026, the company will either make drastic changes to appease long-time fans or appeal to casual users by focusing on software enhancements to Galaxy AI and minor upgrades. I’m looking forward to hearing more rumors about what Samsung has in store as the year goes on because I was not left enthused by the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and I know I’m not alone.

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#Samsung #Galaxy #S26 #Ultra #rumors #thatll #skip #S25 #Ultra

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