Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 5g review

On paper, the S26 Ultra 5G reads like a no-compromise Samsung flagship: a very bright 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED with anti-reflective coating, a versatile quad-camera anchored by a 200MP main sensor and two stabilized telephotos (3x and 5x), and a top-tier Qualcomm 3 nm platform with up to 7 major Android upgrades. Tradeoffs are predictable Ultra ones: large footprint/weight, no 3.5 mm jack, no microSD, and SAR values that are within US limits but not especially low—especially under simultaneous transmission and hotspot scenarios.

Quick facts

• Release date: March 3, 2026
• Launch / listed price: C$ 1,899.99 / $ 1,299.99 / £ 1,279.00 / € 1,449.00
• Display: 6.9 inches, 115.9 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) · Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) · 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
• Chip / performance stack: Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) · Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) · Adreno 840
• Memory & storage: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM · UFS 4.X
• Camera setup: Quad Camera: 200 MP, f/1.4, 23mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6m, multi-directional PDAF, OIS · 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0m, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom · 50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm (telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7m, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom · 50 MP, f/1.9, 120 (ultrawide), 1/2.5", 0.7m, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video · Single Camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12m, dual pixel PDAF · 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
• Battery / charging: Li-Ion 5000 mAh · 60W wired, PD3.0, 75% in 30 min · 25W wireless (Qi2.2) · 4.5W reverse wireless
• Design: Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame · 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) · 214 g (7.55 oz)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct · 6.0, A2DP, LE · USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG

SAR and RF snapshot

• Head SAR (cellular): 1.09 W/kg
• Body SAR (cellular): 1.19 W/kg
• Head SAR (Wi‑Fi + cellular / simultaneous): 1.59 W/kg
• Body SAR (Wi‑Fi + cellular / simultaneous): 1.57 W/kg
• Hotspot SAR (simultaneous): 1.56 W/kg
• FCC ID: A3LSMS948U
• How to read this: Head and body SAR reflect certified testing for cellular use. Simultaneous SAR is the more relevant value when cellular and other radios such as Wi‑Fi are active together. Lower exposure in day-to-day use usually comes from distance, shorter high-power sessions, weak-signal avoidance, and turning unused radios off.

Useful links

• Open phone page
• Open SAR lookup
• FCC filing / report