Adrian Mühlroth

February 23, 2026, 3:30 pm | Read time: 3 minutes

The S26 Ultra Highlight in Action

Tech YouTuber Sahil Karoul claims to have purchased the Galaxy S26 Ultra early in his hometown of Dubai. A full hands-on video with initial impressions of the key features is now available on YouTube. Additionally, Karoul has posted short clips on X (formerly Twitter) that show the new privacy display:

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The feature is reminiscent of privacy screen protectors and makes display content barely or not at all visible from the side, depending on the angle. However, turning on “Privacy Display” slightly darkens the entire screen. There is also an option for “maximum privacy,” which further reduces side readability but also decreases display brightness.

Users can also set triggers for the privacy display to activate automatically. Examples include opening user-defined apps, receiving notifications, or entering a PIN, pattern, or password.

Further Innovations

Karoul’s YouTube video seems to confirm that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will globally feature Qualcomm’s current high-end chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The warranty sticker on the packaging indicates it is the version for the African market. Until now, it was not certain that the Ultra would receive the Snapdragon chip outside the core markets of North America, China, South Korea, and Japan.

The “new” design on the back is clearly visible in the hands-on, differing from its predecessor in just one aspect. While all camera lenses on the S25 Ultra protruded directly from the glass cover, the three main sensors on the S26 Ultra are grouped in an island.

This makes the back even more uneven, reminiscent of the Galaxy S25 Edge design. There’s a reason for this: The S26 Ultra is 0.3 millimeters thinner than the S25 Ultra–without the island, the camera hardware wouldn’t fit in the casing. A positive side effect of the thinner casing: The smartphone is a few grams lighter than its predecessor.

Apart from the new privacy feature, another change is noticeable in the S26 Ultra’s display. The trend Samsung started with the S25 Ultra continues with its successor: The display edges are further rounded, bringing the Ultra model visually closer to the standard and Plus models. The classic Galaxy Note design with angular lines has thus been completely replaced.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra will be officially unveiled along with the other models in the series on February 25.