Question 1

How much does the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra cost in 2026?

Accepted Answer

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,299.99 for the 12GB RAM / 256GB storage model. The 512GB variant costs $1,499, while the top-tier 16GB RAM / 1TB storage configuration is priced at $1,799. Notably, the base model held its price from last year, but the higher storage tiers received increases.

Question 2

Does the Samsung S26 Ultra have a 500MP camera?

Accepted Answer

No. The Galaxy S26 Ultra uses a 200MP main camera — the same sensor resolution as the S25 Ultra, though with a significantly wider f/1.4 aperture (47% more light). Samsung has not shipped a 500MP smartphone camera as of 2026. The 200MP sensor, combined with AI-powered processing from the ProVisual Engine, delivers outstanding detail and low-light performance.

Question 3

How does the S26 Ultra battery life compare to the iPhone 17 Pro Max?

Accepted Answer

The S26 Ultra improved significantly over its predecessor, lasting roughly two hours longer than the S25 Ultra in Tom's Guide standardized battery testing. Samsung claims 31 hours of video playback. However, it still trails the iPhone 17 Pro Max by approximately two hours in comparable tests. Everyday usage with moderate screen-on time comfortably lasts a full day for most users.

Question 4

What makes the Galaxy S26 Ultra the best Android phone of 2026?

Accepted Answer

The combination of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip (with a 71% NPU lead over the iPhone 17 Pro Max), the world-first built-in Privacy Display, deeply integrated Galaxy AI tools, an S Pen, APV professional video support, and 60W fast charging makes it the most feature-complete Android flagship available. It earns the title not from any single specification but from how all of these systems work together as a cohesive platform.

Question 5

Should S25 Ultra owners upgrade to the Samsung S26 Ultra?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your priorities. If the Privacy Display, faster AI features, brighter camera optics, or 60W charging are important to you, the upgrade is worthwhile. If you primarily care about camera hardware or battery capacity, the jump is modest — Samsung execs have publicly hinted at more significant hardware changes coming with the S27 series. We'd suggest S25 Ultra owners wait unless one of the specific new features strongly appeals to them.

S26 Ultra vs iPhone 18

Samsung S26 Ultra Review: Advanced AI Camera Test