Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra involves the sunshine – Gadget

The smallest of numbers tells the most important story concerning the leap ahead made by the Samsung S26 Ultra, launched globally final night time (25 February). The quantity: 0.3. The context: the aperture on the 200MP important lens of the system’s digital camera array has been elevated from f1.7 to f1.4, which means it allows about 30% extra gentle.

This is extra dramatic than it appears. The earlier flagship telephone, the S25 Ultra, caught to the f1.7 aperture that had been seen on the sooner S24 and S23 Ultra, and symbolised the extent to which Samsung was marking time. An f1.4 aperture can also be thought to be the extent at which a digital camera turns into a professional device versus the view of F1.7 as a “walkaround” digital camera.

Samsung has used a 200MP sensor because the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Through the S24 and S25 cycles, picture processing improved, however the quantity of sunshine getting into the lens remained fixed. The S26 Ultra will increase that consumption on the supply.

More gentle getting into the lens reduces the necessity for digital amplification. Cameras elevate ISO, successfully brightening the sign from the sensor, in darker scenes. Higher ISO introduces grain and color noise. With f/1.4, the S26 Ultra achieves equal publicity with decrease amplification. Indoor motion seems sharper, shadow element holds collectively extra naturally, and color steadiness stays steadier underneath combined lighting.

The optics – pun meant – are vital exactly as a result of the earlier technology relied closely on software program, each in its photographic and its AI pretensions.

The S25 Ultra delivered severe generative instruments, but a lot of that carry got here by way of deeper integration with Google’s AI stack. Circle to Search, conversational Gemini integration and multimodal prompts gave the system vary, however the centre of gravity sat exterior Samsung’s personal engineering setting. The {hardware} platform held regular whereas Google’s AI ecosystem drove a lot of the seen evolution.

With the S26 Ultra, Samsung brings that intelligence nearer to its personal silicon and system layer.

From generative to agentic

The S24 launched Galaxy AI branding. The S25 expanded generative options. The S26 advances towards agentic AI: software program that works towards outcomes as a substitute of ready for directions. To put it one other approach, generative AI responds to prompts, whereas agentic AI operates throughout context.

If somebody asks for a gathering time, the telephone can scan calendar entries, message threads and exercise patterns to counsel a slot. If a boarding cross arrives, the system can infer transport wants primarily based on previous journey habits. Over time, the telephone builds a working mannequin of routines, and begins proposing actions, as a substitute of ready for instructions.

The technical basis is constructed into the brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. Samsung claims a 39% enchancment in neural processing efficiency, enabling extra of those operations to execute straight on the system. Transcription, summarisation and generative picture edits full sooner and with out routing information externally.

While Cloud-based AI feels highly effective, on-device AI feels fast and personal. The S26 slots firmly into that second class.

The system additionally makes a foray into hyper-personalisation. As message threads multiply and screenshots accumulate, all of us cry out for system-level categorisation. Samsung claims to listen to this cry, and guarantees that screenshots can now kind themselves by theme – and hyperlink again to their supply. It feels like housekeeping, however then we are able to all do with rather less muddle.

Hardware constructed to maintain AI

What makes all this doable, except for automating processes? Well, AI efficiency will depend on sustained computing energy, and the brand new chipset is claimed to ship 40% graphics enchancment. The chips, in flip are supported by a redesigned vapour chamber and up to date thermal supplies, that are able to dissipating extra warmth. That means an prolonged gaming session or extended video seize is much less prone to chew the hand that feeds it by heating up.

Charging steps into the 2020s as nicely. Wired charging helps as much as 60W, delivering round 75% capability in half an hour. Wireless charging climbs to 25W.  These are up respectively, from 45W and 15W, stretching all the best way again to pre-history, a.ok.a. the S22 Ultra. However battery capability stays on the historic benchmark of 5,000mAh. That is forgiveable, contemplating the flagship system is changing into steadily thjnner, slimming down from 8.9mm (S22 and S23) to eight.6mm to eight.2mm (S25) to a startling 7.9mm this 12 months.

The 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED show continues, supported by a customized picture processor that sharpens textual content and textures. However, peak brightness stays on the benchmark set with the S24 Ultra, at 2600 nits. That is nicely under new rivals, however reflection management enhancing out of doors readability.

Privacy and name intelligence

Talking of which, a built-in privateness show replaces aftermarket display screen filters. Users can obscure whole apps or chosen parts of the display screen from aspect viewing, straight on the system degree.

Call screening expands into contextual evaluation. Unknown numbers could be filtered, summarised and categorized earlier than calls are accepted. If the system recognises contextual relevance, similar to a scheduled dentist appointment or bank card supply, it provides that hyperlink to the notification move.

All of this will depend on the telephone accessing deeply private information: calendars, messages, name historical past and exercise patterns. Samsung’s reply is to maintain that processing on-device. It makes use of its personal built-in safety platform, known as Knox, to creates a hardware-level encrypted vault contained in the telephone, and isolate delicate information from the remainder of the system.

Serious claims are made for professional-grade video instruments, similar to auto-framing in 4K promising to trace topics easily, and super-steady stabilisation utilizing real-time sensor information to take care of horizon alignment. We’ve heard comparable guarantees earlier than from different manufacturers, so we’ll reserve judgement till we’ve examined in the true world.

Momentum restored

The S23 Ultra established the 200MP platform. The S24 and S25 fashions launched AI positioning, with a lot of the generative narrative tied to Google’s ecosystem quite than seen {hardware} change. The expertise improved, however the underlying specs remained broadly constant.

The S26 Ultra shifts that sample.

The wider aperture produces a visual distinction in low gentle with out counting on post-processing rescue. Charging speeds transfer past incremental positive factors. Thermal redesign helps sustained efficiency. The shift towards agentic AI could scale back each day friction.

Some modifications are fast, however others will take time to disclose their worth. Automation improves as patterns accumulate, and the system supposedly turns into extra helpful because it learns.

For house owners of earlier editions of the S sequence Ultra mannequin, the cumulative shift is persuasive. Three years of platform evolution now mix with the primary significant {hardware} digital camera change and enchancment in charging functionality, in an ever-slimmer system.

As a end result, the S26 Ultra feels much less like a consolidation and extra like a step ahead. That, greater than any particular person specification, makes it a reputable purpose to improve.

  * Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za, and creator of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI – The African Edge”.