The smallest of numbers tells the biggest story about the leap forward made by the Samsung S26 Ultra, launched globally last night (25 February). The number: 0.3. The context: the aperture on the 200MP main lens of the device’s camera array has been increased from f1.7 to f1.4, meaning it lets in about 30% more light.
This is more dramatic than it seems. The previous flagship phone, the S25 Ultra, stuck to the f1.7 aperture that had been seen on the earlier S24 and S23 Ultra, and symbolised the extent to which Samsung was marking time. An f1.4 aperture is also regarded as the level at which a camera becomes a pro tool as opposed to the view of F1.7 as a “walkaround” camera.
Samsung has used a 200MP sensor since the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Through the S24 and S25 cycles, image processing improved, but the amount of light entering the lens remained constant. The S26 Ultra increases that intake at the source.
More light entering the lens reduces the need for electronic amplification. Cameras raise ISO, effectively brightening the signal from the sensor, in darker scenes. Higher ISO introduces grain and colour noise. With f/1.4, the S26 Ultra achieves equivalent exposure with lower amplification. Indoor movement appears sharper, shadow detail holds together more naturally, and colour balance remains steadier under mixed lighting.
The optics – pun intended – are significant precisely because the previous generation relied heavily on software, both in its photographic and its AI pretensions.
The S25 Ultra delivered serious generative tools, yet much of that lift came through deeper integration with Google’s AI stack. Circle to Search, conversational Gemini integration and multimodal prompts gave the device range, but the centre of gravity sat outside Samsung’s own engineering environment. The hardware platform held steady while Google’s AI ecosystem drove much of the visible evolution.
With the S26 Ultra, Samsung brings that intelligence closer to its own silicon and system layer.
From generative to agentic
The S24 introduced Galaxy AI branding. The S25 expanded generative features. The S26 advances toward agentic AI: software that works toward outcomes instead of waiting for instructions. To put it another way, generative AI responds to prompts, while agentic AI operates across context.
If someone asks for a meeting time, the phone can scan calendar entries, message threads and activity patterns to suggest a slot. If a boarding pass arrives, the device can infer transport needs based on past travel habits. Over time, the phone builds a working model of routines, and begins proposing actions, instead of waiting for commands.
The technical foundation is built into the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. Samsung claims a 39% improvement in neural processing performance, enabling more of these operations to execute directly on the device. Transcription, summarisation and generative image edits complete faster and without routing data externally.
While Cloud-based AI feels powerful, on-device AI feels immediate and private. The S26 slots firmly into that second category.
The device also makes a foray into hyper-personalisation. As message threads multiply and screenshots accumulate, we all cry out for system-level categorisation. Samsung claims to hear this cry, and promises that screenshots can now sort themselves by theme – and link back to their source. It sounds like housekeeping, but then we can all do with a little less clutter.
Hardware built to sustain AI
What makes all this possible, aside from automating processes? Well, AI performance depends on sustained computing power, and the new chipset is claimed to deliver 40% graphics improvement. The chips, in turn are supported by a redesigned vapour chamber and updated thermal materials, which are capable of dissipating more heat. That means an extended gaming session or prolonged video capture is less likely to bite the hand that feeds it by heating up.
Charging steps into the 2020s as well. Wired charging supports up to 60W, delivering around 75% capacity in half an hour. Wireless charging climbs to 25W. These are up respectively, from 45W and 15W, stretching all the way back to pre-history, a.k.a. the S22 Ultra. However battery capacity remains at the ancient benchmark of 5,000mAh. That is forgiveable, considering the flagship device is becoming steadily thjnner, slimming down from 8.9mm (S22 and S23) to 8.6mm to 8.2mm (S25) to a startling 7.9mm this year.
The 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED display continues, supported by a customised image processor that sharpens text and textures. However, peak brightness remains at the benchmark set with the S24 Ultra, at 2600 nits. That is well below new rivals, but reflection control improving outdoor readability.
Privacy and call intelligence
Talking of which, a built-in privacy display replaces aftermarket screen filters. Users can obscure entire apps or selected portions of the screen from side viewing, directly at the system level.
Call screening expands into contextual analysis. Unknown numbers can be filtered, summarised and classified before calls are accepted. If the system recognises contextual relevance, such as a scheduled dentist appointment or credit card delivery, it adds that link to the notification flow.
All of this depends on the phone accessing deeply personal data: calendars, messages, call history and activity patterns. Samsung’s answer is to keep that processing on-device. It uses its own built-in security platform, called Knox, to creates a hardware-level encrypted vault inside the phone, and isolate sensitive data from the rest of the system.
Serious claims are made for professional-grade video tools, such as auto-framing in 4K promising to track subjects smoothly, and super-steady stabilisation using real-time sensor data to maintain horizon alignment. We’ve heard similar promises before from other brands, so we’ll reserve judgement until we’ve tested in the real world.
Momentum restored
The S23 Ultra established the 200MP platform. The S24 and S25 models introduced AI positioning, with much of the generative narrative tied to Google’s ecosystem rather than visible hardware change. The experience improved, but the underlying specs remained broadly consistent.
The S26 Ultra shifts that pattern.
The wider aperture produces a visible difference in low light without relying on post-processing rescue. Charging speeds move beyond incremental gains. Thermal redesign supports sustained performance. The shift toward agentic AI may reduce daily friction.
Some changes are immediate, but others will take time to reveal their value. Automation improves as patterns accumulate, and the system supposedly becomes more useful as it learns.
For owners of previous editions of the S series Ultra model, the cumulative shift is persuasive. Three years of platform evolution now combine with the first meaningful hardware camera change and improvement in charging capability, in an ever-slimmer device.
As a result, the S26 Ultra feels less like a consolidation and more like a step forward. That, more than any individual specification, makes it a credible reason to upgrade.
* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za, and author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI – The African Edge”.