Samsung is gearing up to unveil its next-generation flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, with India expected to receive the first units shortly after the global announcement. The company has confirmed that its Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on February 25 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) in San Francisco, a slightly later schedule than its usual January or early February launches. While official India pricing is yet to be disclosed, the rumour mill expects the S26 Ultra to launch around the same range as the S25 Ultra, which debuted at Rs 1,29,999. Here are all the details based on the leaks so far.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra India launch next week: Leaked price, design, battery, camera and more
Design?
Design renderings, first shared by Android Headlines, suggest the S26 Ultra will feature a slightly more refined look than its predecessor. The handset is expected to be slimmer at 7.9mm with curvier corners. The rear camera module shows a raised vertical bump housing three of the four lenses, while the fourth remains aligned separately. The 6.9-inch display may use Samsung’s new M14 OLED panel, offering brighter visuals and 20–30% higher energy efficiency compared to the M13 OLED used on the S25 Ultra.
Camera upgrades?
Camera improvements are a major talking point. Leaks indicate a 200-megapixel main sensor, a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto, and a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto camera, with the front-facing camera remaining at 12 megapixels but possibly adopting a wider 22mm lens for easier group selfies. Wider apertures are expected—f/1.4 on the main lens and f/2.9 on the 5x telephoto—which should allow more light in low-light conditions, producing cleaner images with less noise.
Samsung is reportedly introducing more advanced controls for photography and videography. Users may have adjustable autofocus transition speeds, enabling quick focus changes for sports or fast-moving subjects or slower transitions for a cinematic effect. One UI 8.5 could also allow adjustments to image sharpness, addressing past complaints about overly processed photos. Lens coatings are said to reduce flare and improve skin tone accuracy.
Chipset, charging
Under the hood, the S26 Ultra is expected to come with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor in the US and China and the Exynos 2600 in other markets, paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM running at 10.7Gbps and up to 1TB UFS 4.0 storage. These upgrades could allow AI-driven multi-frame HDR processing to run up to 25% faster, reducing shutter lag. Battery capacity may increase slightly to 5,100–5,400mAh while keeping the handset slimmer than its predecessor.
Charging performance is expected to receive a substantial boost. Wired charging could rise to 60W, allowing the device to reach 50% in roughly 15 minutes, up from 45W on the S25 Ultra. Wireless charging is tipped to jump to 25W with Samsung’s new Qi2.2 charger, though the full 25W output may only be available on the Ultra, with the base S26 and S26 Plus potentially limited to 20W. Integrated magnets are likely to improve wireless alignment and efficiency.
Extra features, colours
Additional features include satellite messaging capabilities, enabling communication even without cellular networks, and a privacy screen that prevents others from viewing content unless looking directly at the display. Samsung may also introduce a new One UI version with added video and camera functionality.
In terms of colour options, leaks suggest the S26 Ultra could arrive in black shadow, white shadow, galactic blue, cobalt violet, and pink gold. Early renders had shown an orange shade similar to Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro, but that seems to have been dropped. The device may use an aluminium frame, as opposed to the titanium frame seen on previous Ultra models.
The S26 Ultra will also offer improvements in video recording, including Autofocus Transition Speed controls and new video sharpness options, giving creators the flexibility to choose cinematic or fast-action recording styles. These enhancements, combined with the faster chipset, upgraded RAM, larger apertures, and improved battery efficiency, point toward a device built for both high-performance tasks and professional-level photography and videography.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Expected India price
While Samsung has not confirmed India pricing, the rumour mill expects it to remain close to the S25 Ultra’s launch price, with minor adjustments possible in certain markets. Globally, the S26 series is tipped to be sold at similar price points to the current S25 lineup.
Some markets, including South Korea and select European countries, may see a price revision with the S26 series, while the US is expected to maintain similar price points as the S25 series. Considering the upgrades in display, camera, and charging, the Indian price could remain consistent with the S25 Ultra, but storage and RAM options, up to 1TB and 16GB RAM, might introduce higher-tier pricing for premium configurations. Analysts expect India pricing for the base S26 Ultra to start close to Rs 1.30 lakh, with top-end models possibly crossing Rs 1.50 lakh, depending on storage and variant options.
