What the Galaxy S26 Ultra DOESN'T have

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is considered a disappointing upgrade, lacking significant advancements in battery, wireless charging magnets, and certain camera features compared to its predecessors and competitor flagships.

• Battery size remains unchanged since the S21 Ultra, lagging behind competitors.

• Lack of built-in Qi2 magnets limits accessory and charging options, unlike Google Pixel phones.

• Three-times telephoto camera is outdated, failing to provide significant improvements or innovation.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra, while marketed as an 'AI phone' with some camera sensor upgrades and new software features like Audio Razer and privacy display, falls short of the 'Ultra' designation. It maintains several key specifications from previous generations, including the battery and a weak telephoto lens, failing to keep pace with advancements seen in other flagship phones. This iteration is viewed as a missed opportunity for Samsung to deliver a truly cutting-edge device, despite the lack of direct competition offering all desired features in the US market.

Battery Limitations

• 00:01:02 The Galaxy S26 Ultra retains the same 5,000 mAh battery first introduced with the S21 Ultra, which is a significant drawback. Many competitor flagships, including the Pixel 10 Pro XL, OnePlus 15, and Oppo Find X9 Pro, offer larger batteries, often incorporating silicon carbon technology for greater capacity in the same physical size. Samsung's reluctance to adopt this technology or increase battery size puts them behind other manufacturers, despite making the S26 Ultra the slimmest Ultra to date.

Missing Qi2 Magnets

• 00:02:40 The absence of built-in Qi2 magnets in the S26 Ultra is a major disappointment, especially given Google's successful implementation in the Pixel 10 series. Incorporating these magnets would have enabled compatibility with numerous MagSafe and Pixel Snap accessories, as well as Qi2.2 wireless charging, providing a fresh and significant perceived upgrade. The S Pen is speculated as the reason for this omission, but many users would prefer the utility of Qi2 magnets over the S Pen.

Stagnant Design & Cameras

• 00:04:37 The S26 Ultra's design is largely unchanged, aside from new rounded corners and an updated camera housing, resembling its five-year-old predecessors. While the main and five-times telephoto camera sensors received welcome upgrades, improving brightness by 47% and 37% respectively, the three-times telephoto camera remains a weak 10-megapixel sensor from the last five generations. Removing this underperforming lens could have freed up space for a larger 1-inch sensor on the main camera, a significant innovation seen in some Chinese brands that would have made the S26 Ultra stand out globally.

Missed Opportunity for Innovation

• 00:06:50 Despite some minor improvements, the S26 Ultra is largely perceived as an incremental 'S upgrade' rather than a substantial leap forward for an 'Ultra' phone. Samsung is comfortable in its market position, particularly in the US where Apple and Google do not offer the same combination of features like native 8K recording. However, failing to integrate a larger battery, Qi2 magnets, or a better three-times telephoto lens represents a significant missed opportunity for Samsung to truly differentiate and innovate.