In a development that has sent the smartphone community into overdrive, a retail unit of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has surfaced online, ahead of its official release. These are not your usual renders, dummy units, or prototypes, but a fully-functional retail device, courtesy of YouTube channel Sahil Karoul, who claims to have sourced it from Dubai for over Rs 3 lakhs.

The video gives us a detailed look at the device, its design, software features, along with benchmarks and all other upgrades. Here’s everything that you will get with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and what has changed from its predecessor.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Leak Sourced From Dubai

As per Sahil Karoul’s video, this particular unit of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra was already available in grey markets in Dubai. It appears to be an African-market unit. Sahil says that the device was purchased for around Rs 3 lakhs from the grey market, but that’s not the official pricing. He further added that the retail pricing is expected to be close to the launch price of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which debuted at Rs 1,29,999.

The unboxing video confirms that Samsung has continued the trend of removing the charger from the box. You only get a SIM ejector tool and a charging cable. Interestingly, the box mentions a 24-month warranty, which suggests that Samsung may offer an extended warranty on its upcoming flagship compared to its standard 1-year warranty program.

Design Evolution: Lighter Frame, Rounded Edges

One of the most noticeable changes this year is the material shift. Samsung appears to have moved away from the titanium frame used on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and returned to aluminium for the S26 Ultra. On paper, that may sound like a step back, but the practical outcome is a lighter device at 215 grams, down from 221 grams previously.

The edges are also more rounded, softening the sharp, industrial feel that defined earlier Ultra models. For some users, titanium carried a certain prestige, but ergonomically, shaving off weight tends to matter more in daily life than the material’s bragging rights.

The S Pen, however, is where things get slightly controversial. To match the phone’s newly rounded design, Samsung has redesigned the stylus as well. The result is a direction-specific insertion mechanism. The button side must face upward for the pen to sit flush with the frame. While it technically slides in either way, inserting it incorrectly leaves a subtle misalignment that disrupts the otherwise seamless finish. It is a small change, but one long-time Ultra users will immediately notice.

Adding to that, the leaked unit’s S Pen reportedly lacks Bluetooth support, meaning features like air gestures and remote camera control continue to be unavailable, despite many users asking it back after the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Privacy Display Technology

The standout innovation on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is easily the new Privacy Display. On the surface, the phone carries what you would expect from an Ultra panel, a massive 6.89-inch 2K Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display that brings the best out of Samsung’s display powers.

But the real advancement lies in how the screen behaves when viewed from different angles. Once the Privacy Display is activated, the content remains perfectly visible when viewed straight directly. However, it appears completely black from the sides. It is designed to prevent people from peeping at your phone when you are in a train, bus, or any other public space. The concept is similar to having a privacy screen protector, but with better implementation.

Samsung has also made the privacy display feature surprisingly flexible. Users can enable full privacy mode to shield the entire display from side angles, limit the effect to sensitive notifications such as OTPs, or even apply it selectively to specific apps like the Gallery. That means private photos or confidential information remain invisible to bystanders even if the phone is held openly. If the feature performs consistently outside controlled demos, it could easily become one of the most practical and meaningful display innovations introduced in a flagship smartphone in recent years.

Cameras: Telephoto Gets An Upgrade

Instead of isolated camera rings, Samsung has introduced a more integrated housing. A major noticeable change is the new circular telephoto module, instead of rectangle shape, which suggests an upgrade in the zoom capabilities.

This setup includes:

• 200MP Primary Sensor
• 50MP Telephoto (5x & 10x optical zoom)
• 10MP Secondary Telephoto
• 50MP Ultrawide

Early samples shared by Sahil suggest a shift toward more natural colour tone, moving away from hyper-saturated processing. However, low-light 10x zoom is reportedly where things get wild. The AI processing kicks in immediately after capture, dramatically enhancing clarity and detail. As per Sahil, the AI completely changes the picture in post-processing.

Performance: No Surprises

Under the hood, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is reportedly powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset based on TSMC’s 3nm architecture. It is paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, a combination that firmly places it in top-tier flagship territory. In benchmark testing, the 12GB RAM variant scored around 3.7 million on AnTuTu, reflecting a substantial jump in raw performance over its predecessor. To recall, the Galaxy S25 Ultra scores around 3 million.

Thermal readings from the video suggest that the device maintains composure during regular usage, hovering close to 30°C, while extended stress testing pushes temperatures to approximately 44°C. Sahil also demonstrated the PUBG Mobile game, which reportedly ran at Ultra Extreme settings with 120FPS enabled. The Galaxy S26 Ultra consistently delivered smooth gameplay without noticeable frame drops or stutters, mentions the creator.

Charging Finally Gets Faster

Battery capacity on the Galaxy S26 Ultra reportedly remains unchanged at 5000mAh, but the real upgrade comes in charging speeds. Samsung has finally pushed wired charging to 60W, up from the 45W limit on the previous generation. It may not sound revolutionary on paper, but in day-to-day use, faster top-ups make a tangible difference.

Samsung claims the device can go from 0-75% in just 30 minutes, which significantly reduces downtime for heavy users. For a lineup that has historically been conservative about charging speeds, this feels like Samsung acknowledging that convenience now matters just as much as endurance.

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: Changes Summarized

Specification	Galaxy S25 Ultra	Galaxy S26 Ultra
Display Size	6.8 inches	6.89 inches
Frame Material	Titanium	Aluminum
Weight	221g	215g
Charging Speed	45W	60W
S Pen Design	Standard/Universal insertion	Curved/Directional insertion
Screen Privacy	Standard Display	Privacy Display Mode
Telephoto Lens	Standard Ring	Circular Design

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Launch Date, Expected Pricing

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will officially launch globally at the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 scheduled on February 25. The device is expected to be priced between Rs 1.3 – 1.4 lakhs in India, considering the global chip and memory shortages. Samsung has not shared any specifications officially, hence many details remain unknown, despite the hands-on video shared by Sahil Karoul.

You may also like to read:

• ASUS Vivobook S16 OLED Review: The Most Practical 16-inch Laptop Right Now
• OPPO Find X9 Review: A Well Balanced Flagship
• OnePlus 15R Review: Near Perfect Flagship Killer
• Samsung’s Galazy Z TriFold is Futuristic, But These 5 Issues Are Hard To Ignore

Have any questions related to our how-to guides, or anything in the world of technology? Check out our new GadgetsToUse AI Chatbot for free, powered by ChatGPT.

You can also follow us for instant tech news at Google News or for tips and tricks, smartphones & gadgets reviews, join the GadgetsToUse Telegram Group, or subscribe to the GadgetsToUse Youtube Channel for the latest review videos.