Why Samsung's Next Flagship Will (Finally) Fix Its Biggest Weakness

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to be Samsung's most compelling upgrade in years — but there's one glaring omission that'll have power users scratching their heads. Here's what Android Authority and other sources are telling us about Samsung's 2026 flagship strategy.

What you need to know:

• Camera gets long-overdue telephoto upgrade after 5 generations
• Charging speeds finally break Samsung's 45W barrier
• Battery stays locked at 5,000mAh despite thinner profile
• Design goes flush with camera rings disappearing

After years of incremental updates, Samsung appears ready to address some genuine pain points. The 9to5Google leak claiming "100% confirmed" faster charging feels almost too good to be true — especially given Samsung's historically cautious approach since the Note7 fiasco. But multiple sources now point to speeds exceeding 45W, with Android Police suggesting we could see a jump to 65W.

That camera upgrade is four years overdue

Samsung's finally addressing what might be the most embarrassing spec holdover in flagship Android: the 10MP 3x telephoto sensor that's been coasting since the Galaxy S22 generation. Android Authority reports the S26 Ultra will bump that tired 10MP sensor to 12MP — not earth-shattering, but a welcome refresh for portrait photography.

While other manufacturers pushed ahead with 12MP+ telephoto sensors and improved zoom processing, Samsung inexplicably stood pat. The upgrade to 12MP should deliver noticeably sharper portrait shots and better low-light telephoto performance — areas where the aging 10MP sensor has struggled against competitors like the iPhone 16 Pro Max and OnePlus 13.

The main 200MP sensor isn't changing, which makes sense given how well Samsung's ISOCELL HP2 has performed since the S23 Ultra. What's more interesting is the rumored design shift: Android Headlines suggests Samsung's ditching those controversial individual camera rings for a flush, integrated camera bump. About time.

The real camera story here might be what Samsung's cooking up for future generations. Economic Times reports the company's pipeline includes a bonkers 440MP sensor and potentially a 320MP option — though those sound destined for the S27 series rather than 2026.

Charging speeds get the upgrade Samsung fans deserve

Here's the kicker: Samsung's conservative charging strategy is finally changing. While Chinese competitors pushed past 100W years ago, Samsung remained cautious about exceeding 45W after the Note7 battery debacle. Neowin notes that reliable leaker Ice Universe claims the S26 Ultra will achieve "the fastest charging speed in Samsung's history."

PhoneArena speculates we're looking at 65W, which would cut charging time from the current 60 minutes to roughly 45 minutes for a full 5,000mAh top-up. Still behind OnePlus's 100W standard, but a meaningful step forward for Samsung's ecosystem.

The charging bump comes with Samsung's continued commitment to USB PD PPS standards, SamMobile reports, which means your existing compatible chargers should work — though you'll still need to buy that charging brick separately because "environmental concerns."

During our testing with the S25 Ultra's 45W charging, the system regularly throttled speeds after hitting 80% capacity. The jump to 65W should maintain higher charging rates throughout the cycle, addressing one of the most common complaints from Galaxy Ultra users.

Why the battery stays put (and that's fine)

This brings us to the S26 Ultra's one major non-upgrade: battery capacity remains at 5,000mAh. Before you riot, consider the context. Android Authority reports the S26 Ultra will measure under 8mm thick, down from the S25 Ultra's 8.2mm profile — a legitimate engineering challenge when you're cramming flagship components into a slimmer chassis.

PhoneArena points out the reality: while OnePlus pushes toward 7,000mAh batteries, Samsung's prioritizing a premium feel over raw capacity. The trade-off becomes more palatable when you factor in the new CoE OLED display technology that SamMobile says will boost efficiency and brightness while reducing power consumption.

Plus, the rumored Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 should deliver better power management. SamMobile reports Qualcomm's next flagship will offer 25% better CPU and 30% improved GPU performance — presumably with efficiency gains to match.

Design gets cleaner, bezels get thinner

Samsung's refining rather than revolutionizing the Ultra formula. TalkAndroid reports nearly invisible 1.15mm bezels around a slightly larger 6.89-inch display — maintaining the same body width while maximizing screen real estate.

The S Pen returns with full digitizer support, Android Headlines confirms, after Samsung reportedly tested stylus functionality without the dedicated layer and "found unfavorable results." Translation: the S Pen works properly, as it should.

Beyond the obvious cosmetic improvements, Samsung's addressing thermal performance with a 1.2x larger vapor chamber cooling system compared to the S25 Ultra. This should help with the persistent overheating issues that plague Samsung's flagship chips under sustained loads — a problem we've encountered during extended gaming sessions and video processing tasks.

Where Samsung's strategy gets interesting (and risky)

The bigger story might be Samsung's chipset gamble. TS2 Tech reports Samsung's bringing back Exynos with the 2600 model after skipping the troubled 2500 series in the S25 lineup. The twist: SamMobile benchmarks show the Exynos 2600 scoring 2,950 single-core compared to over 4,000 for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2.

That performance gap could create a two-tier user experience depending on your region — exactly the kind of fragmentation Samsung tried to avoid by going all-Snapdragon for the S25 series. PhoneArena suggests Qualcomm's reasonable pricing for the Elite Gen 2 might push Samsung back toward a unified Snapdragon approach, but nothing's confirmed.

Why this actually matters for Galaxy fans

Look, the S26 Ultra isn't reinventing smartphones. But it's addressing specific pain points that have frustrated Samsung users for years: sluggish charging, dated telephoto cameras, and thick bezels. The camera ring redesign alone will please the design-conscious crowd who found the S25 Ultra's individual rings polarizing.

What's missing? A proper answer to OnePlus's massive batteries and blazing-fast charging. Samsung's still playing it safe while competitors push boundaries. But for users invested in Samsung's ecosystem — Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds, Samsung DeX — the S26 Ultra offers meaningful refinements without forcing you to learn a new interface.

Expected launch timing follows Samsung's playbook: TS2 Tech points to a January 2026 Unpacked event with availability by late January. Pricing should stay competitive with current iPhone Pro Max models, assuming Qualcomm doesn't surprise everyone with massive chipset price hikes.