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So, I’ve got 5 new updates about the Galaxy S26 Ultra, so let's get right into it. What’s up guys, Sal here.
So first up, we now know exactly when Samsung plans to hold the Galaxy S26 Unpacked event. Usually, Samsung launches their S series flagships in January, but because of some last-minute lineup changes, they’ve decided to push things back a bit. So when exactly is it happening? Well, according to reports from Korean media, the big day is set for February 25th in San Francisco. That’s roughly a month and a half later than usual. Preorders will open on the same day, and you can expect deliveries to start a couple of weeks after that.
Now, if you think Samsung’s only bringing three phones to the stage this year, you might want to hold that thought. There’s still a strong chance we’ll see a fourth device join the lineup, and the S26 Edge might actually be making a comeback. According to GalaxyClub, who have a pretty flawless track record, Samsung has restarted development on the S26 Edge under the codename “More Slim.” For reference, the S25 Edge carried the codename “Slim,” so it lines up perfectly. Now, this doesn’t contradict recent reports about the S26 Plus, which is still very much part of the plan. So, we’re definitely getting the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra on February 25th. What’s still unclear is whether Samsung plans to launch the S26 Edge alongside them or save it for a later reveal, similar to how they handled the S25 Edge. We’ll just have to wait and see how that plays out.
Moving on - take a look at this image. This render shows exactly how much rounder the Galaxy S26 Ultra is compared to the S25 Ultra. There’s also a screen protector comparison of both phones side by side, and while the S26 Ultra is noticeably rounder, it’s not a dramatic change. Now, when you compare it to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, it’s still nowhere near as round — and honestly, that’s a good thing. And for those wondering, here are the screen protectors for the entire S26 lineup, minus the Edge version.
Next up, the Galaxy S26 Ultra - actually, the whole S26 lineup - is getting Bluetooth 6.1 support, making it the first smartphone lineup in the world to feature the newer standard. Every other flagship out there right now is still on 6.0. So what’s the big deal with Bluetooth 6.1? Two major things: better privacy and better power efficiency. You’ll see stronger protection against unwanted tracking, and since the new spec handles certain tasks more efficiently at the hardware level, you’ll also get slightly better battery life. Not just on the phone, but on connected accessories too. So, if your Galaxy Buds or Galaxy Watch support Bluetooth 6.1, they’ll benefit as well. Samsung’s launching the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro alongside the S26 series, and hopefully, those come with 6.1 baked in. That’s when you’ll see the full advantage - both the phone and the buds running more efficiently together.
Now, if you still had doubts about whether Samsung plans to use the Exynos 2600 across the S26 lineup, well, Samsung practically confirmed it during their latest earnings call. That said, it’s still unclear whether the S26 Ultra will use it too, so we’ll have to wait on that one. Also, don’t get fooled by the crazy Geekbench scores for the Exynos 2600 floating around on Twitter. Some people are posting ridiculous numbers like 4000 in single-core and 13,500 in multi-core — that’s just not real. There’s another one doing rounds that looks more believable, but I still wouldn’t bet on it. The most authentic benchmark so far shows around 3500 single-core and 11,600 multi-core, and that was with the chip running at 3.8GHz. For comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 runs at 4.76GHz. So even at a lower clock speed, the Exynos 2600 is keeping up pretty well. That’s a really good sign, and there’s a chance the final numbers could be even better once it’s running at full power. But of course, performance isn’t just about CPU; we still need to see how it handles GPU performance, thermal management, and power efficiency. So fingers crossed Samsung finally nails it this time.
And that’s all the latest on the S26 Ultra for now. But I've also got some incredible new updates about the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and possibly the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Click right here, and I’ll see you there.