Opinions on the Galaxy S26 Ultra are split right down the middle

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is trying out some new upgrades, including one that has never been seen before on any smartphone. However, opinions on the upcoming Samsung flagship are split right down the middle, with many saying that the phone is bland and still isn’t doing enough to warrant interest.

Galaxy S26 Ultra, both great and bland

A Galaxy S26 Ultra got unboxed early, giving everyone a clear look at what the phone will be like when it becomes officially available next month. In a poll asking for your opinions on the phone, just a little over 50 percent of you said that the Galaxy S26 Ultra looks great, a sentiment that I personally agree with as well.

Meanwhile, almost 31 percent of respondents said that the Galaxy S26 Ultra looked bland. Lastly, around 19 percent of voters revealed that they were still unsure about the phone and would only lean to one side of the fence after more thorough reviews come out. Where do you find yourself in this debate?

A phone of ups and downs

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is a tricky phone to rate just yet, it has both ups and downs, and some of the downs might be dealbreakers for some.

For example, though the new privacy display is great, Samsung has allegedly limited the brightness on the S26 Ultra to compensate for still using the same 5,000 mAh battery. And though the phone now has 60W of wired charging speeds, the battery is worse on the Galaxy S26 Ultra and will last even fewer years than the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Not to mention the whole Snapdragon vs Exynos debate that has opened up again, it makes perfect sense why opinions on the Galaxy S26 Ultra are divided.

Pre-order the Galaxy S26 for up to $500 off

$399 ⁹⁹

$899 ⁹⁹

$500 off (56%)

The "vanilla" Galaxy S26 has finally been announced. With a next-gen Galaxy AI and a powerful chip, this phone checks all the boxes. Right now, you can pre-order the phone for up to $500 with trade-ins.

Pre-order at Samsung

Pre-order the Galaxy S26+ for up to $700 off

$399 ⁹⁹

$1099 ⁹⁹

$700 off (64%)

The Galaxy S26+ is here, bringing improved software and a more powerful processor. The device can now be available for up to $700 off at the official store with eligible device trade-ins.

Pre-order at Samsung

Pre-order the Galaxy S26 Ultra for up to $900 off

$399 ⁹⁹

$1299 ⁹⁹

$900 off (69%)

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has been announced, bringing a Privacy Screen feature, insanely fast processor, and multiple Galaxy AI enhancements. Right now, you can pre-order the flagship for up to $900 off with eligible trade-ins.

Pre-order at Samsung

The positives still outweigh the negatives

To my mind, the phone still manages to do enough right to make it a worthwhile upgrade. For the longest time, I thought that the Galaxy S26 Ultra looked very outdated, but I’ve come around to the design after seeing it in much more detail in the early reviews that are popping up.

Perhaps more importantly, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be a fun phone in an industry full of boring and marginal annual upgrades. And that, for me, is perhaps the best upgrade we’ve had in years.