5 Top Upgrades Expected In Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Bigger Battery, Biggest Camera Cutout, More

Samsung is expected to unveil its next-generation flagship lineup, the Galaxy S26 series, in January 2026. The family is expected to consist of the standard Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and the top-tier Galaxy S26 Ultra, with the Ultra model once again drawing the most attention thanks to its biggest upgrades.

Here are top five upgrades that are widely expected in the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

1. Bigger Battery  

Recent leaks indicate the Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a 5,200mAh battery — a modest 4% jump over the 5,000mAh unit in the S25 Ultra. Earlier reports even hinted at a 5,400mAh or 5,500mAh cell. Charging is rumoured to see a bigger improvement: 65W wired fast charging (up from 45W on the S25 Ultra), along with 25W wireless charging that may support the newer Qi2.2 standard. The phone is also expected to include built-in magnets, eliminating the need for a special MagSafe-like case.

2. Biggest Camera Cutout

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is said to adopt a larger 4 mm punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera — the biggest ever on an Ultra. The wider field of view — increasing from around 80 degrees on the S25 Ultra to around 85 degrees — should make group selfies and vlogs easier without stretching your arm as far. However, the actual sensor and resolution are expected to stay the same. The device may switch to a pill-shaped camera island on the rear.

3. Display Improvements

Samsung is reportedly preparing major display improvements for the S26 Ultra. The panel will use the latest M14 OLED material, making it both significantly brighter and thinner. It’s also expected to be the first non-foldable Samsung phone with Color on Encapsulation (COE) technology, which will help reduce glare. Additionally, an AI-driven privacy screen is rumoured that restricts side-angle viewing to keep on-screen content private.

4. Advanced Chipset  

The S26 Ultra is anticipated to ship with Qualcomm’s next flagship SoC — likely the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 or Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 — built on a 3nm process for substantial gains in both performance and power efficiency.

5. Better Device Cooling 

To handle the extra performance, the device is expected to feature an enlarged vapour chamber cooling system for better heat dissipation during intensive tasks like gaming.