Samsung is expected to introduce the Galaxy S26 series during its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event on Feb. 25. Ahead of the highly anticipated release, a tech reviewer and YouTuber based in Dubai appears to have purchased the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra from a retail store.
The YouTuber, Sahil Karoul on Sunday, Feb. 22, took to various social media platforms to reveal he had purchased a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra unit early in Dubai. It remains unknown whether the shop is selling the device to everyone or if it had made an exception for him.
In a post on Instagram, Karoul claimed that he paid $3,300 (roughly Rs 2,99,346) for the handset in white colour at a store in Dubai's Deira market.
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The storage capacity of the smartphone has not been shared, and pre-order incentives were not included. Also, this is unlikely to be the device's original price, Gizbot reported.
Later on, the YouTuber showed hands-on images of the device and compared it to the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra and other handsets.
One of his posts highlighted that the S Pen sticks out a bit weirdly if it gets inserted backwards. Also, there was no Bluetooth in the S Pen, since it got removed last year.
Further, the YouTuber gave his followers a look at Samsung's Privacy Display feature in action on the new device. As soon as he turned it on, the display went black at off-angles.
The camera bump on the smartphone appears thicker compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, especially when seen from the side. Further, the camera module appears bulky at the top edge. Gizbot reported that this is because the sensor hardware is similar to the previous model, though the optics remain faster.
On X, tipster Ice Universe said the seriousness of this leak is "far beyond the usual leaked official renders."
The tipster suggested that once the real device gets exposed ahead of its scheduled launch, this means its design details are "fully confirmed", and major selling points are "prematurely revealed".
Moreover, the "launch event freshness takes a direct hit," while competitors "gain real intelligence".
Speaking more bluntly, Ice Universe wrote that this is the "security system being torn open in a very real way."
"If a pre-launch flagship prototype can be publicly demonstrated, filmed, and spread online, Samsung's confidentiality controls seriously need a hard look. This is no ordinary leak. This is a high-severity security incident," the tipster added.
Apart from the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the tech giant is also expected to introduce Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ as well as the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro during the Feb. 25 event.
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