Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumored to feature a 5,000mAh battery, the same as that of previous Galaxy S Ultra flagships since 2020.
- The primary camera on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to retain a 200MP sensor, potentially marking three generations without a significant upgrade to this component.
- These early leaks suggest the Galaxy S26 Ultra could feature only minor hardware upgrades again, which might disappoint fans.
Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 next week, but we already have leaks coming in for the Galaxy S26 series. Unfortunately, if you were waiting for blockbuster upgrades, you’re in for some massive disappointment, as it seems Samsung will stick to the rhythm of minor hardware upgrades for the Galaxy S26 series.
According to a report from Galaxyclub, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will once again retain a 5,000mAh battery, the same as last year’s Galaxy S25 Ultra. In fact, all Galaxy S Ultra flagships since the launch of the Ultra flagships have retained the same 5,000mAh battery capacity. To hit the statistic home, Samsung has equipped a 5,000mAh battery on the Galaxy S20 Ultra, S21 Ultra, S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra, S25 Ultra, and is expected to do so again for the S26 Ultra.
You can still hope for slightly better battery life, depending on the optimization of software and other hardware parts. However, don’t expect to be blown away, as Samsung hasn’t really upgraded the battery of the S Ultra flagship since 2020. This is despite many Chinese OEMs packing in larger Silicon-carbon batteries, with some China-centric smartphones even expected to touch 7,000-8,000mAh battery capacity in 2026.
If you were hoping for camera upgrades, especially after hearing about the Galaxy S26’s new main sensor, you’re in for more disappointment. The report mentions that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will stick once again with a 200MP main sensor, and it’s not even clear if it’s a newer sensor.
Samsung has stuck with the 200MP ISOCELL HP2 for the main camera since the Galaxy S23 Ultra. If the S26 Ultra also ends up with the same sensor, it would mean three generations without upgrading the most-used rear camera on the company’s top-tier flagship, which is quite ridiculous given the price tag that Galaxy S Ultra flagships usually command.
Of course, all of this is early information, and Samsung could have hardware upgrades planned for other areas of the phone. We hope that’s the case, because otherwise the Galaxy S26 Ultra is looking pretty stale so far.
