Once again, the Ultra model grabs attention — but not because of any groundbreaking innovation. In reality, Samsung has made very few meaningful hardware improvements this year. Instead of pushing boundaries, the company appears to be relying heavily on software tweaks and AI marketing to create the impression of progress.
To be clear, there are no major hardware upgrades compared to last year’s models. Samsung hasn’t changed the formula in any significant way — it has simply refined it slightly through minor performance tuning and AI-based enhancements. Improvements are mostly limited to software optimizations in Galaxy AI, small performance boosts, and minor camera adjustments.
Looking at the Galaxy S26 Ultra specifically, the only notable hardware update is the “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.” The “for Galaxy” label simply indicates slightly higher CPU and GPU clock speeds. Once again, this is just a customized version of Qualcomm’s existing chipset rather than a revolutionary step forward.
Other so-called “upgrades” include a slightly slimmer and lighter design, marginally faster wired charging, and minor camera aperture adjustments for better low-light performance. These are incremental refinements — not major advancements.
The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus remain largely unchanged. In fact, most users may struggle to notice any difference at all. Samsung has not fully committed to Snapdragon globally either, as some regions receive the new Exynos 2600 chip. While Samsung highlights AI performance improvements and efficiency gains, these changes feel more like internal optimizations rather than noticeable user-facing upgrades.
Even the entry-level Galaxy S26 sees only minor adjustments — a 0.1-inch display increase, a slightly larger battery, and upgraded base storage to 256GB. However, despite the minimal changes, pricing has increased compared to the previous generation.
In terms of design, Samsung has unified the look across the lineup. While this creates visual consistency, it also reinforces the sense that the company is playing it safe rather than innovating. Overall, this year’s Galaxy S series feels like a refinement cycle rather than a true upgrade — raising questions about whether Samsung is truly advancing or simply maintaining the status quo.