SIM Free Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 5G 1TB AI Phone - Black

Great phone

Top phone. Very fast

Carna

A Good All Rounder Smartphone

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Having used the S26 Ultra for the past month, I have observed several notable improvements when compared to the S25 Ultra. Firstly, the camera delivers remarkably detailed photos and videos across a wider range of lighting conditions, which I attribute to the updated camera apertures. Furthermore, a variety of new camera settings are available for exploration, including a 24MP mode and the APV codec for video recording both of which output content in much greater quality than before. The display on this device is quite impressive, as is typically the case with Samsung products. The privacy screen is a thoughtful and innovative addition, which I have configured to automatically activate for banking applications, notifications, and password entries. This feature is a welcome detail and provides a sense of security. I've also discovered a secondary benefit: I can use my phone with a brighter screen while traveling as a passenger in a car at night without inconveniencing the driver. Similarly, when I'm in bed at night, activating this feature helps to prevent disturbing my girlfriend. In this respect, it proves to be quite practical. The performance of this phone is also phenomenal, with benchmarks showing approximately 20% faster speeds than my previous S25 Ultra. I've also noticed that it consistently remains cool to the touch even during demanding tasks, which speaks to the effectiveness of its vapor chamber. This year, the availability of a 16GB RAM option for the 1TB model was a significant factor in my decision to upgrade. While the phone is now rather costly, this is somewhat forgiveable given the recent cost crisis in RAM and memory markets. When it comes to the battery I've noticed a modest improvement in battery life; it's not a revolutionary change, but I comfortably get through the day with a good amount of charge remaining. The most notable enhancement, however, is the charging speed, which is considerably faster. I typically charge my phone to 85%, and when it's low, I can achieve this in about 20 minutes. This is incredibly helpful, as I often forget to charge my phone overnight, making this a truly convenient feature. I didn't even need to purchase a new charger either to advice that charging speed, as the charger included with my Galaxy Book 4 Edge is capable of charging it at 60W, which was an unexpected bonus. The phone also seems durable enough, I've not gotten any scratches or dings thus far but as I have a screen protector and case always on it is to be expected at this early stage. I have no doubt however that the durability will be adequate, even after Samsung dropped using titanium. The aluminium build is probably another reason why the phones thermals are so good, who knows? I would say however that there are several areas that Samsung needs to catch up on compared to it's competition. The major one is battery capacity. Was disappointed to see the same 5000mAh as before, especial in a market where Silicon Carbon batteries are gaining traction. Also the camera sensor sizes could do with an update at this point but hopefully the S27 Ultra will bring those much needed upgrades. All in all this phone is a solid all rounder and is still in my opinion the king of the android world when it comes to that.

rodmaclean3, Highlands, Scotland

Suprisingly satisfying switch

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is, unsurprisingly, a bit of a monster.... I'm coming from a Fold 7 and I was slightly worried losing the extra screen real estate would ruin me, but honestly it hasn’t been the issue I expected. The display is still ridiculous in the best way, big, bright, and stupidly smooth, and performance is exactly what you’d expect from a top tier Snapdragon chip, everything just flies. Having the S Pen back is also quietly a big win, especially for things like taking photos where it doubles as a remote, which I’d forgotten how handy that is. The cameras are leagues ahead of the Fold 7, and it really shows, it’s one of those setups where you can point it at basically anything and get something very usable back, particularly in low light where it’s doing a lot behind the scenes. That said, it still feels more like a refinement than a leap, and it’s very much a “Samsung flagship doing Samsung flagship things” experience. Overall though, it’s a polished, slightly overkill phone that does everything well, costs a small fortune, and fits perfectly if you’re already in the ecosystem. Not groundbreaking, but very easy to live with day to day, and I’d comfortably put it in the “yeah this is just solid you won't be sad” category.

null, Coalville

A 1TB Power House

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Having only had one Samsung phone previously (Fold 5) I figured it was time to try it out the flagship line with the S26 Ultra 1TB. I had used their tablets before and my girlfriend also still rocks a Galaxy Flip and likes it. On opening the box, one word, MINIMAL! A phone, SIM eject tool and a USB C cable. I guess that's standard across 90% of phones but Samsung seem to have taken it to extremes to keep the boxes smaller. The phone itself is nice and light, fairly thin without a case and really nice to the touch. It is however very smooth so putting a case on it is probably recommended. Better to scuff up a case than the frame of your new shiny phone. After booting up and installing most of my regular apps I tested out the speed of some games, everything was running smoother and higher effects than before. Also I noticed that the phone wasn't getting anywhere near as warm as my previous devices. The camera is very good with an impressive zoom, although I would say anything over x20 isn't really worth using in terms of social media etc, its more a party piece I would say. But 1-x20 everything looks great. (Example attached of a bird eying up my fish and chips at Southend on Sea) Something else unique to Samsung phones is their DeX offering. This lets you use your phone as a desktop device. I had used this previously and it seemed okay. This time with a mouse and keyboard attached via a USB hub I tried again. This was running great, using Good Lock you can also get it to support resolutions of up to 4K so looked crispy on my TV. The experience was very good, being able to play a game and also run a movie at the same time with no real hit to performance of either app. If I had to pick one issue I have it's Samsungs volume control, if I put my phone rocker down I want them all to go down, not just certain volumes. This has lead me to using the silent toggle more often than not which works fine but I'm used to a single volume control unless I choose to separate them out. Overall I would say this is a great phone and certainly one I would recommend. Do you need the 1TB storage? Probably not, maybe look at cloud solutions for photos/videos but it's certainly nice to have.

AbandonedTrolley, Basildon

A high-end, premium flagship as you'd expect!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’ve been using the S26 Ultra for a few weeks now, and overall I’d describe it as a solid but fairly modest upgrade. The new Gen 5 for Galaxy chip has not failed to impress, everything feels incredibly smooth and responsive. I’ve dabbled in a bit of Genshin and PUBG Mobile, and both run with little to no lag, even during longer sessions. Though I did notice thermals increasing, I did not personally witness any thermal throttling. Battery life itself is good, and it comfortably lasts a full day with typical use. Unfortunately, Samsung have not yet decided to commit to the newer battery tech like silicon carbide, which is a bit disappointing as that kind of innovation would have made this feel like a more meaningful step forward. Charging speed is another noticeable improvement, up to 60w from the previous 45w. The privacy display is the most unique feature this year, and it’s been genuinely useful for public situations. However, it does feel like there’s a bit of a trade-off here – the display doesn’t pop as much as previous Ultra models, with slightly weaker viewing angles, though this is to be expected with the different types of pixels making the privacy display technology possible. Camera performance is strong overall. The wider aperture allows more light, so resulting photos come out looking detailed, particularly in low-light scenarios, which previous generations struggled with. It’s a very good camera system, but doesn’t feel like a huge leap over previous generations. On the software front, One UI 8.5 is smooth and polished. However, I’m not a massive fan of the trajectory it seems to be heading towards. The removal of certain features like being able to use custom fonts, or wiping cache via recovery feels restrictive and makes me question where Android as a whole is moving towards. In terms of design and build, it feels like a premium device as we have come to expect with Samsung, and the removal of the titanium alloy within the frame has allowed the phone to feel lighter in the hand – which is definitely noticeable when compared to the S23 Ultra I was previously dailying. Overall, the S26 Ultra is, as you’d expect, a very capable phone. It’s quick, reliable, loaded with features (the AI features have been really handy), and does everything you’d expect from a flagship device pretty well. At the same time, it feels like Samsung played it a bit safe this year, and focused all innovation on the privacy display, making other areas feel neglected.

Wess1, Barnet

I So Wanted to Love This

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The S26U is a competent phone, with great customisation options, great speed and a vivid display. Undoubtedly the new privacy screen feature is useful if using a banking app or similar. But...otherwise this phone is yet another iterative upgrade from Samsung, relying on this one big new feature to entice people without doing much else. The camera does not show any appreciable difference to the S25U (or even earlier models!). The speed, clarity and customisation were already standard on Samsung flagships. What finally convinced me that I had to give it a middling review is that it heats up ridiculously during gaming, to the point where it's uncomfortable to hold. The AI features, marketed by Samsung as transformative are...not. Attached is one of the phone's attempts to add a guitar to my cat's ridiculous pose. It is risibly bad, as were its other efforts. Another service, with minimal prompting, made an infinitely superior generation. The non-photographic AI features are OK, but no better than is currently available elsewhere, or indeed not much better than Samsung's own previous features. I did miss having a built-in S-Pen/stylus when using another brand, so it has been handy for taking notes at work and in a night class, for example. They convert to text pretty well too. And the 'Routines' feature is handy - it can turn certain apps off when you're driving, or turn the privacy display on when you leave your home or work network, for instance. But it's really not enough to make the S26U the stellar product I hoped it would be. Perhaps if you've never had an S2xU before, it will seem like a big deal. If you have, I can't see how you could see this as a major upgrade. It's a decent phone, but for me it's at best a minor upgrade on its predecessors. And I can't not mention the price: at a lower price, it might be well worth it. At the retail price, I fail to see how a few minor upgrades and one stand-out (but in my view overrated) feature, can possibly make it worth it. So again, it's competent, but for the most part, not novel nor innovative. I feel bad for even writing that as I so desperately wanted to love this device - but that's my honest experience of it.

Kazcita, Belfast

A very respectable upgrade!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra for a little while now and overall it has been a really great experience. One of the first things that stands out is the speed. Everything feels very smooth and responsive, whether I’m opening apps, switching between different tasks, or browsing online. The phone handles everything quickly without any noticeable lag, which makes everyday use feel effortless. The battery life has also been very impressive. With normal daily use like messaging, browsing, watching videos, and taking photos, the phone easily lasts the whole day without needing to charge. It’s nice not having to constantly think about battery levels or carrying a charger around. Another feature I really like is the privacy screen. When you’re using your phone in public places like on a train or in a café, it makes a big difference because people next to you can’t easily see what’s on your screen. It adds a bit of extra peace of mind. The camera is also excellent. Photos come out sharp and detailed, and the new horizontal lock when recording video is a great addition. It helps keep footage level and steady, which makes videos look much smoother and more professional. Overall, it’s a powerful and well-designed phone that performs really well in everyday use.

AlexZander19, Nottingham

Great Phone When Working

Worked well for nearly two weeks, then issues with the network couldn’t connect to WiFi or would then would drop out, issues with texts coming through, however put my sim into another device and worked fine, did a software update which I thought would fix it, but still the same, great phone when working, however will be going back to my iPhone, which luckily I hadn’t sold yet.

Brendan, 25 - 34

Samsung Galaxy ultra s26

I bought this phone couple off weeks ago and I am very happy with it

Ali, 35 - 44

Privacy Innovation

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I had a Galaxy S23 Ultra and i was pretty happy with it but when the chance came to upgrade to the Galaxy S26 Ultra I took it. The biggest reason was the new screen tech that powers the Privacy display. I’d wanted to try out a privacy screen protector on my S23 but with the drawbacks that come from having an additional layer on top of my screen i held off. Now with the Privacy Display being built into the device itself i got to experience the best of both worlds. You can set the Privacy display to turn on in specific scenarios or it can be always on, I opted for it to turn on for notifications, banking apps and the browser. With the way the tech works it does drop the resolution of the screen and give it a slight tinge when its fullscreen but for my use cases this doesnt matter as i can still clearly see what i am doing on the screen whilst protecting my private info from prying eyes. The Privacy display also works from all angles which is a step above the external screens that you can buy. Videos look amazing and the 120hz makes scrolling through documents and in menus smooth. It gets really bright and with it being an OLED display the blacks are truly black and allow you to see things as they are meant to be. Whilst I’ve been hesitant to use AI features I have to concede that the Call Assistant feature is game changing for me. I can send any incoming call to be answered by an AI agent with the entire conversation being transcribed on screen for me to decide if I want to take the call, if i cant it allows me to go back later and actually see why the person was calling me and respond. Its basically a modern voicemail. Audio Eraser stood out for me, I’ve used it before but it can now clear up audio on youtube! Its really good and managed to reduce wind and fan noise in multiple videos without dropping the volume of the voices. I had to rewatch sections with it on & off to convince myself that it wasn't the creator that had managed to clear up their own audio. The battery can last me the entire day from about 7am till about 11pm with 5+ hours of screen on time consisting of a lot of youtube and games. The phone is perfectly balanced and can be one handed without fear of it falling as the weight ensures it sits perfectly. The camera island lends itself as a natural place to put your finger but it does give the phone a major handicap if you are using it without a case and that is the severe rocking you experience when you put it on a table and try to use it.

GokuSama, Nottingham