Samsung’s official reveal is still two days away, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra has already made its public debut, courtesy of someone who got their hands on one early in Dubai.
Sahil Karoul has been posting live photos of the device on X, giving the internet its first real look at Samsung’s flagship before Wednesday’s announcement. The comparison shots are the most useful part, showing the S26 Ultra sitting alongside the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Vivo X300 Pro, and the S25 Ultra. For anyone trying to gauge whether Samsung has trimmed the size or kept its characteristically large footprint, these photos offer the clearest answer yet.
Two details from his posts are worth noting.
The S Pen is still here, tucked into the body as expected. What is not coming with it this time is Bluetooth connectivity, which means the stylus-based remote features that some users relied on, like controlling presentations or triggering the camera shutter remotely, appear to be gone. Whether Samsung cut this to reduce complexity or cost is unclear, but it is a genuine downgrade for a segment of the user base.
The other feature Karoul demonstrates is Privacy Display. Activate it, and the screen goes dark when viewed from an angle, keeping your content visible only to you. It is a practical addition for anyone who regularly works in public spaces.
Samsung presents the full lineup, including the S26 and S26+, on February 25th.
