CHIP’s testing praises the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s privacy display, long battery life and versatile cameras, while its S Pen and extended software support complete a highly polished flagship package.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra has emerged as one of the strongest Android flagships currently on the market, combining a large 6.9-inch OLED panel, a refined design and a privacy feature that is unusual even by premium-phone standards. CHIP said the handset impressed in its laboratory testing not just because of its screen quality, but also because of its stamina, camera flexibility and the continued presence of the built-in S Pen.
The display is one of the phone’s clearest strengths. According to CHIP, the panel is sharply defined, richly coloured and capable of high brightness, while the fast refresh rate keeps scrolling and animations smooth. The headline addition is Samsung’s privacy display mode, which can dim selected parts of the screen so content becomes far harder to read from an angle. CHIP said the feature worked reliably in testing and did so without an obvious drop in image quality when viewed straight on.
Performance is equally robust. CHIP said the Galaxy-specific version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers top-tier speed while remaining efficient enough to support more than 21 hours of continuous use in its lab test. That aligns with broader review coverage: Tom’s Guide placed the S26 Ultra among its best phones for 2026, naming it the leading Android and camera choice, while other reviewers, including PhoneArena and SamMobile, also highlighted the device’s strong display, performance and privacy-focused screen technology.
Camera hardware remains central to the Ultra formula. CHIP described the quad-camera system as highly versatile, particularly because of its five-times optical zoom, which helps the handset produce detailed images, natural colours and convincing portraits. Digital Camera World similarly praised the 200-megapixel main camera and improved video stabilisation, while noting that some image-processing areas still leave room for refinement. Samsung has also expanded the software side, with AI-assisted editing tools among the new options, although some features require a Samsung account.
Beyond the headline specifications, the Galaxy S26 Ultra stands out for its premium construction, good speakers, integrated stylus and long software support window, with updates promised until 2033. That combination makes it a very complete device, even if competitors still outperform it in some categories depending on the buyer’s priorities. In practical terms, the S26 Ultra looks less like a dramatic reinvention than a careful tightening of Samsung’s Ultra formula, with privacy, camera reach and all-day endurance doing most of the heavy lifting.
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