Samsung is once again facing a familiar problem ahead of the launch of its latest flagship. Details about the upcoming Galaxy S26 series have surfaced online through a wave of leaks ahead of the company’s official announcement, detailing specs and features for all three models.
This year, however, the leaks appear to have gone a step further. One YouTuber has already managed to get his hands on the top-of-the-range Galaxy S26 Ultra ahead of its scheduled reveal, sharing early hands-on coverage just days ahead of Samsung’s launch.
Sahil Karoul, a Dubai-based technology YouTuber, purchased the African variant of the Galaxy S26 Ultra in the white colorway and has since released an unboxing video introducing the device. The video confirms the subtle design improvements and spec updates revealed in previous leaks: the phone features more rounded edges, an updated camera layout with a pill-shaped island housing the three main sensors, and an optimized S Pen with a rounded bottom housed closer to the left edge of the device.
In terms of hardware, the video shows that the base Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage. The device is said to have a 5,000mAh battery with support for 60W wired charging, as well as a 6.89-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X LTPO display with a resolution of 3120 x 1440 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. A dual SIM card tray is also visible when unpacking.
The presented device is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (SM8850) chipset from Qualcomm. The benchmark results shown in the video show an AnTuTu score of 3,720,219, alongside Geekbench scores of 3,648 in the single-core test and 10,898 in the multi-core test.
The video also highlights the new privacy display feature that had previously appeared in leaks. The feature is intended to reduce the visibility of the screen when viewed from an angle, helping to protect content from bystanders. It reportedly includes two levels, with a maximum privacy setting that darkens the screen at flatter viewing angles, as well as options to automatically enable the feature for notifications or select apps.
On the imaging side, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is said to have a 200MP primary sensor with 2x optical zoom, a 50MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, a 10MP secondary telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. A 12-megapixel front camera takes care of selfies. For video recording, the rear cameras support up to 8K at 30 frames per second and 4K at 60 frames per second, while the front camera allows recording at 4K at 60 frames per second.
The video doesn’t reveal pricing details, but with Samsung’s launch event just around the corner, official confirmation on pricing and availability is expected soon. Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 series on February 25th and the devices will go on sale in early March.
