Samsung is preparing to throw a punch that might actually land this time. As of Monday, January 12, 2026, the hype train for the Galaxy S26 Ultra has officially left the station, and it’s headed straight for San Francisco for a rumored February 25 Unpacked event.
The thing is, Samsung isn’t just iterating; they’re trying to outmaneuver the iPhone 17 Pro Max in areas where Apple usually feels safe. Or nothing. Let’s be real, an in-built privacy screen? That’s some “James Bond” level hardware if they pull it off. Those too.
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The “Ultra vs. Pro Max” Log: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where Samsung is banking on a mix of “world-first” 2nm chips and some very clever display tech to steal the crown.
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The Invisible Screen: Leaks from One UI 8.5 show a “Privacy Display” toggle.1 The thing is, this isn’t a sticker you buy at a mall. It uses Flex Magic Pixel technology to make the screen unreadable from side angles.2 Imagine checking your bank balance on the Metro without a “shoulder surfer” seeing a thing.
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The Silicon Showdown: We’re looking at a split personality for the processor. In the US and India, we’ll likely get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The thing is, early benchmarks show it beating the A19 Pro in multi-core tasks by a massive 24-30%.3 But for some regions, the Exynos 2600 is back—and it’s the world’s first 2nm mobile chip.4
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The Charging Leap: Finally, Samsung is breaking the 45W ceiling.5 The S26 Ultra has been spotted in certification with “60W “Super Fast Charging 3.0
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.6 The thing is, it can allegedly hit 75% in just 30 minutes. And here’s the kicker—it’s expected to support Qi2, meaning all those MagSafe accessories for iPhones will finally work on a Galaxy.7
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AI Overload: Samsung is moving the launch to San Francisco specifically to be closer to their partners at Google. Expect Gemini Live to be baked into the core experience, while Apple Intelligence is still playing catch-up with its Siri-Gemini integration.
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Samsung S26 Ultra vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Specs Battle
| Feature | Galaxy S26 Ultra (Expected) | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
| Display Tech | M14 OLED + Privacy Mode | Super Retina XDR + Anti-Reflect |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) / Exynos 2600 (2nm) | A19 Pro (3nm) |
| Wired Charging | 60W | 40W |
| Camera | 200MP Main + 50MP 5x Tele | 48MP Triple Setup |
| Special Feature | Qi2 Magnetic Charging | MagSafe |
And Here’s the Kicker…
The price hike is looking “inevitable.” The thing is, with 2nm chips and new privacy displays, rumors are pointing toward a 100 increase in several markets. And then there’s the design—Samsung is reportedly moving away from the “boxy” edges for more rounded corners, making it feel a lot more like… well, an iPhone.
It’s an ongoing situation where the “Unpacked” event on February 25 will either confirm Samsung’s dominance or just show how expensive “Innovation” has become in 2026.
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