Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Battery may disappoint once again

Thinner and with expanded Galaxy AI features, but probably no dramatic changes from the status quo in either the camera or battery area. This is our current expectation after some of the latest posts by leakers such as Ice Universe or @PandaFlashPro. The former already hinted at a minimal upgrade of the 3x telephoto unit of the Galaxy S26 series a few days ago, which is unlikely to excite anyone.

Samsung appears to have made reducing the case thickness its priority, which will likely come at the expense of battery growth, as @PandaFlashPro suggests in response to the wishes of an X user. But the leaker also highlights that no final decision has yet been made. Even if the successor to the Galaxy S25 Ultra were to have a larger battery, it would still be a long way from the expected 7,000 mAh battery of a 6.3-inch Xiaomi 16 or Vivo X300 Pro Mini, for example.

While the larger 6.7-6.9-inch flagships from China will presumably exceed or at least reach the 8,000 mAh limit in 2026, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to have just a 400 mAh larger battery at 5,400 mAh. This is at least according to information from this one leaker, who also emphasizes that Samsung will still not offer 65 watt fast charging. The display will retain a 120 Hz refresh rate and the classic punch-hole instead of an under-display camera. It should be noted that the specs have not yet been finalized, so there is still some hope that the leaker's assessment is incorrect.