Customer reviews from Samsung US
Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB (Unlocked) - Cobalt Violet
Average customer rating
4.9
(2,765 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 2,765 reviews
5 Stars
2,497
4 Stars
212
3 Stars
35
2 Stars
7
1 Star
14
73%of customers recommend this product.
(
16 out of
22)
Customer Reviews for Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB (Unlocked) - Cobalt Violet
Customer Rating
1
The screen is so much worse than expected
on March 12, 2026
Posted by: Andromeda
from Minnesota
I don't know that I have ever been so disappointed in a phone upgrade. I have been running galaxies since the S3 and am upgrading from an S23 Ultra. Don't get me wrong, the processor and raw performance of the S26U are top-notch and that is the *only* reason why I haven't returned it immidiately. The screen of the S26U is absolutely atrocious. Especially when placed next to the S23U, the S26U is washed out with an old led-like look. It feels like comparing an old backlit pixelated Gameboy next to an AMOLED panel. Its astonishing how bad the S26U looks. The S26U is also less than half the brightness of the S23U despite claiming the opposite. The screen brightness of the S26U does not really change past 25% of the slider and wont go any brighter even after turning off adaptive displays etc. whereas the S23U clearly gets brighter and brighter to maximum. You can also clearly see all of the added black space in the S26U panel for the physical structure of the privacy pixels when on a screen with lots of white space adding to the feel that I am looking at an old pixelated 2004 era screen. The cameras seems to be slightly better on the S26U vs. the S23U, especially the telephoto 5x. There is no difference in battery other than the new snapdragon is more powerful and does not need to "work as hard" so you can get a bit more life out of it on the S26U. Its such a major disapointment and other than the raw performance of the chip and equivalent cameras, it feels like a massive downgrade in all other aspects. I just haven't yet decided if the performance gains outweigh the extensive downsides.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Features
2
Performance
5
Design
4
Value
2
Response from Samsung USBy R&R Team, March 12, 2026
Hello Andromeda, thank you for taking time out of your day to share your experience of your Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra with us. We know how distressing it is when your new device is not meeting your expectations in functionality. We have provided a link to the complete manual for your device to help you adjust different display settings to best align to your preferences, and discover all of the enhanced features and new capabilities of your device like Galaxy AI and horizontal lock. We have also shared a link to the Samsung Support Team to assist you if you continue to experience this frustration, or have questions as you continue using your device. We appreciate you being a Samsung customer. -Elizabeth
Product Manuals
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/
Samsung Support
smsng.us/Samsung-Support
Samsung Community
smsng.us/Samsung-Community
Facebook
smsng.us/Facebook-Messenger
X
https://smsng.us/X-Messages
Product Manuals
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/
Samsung Support
smsng.us/Samsung-Support
Samsung Community
smsng.us/Samsung-Community
smsng.us/Facebook-Messenger
X
https://smsng.us/X-Messages
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Much Better Than I Expected
on March 12, 2026
Posted by: p0tat0bread
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I upgraded to this phone from the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which was a tough decision because I really loved that phone. You could say that I was a little apprehensive, but I'm very pleasantly surprised with the S26 Ultra.
The screen is so beautiful, great resolution and beautiful colors. I know some people complain about the anti-glare coating, but I've had zero issues with that. The privacy display feature is pretty neat, it'll definitely come in handy.
A lot of the Galaxy AI features are new to me since I was upgrading from a 2022 model. I've been enjoying the Daily Briefs and the call assist features.
I like that they still incorporated the s-pen even with the new design. Speaking of the design- I really thought I wouldn't like the new shape based on the photos, but it actually feels great once I'm holding it in my hands. It's less different from the old design than it seems in the pictures.
My only disappointment is the lack of 10x optical zoom on this, I will definitely miss that. I know the digital zoom is supposed to make up for that, but I tested the two phones side by side and the 10x zoom on the S26U just doesn't look nearly as good as the 10x zoom on the S22U.
Overall I'm very happy with my new phone and I'm glad I made the upgrade!
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
1
bad model s26 is bad name for ultra
on March 12, 2026
Posted by: Anonymous
ultra 26 is very bad stay away from this bad performance battery dies so fast
Response from Samsung USBy R&R Team, March 12, 2026
Hi Bryan A, thank you for taking time out of your day to provide feedback on your Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. We completely understand how distressing it can be when your device is not operating as intended or expected. The battery of your device is designed to learn your consumption habits and adjust to maximize after a short period of usage. If this is not your experience, we have provided links to articles to help you maximize the battery life manually on your device. We have also provided a link to the Samsung Support Team to assist you if this experience continues with your device, or you have questions during your usage. We appreciate you being a Samsung customer. -Elizabeth
Get the most out of your Galaxy phone or tablet battery
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00078987/
Apps are draining battery on Galaxy phone or tablet
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshooting/TSG01001388/
Samsung Support
smsng.us/Samsung-Support
Samsung Community
smsng.us/Samsung-Community
Facebook
smsng.us/Facebook-Messenger
X
https://smsng.us/X-Messages
Get the most out of your Galaxy phone or tablet battery
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00078987/
Apps are draining battery on Galaxy phone or tablet
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshooting/TSG01001388/
Samsung Support
smsng.us/Samsung-Support
Samsung Community
smsng.us/Samsung-Community
smsng.us/Facebook-Messenger
X
https://smsng.us/X-Messages
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Super smooth operation
on March 12, 2026
Posted by: MommaT
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I only use Samsung phones. I upgraded from a S22+ to the Ultra. The little difference in size is amazing. The operation on the phone is amazing.
Im just learning all it can so. I've downloaded the try galaxy to learn more
Im just learning all it can so. I've downloaded the try galaxy to learn more
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Great Features and ups the game from s25 Ultra
on March 13, 2026
Posted by: Shepelectronics
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I had a galaxy s25 Ultra and although on paper, the s26 Ultra doesn't seem like a huge difference but it really is. The 60 watt cord charging and 25 watt wireless charging really helps even though the battery is the same size as the s25. It does make a difference. Also the chip makes the battery run more efficient. The Galaxy AI on this phone is pretty amazing. The things that you can do straight from your gallery is awesome. Transforming any picture into anything that you want pretty much. Also the creative Studio where you can make greeting cards or invitations is a nice touch as well. The privacy screen is awesome and does a pretty good job. Also the audio eraser AI is great and now you can use it with third party apps and it works pretty well. I can tell from the s25 ultra that the s26 ultra definitely moves faster and the screen is amazingly clear and bright and colorful. The Galaxy AI on this phone is definitely a step up it seems. Also the camera even though on paper is the same as the s25, I can tell that it is better. The photos it takes look amazingly clear and color perfection. Definitely if you're upgrading from an s23 or s24 I would recommend getting the s26 Ultra but I would get the ultra rather than the Plus or the regular model. The ultra is where the s26 line shines.
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
This phone is phenomenal!
on March 11, 2026
Posted by: JoeAvsGo
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I cannot stop using the Galaxy AI photo tools. Not only does the camera produce great photos, but using the styles on pictures of my pets has been so much fun. My apps are loading faster and running smoother. The shows I have been streaming (mostly sports) look incredible on this display. The privacy feature has been great to use at work. You can't even tell it's on when viewed from the front of the phone, but it works just as well as the privacy films. I've only had one gaming session so far but it was very easy to connect my controller to. I have already been nudged to send a text I forgot I was composing. Which is a nice feature for me. Overall I can recommend this phone enough.
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
This phone is awesome.
on March 11, 2026
Posted by: LoveDevice
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The Galaxy AI features on this device are very well developed, advanced, and of great use.
Value
5
Response from Samsung USBy R&R Team, March 11, 2026
Hi LoveDevice, we appreciate your feedback on your Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. We love hearing how much you are finding this device to be refined, well thought out, and useful for so many tasks every day. We have shared links to the complete manual and the Samsung Support Team to help you discover all of the amazing features available like Galaxy AI and the new privacy display, and answer any questions that may come up as you continue using your device. We appreciate you being a Samsung customer. -Elizabeth
Product Manuals
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/
Samsung Support
smsng.us/Samsung-Support
Samsung Community
smsng.us/Samsung-Community
Facebook
smsng.us/Facebook-Messenger
X
https://smsng.us/X-Messages
Product Manuals
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/
Samsung Support
smsng.us/Samsung-Support
Samsung Community
smsng.us/Samsung-Community
smsng.us/Facebook-Messenger
X
https://smsng.us/X-Messages
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US
Customer Rating
5
Great phone as usual
on March 11, 2026
Posted by: Ashkan
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] It's a great phone. I'm still disappointed that we can not use the pen button for the photoshoots but all good.
Value
5
Written by a customer while visiting Samsung US