Getting a Samsung - a quick review!
Samsung phones are usually a staple in a Pinoy's pocket. Not because it is accessible (and cheaper) than the other major brands (like Apple, for example), but because Samsung has been secretly infiltrating our brains every time we see it being used by out KPop idols. Samsung is the phone of choice by all of the characters in the latest KDrama, KPop groups and celebrities. But honestly, I have a love-hate relationship with Samsung phones over the years... do I still buy it? Yes.
One of the most unpleasant experience I have with Samsung was with their Galaxy Fold 3, a very visually pleasing mobile device priced at 90+ thousand Philippine pesos. It was one of the best "high tech" gadget one can own at that time, when it was released last August 2021. Imagine seeing a phone that folds and reveals a bigger screen, truly a scientific breakthrough. However, just a year after I got it, I experienced the issue that a lot of Samsung Fold 3 owners report. First it loses Wifi, Bluetooth, Sound and display, and eventually, destroys your LCDs (yes, both of them) just be updating the phone. This was (and still is) an unresolved issue where Samsung's only reply is to bring it to the service center if it is still within warranty. Sadly, most of these devices break, months after the warranty. I still have my Samsung Fold 3, the most expensive paperweight I have on my desk.
I also get to use the Flips - Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 released August of 2022, which I won during a Globe Telecoms raffle (thank you Globe). Last year, I also pre-ordered a Samsung Galaxy Flip 7, which I also dispatched 6 months after, probably because of my bas experience with foldables in general. Are they aesthetically pleasing, well they are, however, aside from my post-traumatic experience with the Fold 3, I find the Flips too delicate and requires extra work due to their limited folded screen capabilities. Imagine driving and attaching the Flip 7 on your Android Play and you wanted to change something and it will require you to unfold the phone (while driving).
I think where Samsung Mobile really shines is with their "bar soap" phones. I owned a few of these phones, from the Ultras to the Notes. The latest one I had was the S24 Ultra, which I really enjoyed. The screen was amazing, the cameras lit (that 100X Zoom) and the versatility and the leeway to change the UI anytime, makes it appealing to me. My only complain about the Samsung phones is the battery life. Even with the Folds and Flips and the Note and the Ultras, I find Samsung's battery life rather lacking. For a very bright phone, with amazing AI capabilities, it has always has a rather small battery. With all of these being said, will I still get a new Samsung? Of course I have.
Enter - Samsung Galaxy s26 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a SMART phone. One of the best in AI features compared to Apple's iPhone 17Promax (which I wrote about) and even the Pixel (I owned a Pixel 8 Pro). Its AI features dwarf others, especially in editing pictures, getting information and the likes. The design is also better, straight screen instead of curved, smoother corners instead of the boxy form factor of the S25s. One of the prettiest and compact flagship phones in the market. Here's the complete spec-sheet from GSMArena
| Launch | Announced | 2026, February 25 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2026, March 06 |
| Body | Dimensions | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 214 g (7.55 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN | |
| IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus Armor aluminum 2 frame |
| Display | Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.9 inches, 115.9 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) | |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Armor 2, Mohs level 6 | |
| DX anti-reflective coating Privacy Display |
| Platform | OS | Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 8.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) | |
| GPU | Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) |
| Memory | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | |
| UFS 4.X |
| Main Camera | Quad | 200 MP, f/1.4, 23mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, Best Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, HDR10+ | |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | |
| High-bitrate audio support |
| Comms | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE | |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | |
| NFC | Yes | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
| Features | Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
| Battery | Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 60W wired, PD3.0, 75% in 30 min 25W wireless (Qi2.2) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Misc | Colors | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Models | SM-S948B, SM-S948B/DS, SM-S948U, SM-S948U1, SM-S948W, SM-S948N, SM-S9480, SM-S948E, SM-S948E/DS | |
| SAR | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | |
| SAR EU | 1.28 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) | |
| Price | $ 1,030.00 / € 955.00 / £ 818.49 / ₹ 118,000 |
| Our Tests | Performance | AnTuTu: 2627986 (v10), 3892165 (v11) GeekBench: 11566 (v6) 3DMark: 7744 (Wild Life Extreme) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 1480 nits max brightness (measured) | |
| Loudspeaker | -25.9 LUFS (Very good) | |
| Battery | ||
| EU LABEL | Energy | Class A |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 55:00h endurance, 1200 cycles | |
| Free fall | Class A (270 falls) | |
| Repairability | Class C |
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. Read more
Now, did I regret getting this Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra? Of course not. Samsung has always been one of the phones I use daily. If there is something I can change with this mobile device, it's probably the battery. I would like to have a bigger battery to maximize the features it has longer and not plugged it in a socket every few hours.
Tell me your Samsung story. Are they a winner for you, or do you also have this love-hate relationship with this mobile brand. Let me know in the comments.
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