Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Pushes Smartphone AI Capabilities Further in 2026
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra, unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked in June 2026, represents the company’s most ambitious attempt yet to make on-device AI the centrepiece of the smartphone experience. Building on the Galaxy AI platform introduced with the S24 series, the S26 Ultra adds real-time voice translation during phone calls in over 40 languages, an AI-powered photo editor that can reconstruct missing parts of images, and a personal assistant that learns user habits over time.
The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 9 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, which includes a dedicated AI engine capable of 55 trillion operations per second — nearly double the AI performance of its predecessor. This enables complex AI features to run entirely on-device, addressing the privacy concerns that have limited cloud-based AI adoption in European markets.
Camera and Display
The S26 Ultra features a 200-megapixel main camera with improved low-light performance, a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom, and an ultrawide camera that doubles as a macro lens. Samsung’s AI processing now extends to video, with real-time HDR optimisation and background noise cancellation that works during live calls and recordings.
The 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display supports a 1-144Hz adaptive refresh rate and reaches a peak brightness of 3,000 nits — making it one of the brightest smartphone displays on the market.
Dutch Market and Pricing
In the Netherlands, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is priced at €1,449 for the 256GB model and €1,599 for the 512GB version. Dutch carriers including KPN, VodafoneZiggo, and Odido are offering the phone with 24-month contracts starting at approximately €45 per month. Early pre-order data from Dutch retailers suggests strong demand, particularly for the new Titanium Blue colour variant.
For Dutch consumers looking for the most advanced smartphone experience available, the Galaxy S26 Ultra makes a compelling case — especially for those who value on-device AI processing and top-tier camera performance. The phone is available now at major Dutch electronics retailers and carrier stores nationwide.
