Galaxy S26 Ultra: Performance Upgrades & a Glimpse at the S27 Ultra’s Big Camera Change

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is already shaping up to be a powerhouse, with major performance improvements and faster RAM. But while the S26 Ultra is still months away from launch, Samsung is already planning a significant camera upgrade for the S27 Ultra—one that could come with a controversial trade-off.

Let’s break down the latest updates.

S26 Ultra Performance: Big Gains Ahead

The first Galaxy S26 Edge benchmark has appeared on Geekbench, and the numbers are impressive:

• Single-core: 3,393
• Multi-core: 11,515

What’s even more exciting? These scores were achieved while the chip was running at just 4.0 GHz—not its max 4.74 GHz potential. This means Samsung still has room to optimize performance before launch.

Since the Ultra model typically outperforms the Edge (thanks to better cooling), we can expect even higher scores for the S26 Ultra. Factoring in thermal limits and efficiency improvements, the Ultra could see a 15% performance boost when running at full speed—potentially pushing:

• Single-core past 4,000
• Multi-core close to 13,000

If these numbers hold, the S26 Ultra won’t just surpass the S25 Ultra—it could also outperform Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max in multi-core performance.

Faster RAM & More Capacity

Beyond raw CPU power, the S26 Ultra is expected to ship with:

• LPDDR5X RAM (10.7 Gbps transfer speeds) – 25% faster than the S25 Ultra
• 16GB RAM option globally (previously limited to select regions)

This means:
✔ Faster app loading
✔ Smoother multitasking
✔ Better high-refresh-rate gaming
✔ Improved AI performance (with dedicated RAM for AI tasks)

S27 Ultra’s Big Camera Change—and a Possible Trade-Off

While the S26 Ultra is getting solid upgrades, Samsung is already working on a major camera shift for the S27 Ultra. According to leaks, the phone could feature a 200MP Sony sensor with a near one-inch (1/1.1″) size—a 22% increase over the S25/S26 Ultra’s sensor.

A larger sensor means:
📷 Better low-light performance
📷 Improved dynamic range
📷 More DSLR-like depth and bokeh

But There’s a Catch…

Rumors suggest Samsung might remove the 3x telephoto camera to make room for the new sensor. Instead, the phone could rely on software zooming from the main sensor.

Why this could be risky:

• A dedicated 3x lens still offers better optical compression and portrait quality.
• Cropping from a large sensor might work, but it’s not the same as true optical zoom.

Samsung has time to tweak this decision—hardware choices often change late in development. But if this leak holds, the S27 Ultra could bring both a major upgrade and a controversial downgrade.

Final Thoughts

The S26 Ultra is shaping up to be a performance beast, with CPU, RAM, and efficiency upgrades that should make it one of the fastest phones of 2026. Meanwhile, the S27 Ultra could take smartphone cameras to the next level—but at the potential cost of losing a useful zoom lens.

What do you think? Would you trade the 3x telephoto for a larger main sensor? Let me know in the comments—and if you want more S26 Ultra updates, check out my next video! 🚀

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