Thairath Online had the chance to try the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the flagship smartphone for the first half of 2026. This year, Galaxy AI has been enhanced by adding Perplexity alongside its partnership with Google's Gemini.
The first noticeable difference is the Galaxy S26 Ultra's curvature. This year, its design is more rounded to better fit the palm compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Handling the actual device, the increased curvature eliminates the discomfort of sharp edges digging into the hand.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra retains a titanium frame with a smooth finish that feels pleasant to hold and resists fingerprints on the back. The screen is flat to support smooth S Pen use.
The standout feature this time is Privacy Display, a screen privacy function. Unlike software filters that block others from viewing sensitive information, this uses hardware-level technology called Flex Magic Pixel. Users can toggle it on or off via Quick Settings or the Settings menu.
When Privacy Display is activated, the pixels "narrow the viewing angle" immediately. People sitting beside you, such as on a train, will see your screen as dark or off, while you looking straight on see a perfectly clear display.
Additionally, Privacy Display lets you enable or disable it per app to block others from seeing sensitive content selectively.
Samsung has moved beyond the AI arms race by adopting an open ecosystem approach, not limiting itself to only Google's Gemini but also adding Perplexity, another AI player. It can be voice-activated with the phrase “Hey Plex.”
Perplexity excels at in-depth information searches, favored by researchers and those who value accuracy. It functions like a search engine by scraping internet data to provide immediate answers, making it ideal for breaking news, sports results, and stock prices.
Moreover, Perplexity is smart in refining broad user queries to more precise questions and answers that best match user intent.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s S Pen lacks Bluetooth technology, limiting it to a stylus for writing and drawing only. It does not support advanced features like remote controls found in previous models or the legendary Samsung Galaxy Note. This means remote commands like using it as a camera shutter or to control presentations are not available.
Design-wise, only the S Pen tip color matches the device’s color, while the pen body is available in black and blue only.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra emphasizes night photography or Nightography, featuring an aperture widened to f/1.4—the largest ever in the Ultra series.
The rear camera lens is slightly larger and more protruding than before. Image and video results show noise reduction is much smoother, and image stabilization is so effective that using a gimbal is almost unnecessary.
During the hands-on time with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, one practical feature was Call Screening. If you want to avoid answering a call—perhaps fearing scammers or eavesdropping—you can let AI answer on your behalf.
There is also a photo editing feature called Photo Assist, which accepts prompts in both Thai and English. For example, you can change a photo’s background from a generic building to the Colosseum in Rome or Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.
