Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: Price, Specs, and AI

JAKARTA — Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has officially arrived in Indonesia as the top flagship in the Galaxy S26 family. Priced from Rp24,499,000, the phone brings the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a 200 MP main camera, and one new feature that stands out: Privacy Display. The question is, with a price tag nearing Rp25 million, what is actually new?

Design and Display: Big, Bright, and Now More Private

The Galaxy S26 Ultra uses a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Its peak brightness reaches 2,600 nits — enough to keep the screen clearly readable under direct sunlight, such as when shooting outdoors.

The new feature with the most everyday value is Privacy Display. When enabled, the screen is clearly visible only from the front; people sitting next to you on the train or in a meeting room will effectively just see a dark screen. Features like this usually require a special screen protector — on the S26 Ultra, it only takes one toggle.

Samsung offers six color options: four standard colors (Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White) are widely available at official stores, plus two exclusive colors (Silver Shadow and Pink Gold) sold only through Samsung’s official online channels.

Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Power comes from the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Qualcomm’s latest flagship chipset optimized for Galaxy devices. Its CPU and GPU speed gains are most noticeable in two scenarios: graphics-heavy gaming and on-device AI processing — two things that are increasingly handled directly on the phone without a cloud connection.

The official memory configurations sold in Indonesia are: 12 GB RAM for the 256 GB and 512 GB variants, and 16 GB RAM for the top 1 TB variant.

Camera: 200 MP with Up to 100x Zoom

The rear camera setup is led by a 200 MP main sensor, joined by a 50 MP ultrawide and a periscope lens with zoom capability of up to 100x. On paper, this is one of the most complete camera packages in the 2026 flagship class — from super-wide landscapes to distant subject detail.

As with the previous generation, the real strength lies in AI processing: generative editing features make it easier to remove distracting objects, while night mode takes advantage of pixel binning from that large sensor.

Battery: 5,000 mAh, Charging Up to 60 W

Battery capacity remains 5,000 mAh, but wired charging speed now rises to 60 W — a meaningful jump from 45 W on the previous generation. For normal use (social media, camera, navigation), this battery size is generally enough for a full day.

AI Features: Galaxy AI Goes Deeper

The Galaxy S26 Ultra continues Samsung’s major investment in Galaxy AI. Familiar features — Circle to Search, Live Translate for phone calls, and generative photo editing assistance — now run on a more powerful chipset, so more processing happens directly on the device. The result goes both ways: faster response times and personal data does not always need to be sent to servers.

The combination of Privacy Display + on-device AI processing shows a clear direction: Samsung is selling the S26 Ultra not just as a camera phone, but as a work device with privacy protection.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max

In the Rp24 million-plus price range, the cross-platform rival most often compared by S26 Ultra buyers is the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Here are the key specs side by side:

USD conversion rate shown: 1 USD = Rp17,955.

From the table above: Samsung leads in main sensor resolution (200MP vs 48MP) and raw zoom reach (100x, although that is an optical+digital Space Zoom combination, not pure optical), while the iPhone 17 Pro Max leads in pure optical zoom (16x total without digital assistance) and its reputation for long-term software consistency. In official Indonesia pricing, the S26 Ultra is also slightly more affordable (Rp24.5 million vs Rp26.5 million) for equivalent base RAM/storage.

Official Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Prices in Indonesia

Official prices as of July 3, 2026. On e-commerce platforms and carrier bundle programs, the effective price is often lower through cashback promotions, trade-ins, or credit card installments — always compare before checkout.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Very bright 6.9-inch display (2,600 nits) with built-in Privacy Display
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance is fast for gaming and on-device AI
• Complete camera package: 200 MP + 50 MP ultrawide + 100x zoom
• Charging finally rises to 60 W

Cons:

• Starting price of Rp24.5 million — enough to buy a second midrange phone
• Battery capacity is still stuck at 5,000 mAh while some rivals are larger
• For Galaxy S25 Ultra users, the upgrade feels evolutionary, not revolutionary

Practical note: since July 1, 2026, SIM card registration requires face-recognition verification — prepare your e-KTP when activating a new phone.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra FAQ

How much does the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra cost in Indonesia?
Starting at Rp24,499,000 (12/256 GB), Rp27,499,000 (12/512 GB), and up to Rp31,999,000 (16 GB/1 TB).

What is the most notable new feature?
Privacy Display — the screen is only clearly visible from the front — plus the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and 60 W charging.

Has the camera changed from the previous generation?
The core setup remains led by a 200 MP sensor with a 50 MP ultrawide and up to 100x periscope zoom; the biggest upgrade is in AI processing.

What is different from the Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Three main differences: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, faster 60W charging (up from 45W), and the new Privacy Display feature. From the S23 Ultra and below, there are even more differences (display, camera, performance).