Rumors suggest that Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, will take a different approach to design compared to the Pixel 10 series.
According to tipster Ice Universe, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to be thinner than its predecessor, measuring less than 8mm in thickness. It will also be lighter by a few grams, despite rumors of a slightly larger display and overall footprint.
This contrasts with reports about Google’s Pixel 10 series, which are said to be thicker and heavier across the board. This increase in size is reportedly due to Google opting for larger batteries, while Samsung is rumored to stick with a 5000mAh cell for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Speculation suggests that Google may need to increase the thickness of its phones to accommodate a full Qi2 magnetized charging system, potentially named ‘Pixelsnap’.
The thinner and lighter Galaxy S26 Ultra raises questions about Samsung’s stance on adopting Qi2 technology, diverging from Google’s potential direction.
Aside from size considerations, Ice Universe claims that Samsung will use a specially overclocked version of the Snapdragon Elite 2 chip, tailored for Galaxy devices. Contrary to previous rumors, this chip will be manufactured by TSMC, not Samsung.
Luke Baker
Now Bar boost
In other Samsung news, the recent launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has brought updates about the Now Bar widget.
It has been announced that app support for the Now Bar feature will nearly double from 20 to 35 as Samsung transitions from One UI 7 to One UI 8.
While specific apps have not been disclosed, Samsung states that these additional cards will be available before the end of the year.