Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Leak: Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Benchmarks and Camera Specs Revealed

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra just became the most exciting phone of 2026 — and it hasn’t even been announced yet. A cascade of leaks over the past few weeks has painted a detailed picture of Samsung’s next flagship, and the combination of Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset and a revamped camera system suggests this could be the biggest Ultra upgrade in years.

Snapdragon 8 Elite 2: The First Android Chip to Beat Apple?

Let’s start with the headline grabber. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra firmware files have revealed model number PMK8850 — confirmed as the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite (model 8750) that powers the current Galaxy S25 Ultra. Built on TSMC’s third-generation 3nm process, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 isn’t just an incremental update — it’s a generational leap.

Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station posted early Geekbench 6 results on Weibo that should make Apple nervous: over 4,000 points in single-core and 11,000+ in multi-core. That’s a 29% single-core improvement and 12% multi-core boost over the current Snapdragon 8 Elite. More importantly, these numbers reportedly match the Apple A19 Pro in single-core while significantly beating it in multi-core performance — a first for any Android chipset.

The GPU side looks equally promising. The Adreno 840 GPU comes with 16MB of dedicated graphics memory, which should translate to smoother gaming performance and better sustained frame rates during extended sessions. For mobile gamers who’ve always felt Android flagships were one step behind iPhone, this could finally close the gap.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Camera Leak: One Smart Swap Changes Everything

The camera leak, courtesy of reliable tipster @chunvn8888, reveals a strategy that’s more surgical precision than wholesale revolution. Samsung is keeping the proven 200MP HP2 main sensor but pairing it with one critical change that addresses the S25 Ultra’s biggest camera weakness.

Here’s the full Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra camera breakdown:

• Main: 200MP Samsung HP2 — same sensor, but rumored wider f/1.4 aperture for better low-light
• Ultrawide: 50MP Samsung JN3 — carried over from S25 Ultra
• Telephoto (NEW): 12MP Samsung S5K3LD with 3x optical zoom — replaces the aging 10MP unit
• Periscope: 50MP Sony IMX854 with 5x optical zoom — unchanged
• Front: 12MP Sony IMX874

The headliner is that 12MP 3x telephoto. The S25 Ultra’s 10MP 3x camera has long been the weak link in an otherwise stellar camera system. Bumping it to 12MP with a newer sensor should deliver noticeably sharper portrait-distance shots and better zoom quality in the 2x-4x range where most people actually shoot.

Samsung is also introducing APV (Advanced Professional Video), a new video codec option that could be a game-changer for content creators shooting on mobile. While details are scarce, APV is expected to offer better compression efficiency than HEVC while maintaining higher quality — think ProRes-level output without the enormous file sizes.

Design and Display: Slimmer, Lighter, Brighter

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leaks also point to meaningful design refinements. According to Phandroid’s compilation of early rumors, the phone will measure under 8mm thick (down from 8.2mm) and weigh approximately 214 grams (down from 218g on the S25 Ultra). That might not sound dramatic, but anyone who’s held a 6.9-inch slab phone for extended periods will appreciate every gram saved.

The 6.9-inch display is getting an upgrade to CoE (Color on Encapsulation) OLED technology, which should push peak brightness even higher — rumors suggest up to 3,000 nits, a significant jump from the S25 Ultra’s 2,600 nits. Samsung is also reportedly softening the corners for a more comfortable in-hand feel, moving away from the sharp-edged Ultra aesthetic that’s defined the line since the Note days.

Battery and Charging: 60W Finally Arrives

Samsung has been painfully slow to upgrade charging speeds, sticking with 45W wired charging while Chinese competitors have blown past 100W and even 200W. The Galaxy S26 Ultra leaks indicate Samsung is finally bumping up to 60W wired charging — not exactly blazing by 2025 standards, but a meaningful 33% improvement that should noticeably reduce top-up times.

The battery itself is expected to remain at 5,000mAh, though the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 should deliver improved battery life despite the unchanged capacity. Wireless charging appears to stay at 15W, which is disappointing but not surprising given Samsung’s conservative approach to wireless power delivery.

What This Means for the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Black Friday Shoppers

With Black Friday deals around the corner, this leak creates an interesting dilemma. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is already seeing significant discounts, and it remains a phenomenal phone. But knowing that the S26 Ultra brings a genuinely faster chipset, an upgraded camera system, and faster charging, some buyers might want to wait for the rumored late January 2026 launch.

My take? If you’re coming from an S23 Ultra or older, the S25 Ultra at Black Friday prices is still a fantastic deal — the performance gap between Snapdragon 8 Elite and 8 Elite 2 won’t be perceptible in daily use. But if you’re on an S24 Ultra and considering an upgrade, these leaks suggest waiting three more months for the S26 Ultra could be worth it, especially for that improved 3x telephoto camera.

Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event is expected in late January or early February 2026, with retail availability following shortly after. Until then, expect more leaks — because in the smartphone world, the only thing that leaks faster than Samsung’s flagships is their hype cycle.