Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: Great Phone, No AI Needed

· media ai · Source ↗

Summary based on the YouTube transcript and episode description.

Michael Fisher (MrMobile) reviews the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: strong hardware undermined by half-baked AI features and a $1,300 price tag that’s hard to justify over a $500 Pixel.

  • Samsung’s AI ‘Now’ suite has been nearly useless for a full year; the new Now Nudge feature wasn’t even active on review units.
  • Task automation (Gemini calling Uber/DoorDash) launches March 11 but arrives on Pixel simultaneously — not a Galaxy exclusive.
  • Privacy Display is a standout hardware feature: per-app auto-toggle, no permanent brightness or viewing-angle penalty.
  • Charging finally fast: 0→45% in 15 min, 80% in 30 min, full at 45 min on a 60W charger — first time Samsung has hit this tier.
  • iPhone 17 Pro beats S26 Ultra on camera: truer colors, more night-shot detail, and a better selfie camera per Fisher’s side-by-sides.
  • Battery capacity unchanged for 6 years; OnePlus 15 singled out as the endurance benchmark Samsung can’t match.
  • At $1,300 vs. Pixel’s $500, Fisher struggles to find $800 of added value unless the buyer is a gamer or power user.
  • Galaxy Buds 4 Pro praised: dropped the AirPods-clone design while keeping best-in-class call quality and noise cancellation.

2026-03-07 · Watch on YouTube