With Memorial Day sales plummeting the price of Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra, is now finally the time to get one?
The company’s most powerful phone yet is equipped to make light work of the most demanding mobile games. As stated in our hands-on preview, it brings “more power, a longer-lasting battery, and sharper visuals courtesy of an improved screen.”
Now, months on from its launch on March 11, 2026, numerous improvements are taking things to the next level.
Biggest is the One UI 9 beta, which launched last week for the Galaxy S26 series.
“Built on the new Android 17,” reads Samsung’s official press release, “One UI 9 beta delivers expanded creative tools, customization options, a more accessible mobile experience and stronger protection against potential security threats.”
The full rollout of One UI 9 will feature advanced AI to improve the user experience. This includes additional controls in Quick Panel to let you alter brightness, sound and the media player independently.
There’s also a new Text Spotlight feature, which displays text more clearly in a floating window to make reading it easier, plus a change to the Contacts app that eliminates the need to switch to Creative Studio2 for making personalized profile cards.
One UI 9 also introduces enhanced threat protection better at blocking high-risk apps
Individually, these elements aren’t game-changing. They’re also not particularly games-focused, but they do show Samsung is continually improving.
One UI 9 Beta Download
All Galaxy S26 series users can join the beta program now by applying through the Samsung Members app. Selected regions include Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the U.K. and the U.S.
The latest update for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the May 2026 security patch. This added enhanced background protection, better system stability, and improved performance.
The next update is widely expected to enhance the 3x telephoto camera across all three S26 models.
Samsung S26 Ultra Price
Both the official Samsung Store and Amazon have knocked $250 off the phone’s original retail price. You’ll find $100 to $250 price drops at all major retailers. Special bundles even include the S26 Ultra packaged with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro at up to $375 off.
Here are the current prices of the Samsung S26 Ultra.
- 256GB
- Was: $1299.99
- Now: $1,049.99
- 512GB
- Was: $1499.99
- Now: $1,249.99
- 1TB
- Was: $1799.99
- Now: $1,549.99
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Release Date
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra released on March 11, 2026.
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