YouTuber buys Samsung S26 Ultra before launch, leaks features
What's the story
The highly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has already been spotted in the wild, thanks to a tech reviewer and YouTuber Sahil Karoul. He purchased the device meant for African market from a retailer in Dubai for around ₹3 lakh. However, these are grey market prices and not official rates. The move comes just days ahead of the official Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for February 25.
Twitter Post
Take a look at YouTuber's post
It's here 😍 #SamsungS26Ultra pic.twitter.com/qn8l8wYQVq
— Sahil Karoul (@KaroulSahil) February 22, 2026
Comparative analysis
Early comparisons with other flagship devices
Karoul compared the Galaxy S26 Ultra with other premium smartphones like Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max and Vivo X300 Pro. The first hands-on images show that the new S26 Ultra has a thicker camera bump than its predecessor, the S25 Ultra. One notable change is in the periscope telephoto camera which now sports a round design instead of its previous rectangular shape. The built-in S Pen doesn't support Bluetooth. The YouTuber also said no heating issues were experienced.
Market presence
S26 Ultra's privacy display feature revealed
Karoul also shared some photos taken with the S26 Ultra, and they look good. However, he didn't mention any hardware upgrades over the S25 Ultra. One of the key features of the S26 Ultra is the new privacy screen. Karoul provided a quick demonstration of the feature. When enabled in the settings menu, it darkens the screen from side angles to prevent prying eyes.
Twitter Post
Privacy screen feature works well
Privacy Display #SamsungS26Ultra pic.twitter.com/ucPDvdnYzr
— Sahil Karoul (@KaroulSahil) February 22, 2026