%20SOURCE%20Kobo-Higher%20Dose-Netvue.jpg "Best Gifts for Mom (2026): E-Readers, Digital Wall Calendar, Smart Bird Feeders")
My colleague Allison Johnson loved the Privacy Display in her review of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. The display feature, which blocks onlookers from getting a peep at what’s on the screen when viewed from the side, is worth getting the S26 Ultra for if you are serious about privacy during your commute or elsewhere. And thankfully, it’s not as expensive to buy the only device in Samsung’s latest smartphone lineup that has the unique mode. The cost of an unlocked S26 Ultra with 256GB of storage has dropped to $1,099.99 at Amazon, Samsung, and Best Buy, which is $200 off its original price — and now just $100 more than the S26 Plus that has fewer features.
In addition to Privacy Display, the S26 Ultra is Samsung’s biggest, most capable phone yet. It has a 6.9-inch 3120 x 1440 OLED screen that can go up to a 120Hz refresh rate, and its dual telephoto lenses offer various optical zoom levels to help you find the right crop without digital noise being added. Also of note, this is Samsung’s only S26 phone that supports (and includes) an S Pen stylus.
It’s a flagship Android 16 phone that isn’t missing many features, unless magnet-based recharging matters to you. Unlike Google’s latest Pixel 10 phones, Samsung is still skipping on magnets even though they’ve become a popular way to recharge. Despite lacking magnets, the S26 Ultra is no slouch when it comes to boasting the latest wireless charging standard, with Qi2 speeds peaking at 25W with the right charger, which is faster than other phones in the series. You can always get a magnet-equipped case for the phone, and you won’t miss out on much.
If you aren’t swayed by the Privacy Display, the other S26 models got cheaper, too. The smaller S26 debuted at $899.99, and is now $799.99 for the 256GB model at Amazon and Best Buy. The S26 Plus, which offers a bigger, higher resolution screen and a bigger battery (plus slightly faster wireless charging at 20W versus 15W in the S26), is $999.99 at Amazon and Best Buy, down from its original price of $1,099.99 where the S26 Ultra currently sits.
