Kelly Meharg reviews Samsung’s newest – and jazziest – smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Can a mere smartphone help her get her sh*t together?
Here’s a question – when do we get to the point where we stop calling smartphones *smartphones* – because after having a hoon with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra on a press trip last week, I honestly don’t think ‘phone’ cuts it anymore – it’s more like a teeny little assistant that travels around in your pocket.
I’ve had a road test of Samsung’s newest – and fanciest – phone and it was in the most high stakes of environments: on a brand trip surrounded by a group of influencers and content creators (and even a professional photographer) where I had to prove that A) the ‘just happy to be here’ journalist wasn’t a complete technophobe and B) I was capable of producing content that didn’t scream *OK Boomer*.
I think I have the S26 Ultra to thank for any semblance of success I managed to have because I think phone… kind of made me cool. Or at least that I had my sh*t together. Jury’s probably out of both.
Anyway, after thoroughly testing out its many features, it’s quite clear that the life Samsung is pushing with this phone is something I want because I really do think that this is the tech the millennial and Gen X Kiwi gal needs.
This thing is basically the that girl of phones – the one who somehow, magically has her life sorted and together and isn’t running around with dozens of tabs open in her brain.
And if you’re juggling work, kids, group chats, school emails, grocery lists, social plans, and the endless background mental checklist that comes with adult life, this actually matters a lot more than a slightly better processor or a few extra megapixels (although I have to admit these were greatly received).
Here’s how:
IT SOMEHOW GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO FILM, CAPTURE AND CREATE LIKE A GEN Z CONTENT CREATOR (NO LABUBU OR STANLEY CUP REQUIRED)
Let’s start with the cameras, because this is where the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra immediately flexes.
The phone packs a 200-megapixel main camera, supported by additional telephoto and ultra-wide lenses, which means it can handle everything from detailed close-ups to sweeping landscape shots.
Samsung has also widened the main lens aperture so it lets in significantly more light, which is why the phone produces noticeably brighter photos and clearer videos in darker environments. The Nightography was my first jaw-drop moment on the trip because tell me another phone that can take THIS photo of the famous Rotorua redwoods in the pitch black:
(It’s genuinely one of the best photos I’ve ever managed to take and did leave me feeling pretty smug… until I realised everyone else’s pics were the same because the night mode feature is automatic and you don’t have to tutu with buttons to turn into Mario Testino.)
AI editing tools also make it ridiculously easy to tweak photos after the fact. You can remove people from the background (I did this on my S25 when I was in Paris earlier this year to get rid of people from my Eiffel Tower shots) adjust lighting, sharpen images, or tidy up a messy shot with a few taps, like get rid of shadows or flares.
There’s also Photo Assist, which lets you edit images using simple prompts. You can literally type something like ‘add balloons’ or ‘make this a birthday scene’ and the phone will generate those elements in the image automatically.
I loved Super Steady mode, which stabilises video so your clips don’t look like they were filmed while sprinting after a toddler – even if you are sprinting after a toddler. It smooths out movement and gives footage that polished, almost gimbal-like feel. I tried this out inside a Zorb ball (seriously – and I guess I tested the water resistance too?! A+ on all fronts).
Autoframing is another clever feature. When filming people, the camera automatically keeps them centred in the shot even if they move around. Perfect for kids’ sports days or performances, cute pets, or chaotic family gatherings where nobody stays still for your vid.
One of the most fun tools is Dual Recording, which lets the phone film with the front and rear cameras at the same time – meaning you can capture what’s happening while also recording your reaction. Think travel vlogs, cooking demos, or filming your kid’s first school concert while simultaneously capturing the *emotional parent* moment. We also tried this in the Zorb and it was so fun to see our faces as we hurtled down the hill – especially the moment where my friend Tima’s face turned from thrilled to terrified in a literal split second. (You can watch all of this on our Instagram page, check out the ‘SAMSUNG’ highlight).
Also, this isn’t new but it’s very much worth mentioning because it’s legit my favourite feature on all Samsungs – what I call the selfie hand. Wave or hold your palm up and the camera triggers automatically.
Put all of that together and the phone genuinely makes everyday content look polished, even if you’re just documenting real life. No ring lights, complicated editing apps, or influencer starter kits required! Put simply, it makes your memories a little brighter, and I love that.
Here’s some of my favourite photos that I took:
IT HELPS YOU KEEP ON TOP OF YOUR LIFE LIKE YOU LEGIT HAVE A PA, AND MASSIVELY HELPS TO CUT DOWN ON THE DREADED MENTAL LOAD
This is where the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra starts to feel less like a phone and more like a digital personal assistant that you don’t have to pay. Here’s what it can do:
Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite is designed to anticipate tasks and streamline everyday digital admin. Instead of you constantly jumping between apps, the phone helps connect things together and suggest what you might need next. It’s not one feature, per se, rather a whole layer of little things across the whole phone that work together to help make life easier.
Using Gemini is a real vibe – you just hold down the side button and ask it a question, and you’ll get the answer back straight away, even from a locked screen. It’s different from other virtual assistants in that you can ask it more informal, casual (read: unhinged) questions, and you get more personal replies back, rather than a one-line *technically correct* reply. I was out at dinner and was constantly asking it about the Warriors score which was MUCH appreciated, because I didn’t need to be rude and actually open up my phone and follow a live blog. Up the Wahs, of course.
Now Nudge is a great example of the awesome AI features, too – it brings up helpful suggestions throughout the day based on the context of your screen. So, if someone asks for photos from the weekend, the phone might bring up the relevant images straight away (this worked for me when I was messaging one of the group about our white water rafting trip!). If a meeting is coming up, it might surface the document you were working on earlier, or suggest to add it to your calendar. HOW.
And when you’re managing work deadlines, school schedules, social plans, and about twelve different group chats, that kind of help genuinely reduces the mental load.
Then there’s Circle to Search, which is easily one of the most addictive tools on the phone. See something on your screen you want to know more about? Just circle it with your finger and the phone searches for it instantly. Clothes, furniture, recipes, travel locations, basically anything. I did it when I got home to remember where my jazzy candle was from so I could buy one for by bestie:
Creative Studio is another feature that leans into the phone’s AI capabilities. It can generate stickers, graphics, invitations, and shareable images from a prompt or photo. So if you’re organising a birthday party, creating something for a group chat, or just making a fun wallpaper, you can do it instantly without downloading extra apps.
Individually these features might sound small. But together they start to feel like the phone is quietly handling little bits of digital admin throughout your day, and THAT’S where the real magic is.
IT KEEPS YOU AHEAD OF THE CURVE SO NO ONE CAN ACCUSE YOU OF BEING A BOOMER
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra also packs in a few features that make it feel genuinely futuristic.
One of the most interesting is the super-hyped Privacy Display, which works like a built-in privacy screen protector but actually IN, not on, the phone. When activated, the screen becomes difficult to see from the side while remaining perfectly clear when viewed straight on.
If you’re checking emails, messages, or bank accounts in a crowded café or on public transport, people next to you can’t peek at your screen.
It’s one of those features you don’t realise you need until you have it – and the key is that you can set it so it’s only on for certain apps, such as banking or messages, so you can still have full vision for things like Netflix.
Another clever trick is wireless power sharing, which basically turns the phone into a wireless charger (OMG how many times have we all wished for this for be a thing). Place earbuds, a smartwatch, or another phone on the back and it starts transferring battery power.
In real life this means you can revive dying headphones at the airport, help out a friend whose battery is at one percent, or top up your smartwatch during the day.
There’s also Call Screening, which answers unknown numbers for you, asks the caller what they want, and summarises the response before you decide whether to pick up. It’s a dream feature for anyone tired of spam calls interrupting the middle of their day – and it means you can’t fall into the spam trap that’ll make you feel 100 years old instantly.
And finally, Super-Fast Charging means the phone can regain most of its battery in about half an hour. Plug it in while you’re getting ready in the morning or answering emails and it’s ready to power through the day. Which is important, because when your phone is essentially acting as your organiser, assistant, camera, notebook, and digital life manager, the last thing you want is for it to run out of juice.
Samsung has also managed to make the phone slimmer and lighter than the previous Ultra model, despite keeping its huge display, which makes it noticeably more comfortable to hold throughout the day.
The Bottom Line – why buy a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is packed with impressive technology. But the most interesting thing for me isn’t about the specs, it’s how the phone quietly, but very quickly, became part of my daily life but in a GOOD way.
It captures memories beautifully, it organises information intelligently and it anticipates tasks before I remember them for myself, and when you’re juggling work, family schedules, social plans, and the thousand small details that fill a busy day, having technology that reduces the mental load is genuinely valuable.
It feels like having a super-efficient personal assistant in your pocket. And once you get used to that, going back to a regular phone suddenly feels a little bit like losing your most organised friend.
I hope she comes back soon!
Kelly was hosted by Samsung for this brand trip, and was loaned a device for review purposes. For clarity, we have an ongoing partnership with Samsung, but this review is editorial and completely the sole opinion of the writer.
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