If the Galaxy S26 Ultra gets this one thing right, I’ll forgive almost anything else

Samsung can do almost anything it likes with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if it fixes the one major thing I disliked about the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

It’s the ergonomics, or more specifically, how the big phone feels in your hand. Why? Because the S25 Ultra was a mistake.

The S25 Ultra’s problem

Lookin’ sharp

I’m going to get this out of the way first.

I don’t care about cases. I find it hard to find a quality one that doesn’t add masses of bulk, and even more difficult to settle on a design.

I also don’t think covering a $1,200 phone made of metal and glass in a $30 piece of plastic does anything positive for ergonomics.

I like using a well-crafted phone without a case. Therefore, when a manufacturer gets the shape and definition wrong, it’ll put me off buying and using the device, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of those phones.

The edges lack taper and meet at a sharp angle, while the corners are all defined lines and hard points. These are the parts we hold, and the sections which rest in our palm.

When you hold a knife, do you choose the blade or the handle to grip? I go for the handle, but Samsung seems to think I’d prefer gripping the blade.

Why does it matter?

It’s good design

This probably sounds like an exaggeration, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s shape and angled body was a conscious design decision by Samsung.

It deliberately made it that way, so at some point it must have considered it “right.”

It wasn’t. It was a consequence of designers being required to maintain the Ultra’s recognizable shape, while also not facing the wrath of Samsung fanboys everywhere by simply doing exactly the same thing all over again.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t an ugly phone to look at, and the sharp angles do look very modern. That’s fine if all you do is stare at it.

But we hold phones all the time, often for hours a day. Why shouldn’t it be designed in a way that makes this a pleasant experience?

It’s not the only way to make a phone, and it proved it with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which was a delight to hold.

Samsung isn’t the only guilty party either.

The Apple iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 had sharp edges and flat sides, and were much more uncomfortable to hold for long periods compared to the iPhone 11 series.

Since the iPhone 15, things have improved, and the current iPhone 17 series and the iPhone Air are wonderfully ergonomic.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra needs to be better

Another rehash won’t do

Samsung’s Ultra-series also have weight against them. These are always heavy phones, which only accentuates poor ergonomics, meaning it’s essential to get them right in the first place.

How the S25 Ultra passed focus group approval is a mystery, unless Samsung sees a high percentage of its users immediately wrap the Ultra in a case and decided not to worry about any negative comments.

What do I want from the Galaxy S26 Ultra? It’s quite simple.

I want Samsung to use the S24 Ultra as the reference point, and not the Galaxy S25 Ultra, at least in terms of how the body is finished.

It’s not clear whether I’ll get my wish at the moment. There are some renders and leaked images of the phone, but they show the back of the phone square-on, giving little away about the edges.

It doesn’t look especially positive, as despite the curvier corners, it still looks like the phone has flat sides and a flat rear panel, which inevitably means sharp edges connecting the two.

Rumors about a thinner chassis compared to the S25 Ultra aren’t confirmation of an improvement either.

What will I forgive to get my wish?

Quite a lot, but not that

Samsung’s Ultra phones have been excellent for several years now, with the brand perfecting the recipe with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and barely deviating from it since.

While some don’t like this, I welcome the consistency of design and sensible annual upgrades.

I’ll take a handful of upgrades, which is about what we can expect these days, especially in flagship phones, and a lot of talk about Galaxy AI during the launch event, provided Samsung sorts out the way the phone feels in my hand.

It feels so odd to even write this. It’s like going into a car dealership and being shown several models, and all but one has seats made of upturned nails.

I’ll take the one without nails, please, and question the sanity of the designer as I hand over my money.

The price still needs to be right

Not more expensive

While I’ll accept (begrudgingly) few surprises from the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s specs, and even if it does improve ergonomics, it won’t matter if the price is increased.

Rumors are currently split on whether it’s going to be the same as the S25 Ultra or more expensive.

Samsung is likely in a precarious position.

Everyone knows it’s more possible than ever before for the price of electronics to increase in 2026, but when Apple avoids such a thing, Samsung really needs to do the same.

It also needs to do so without scaling back any planned improvements.

Ultimately, as I’m writing these words, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s shape, design, specs, and almost certainly price too, have been set in stone.

My plea, if Samsung happens to be listening, won’t change anything.

However, they do help set the stage for our expectations for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and remind those looking at an upgrade from the S24 Ultra or earlier what to pay attention to come release day.