Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra impresses with new overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 before global release

With Samsung's Galaxy S26 series launch scheduled for February 25, benchmark results reveal the Ultra model's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 'for Galaxy' chipset delivers tangible performance improvements over both its predecessor and competing devices. The custom-tuned silicon features Prime CPU cores boosted to 4.74 GHz – a 3% increase over Qualcomm's standard configuration – translating to measurable real-world advantages.

Early Geekbench 6.5 testing shows the Galaxy S26 Ultra achieving approximately 7% higher multi-core scores than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-powered OnePlus 15. Single-core performance remains competitive with class leaders like the Honor Magic8 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Ultra, while GPU benchmarks demonstrate parity with gaming-focused devices like the RedMagic 11 Pro.

Beyond raw performance, Samsung's Privacy Display technology emerges as another key upgrade. While details remain limited, this feature reportedly enhances viewing privacy in public settings without sacrificing brightness or color accuracy. The display innovation appears particularly valuable given Samsung's decision to maintain the existing camera hardware configuration rather than implementing substantial imaging upgrades this generation.

Preliminary efficiency metrics suggest the optimized silicon maintains power efficiency despite higher clock speeds, though comprehensive battery testing awaits retail units. The performance positioning indicates Samsung is targeting power users prioritizing processing capability over camera advancements, while the Privacy Display caters to professionals handling sensitive content.

Samsung will formally unveil the Galaxy S26 Ultra alongside the S26 and S26 Plus models on February 25, with Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro expected as companion accessories.

Sources:
Geekbench Result 1 | Geekbench Result 2