BREAKING: New Geekbench results for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra surfaced early Thursday morning, seemingly putting to rest one of the biggest concerns from earlier rumors. The latest benchmark entry not only showcases the raw potential of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset but also confirms a massive specification upgrade: a standard 16GB RAM configuration across the board. This hardware leap appears specifically designed to power Samsung's newly rumored software layer, the Samsung Neural AI OS, which promises to shift complex generative tasks from the cloud to the device itself.
Geekbench Results: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Performance
The new Galaxy S26 Geekbench results have set the tech world abuzz. While a listing earlier this week showed a conservative score due to suspected underclocking, today's results paint a different picture of the SM-S948 model. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance is showing unprecedented gains, with single-core scores breaking the 3,800 barrier and multi-core figures comfortably surpassing 11,500. This places the Galaxy S26 Ultra well ahead of the current iPhone 17 Pro Max in raw multi-threaded workloads.
According to the telemetry data, the new chipset features a unique "for Galaxy" architecture. It utilizes two prime cores clocked at a blistering 4.74 GHz—significantly higher than the standard edition found in the OnePlus 15. The Adreno 840 GPU also appears to be offering a 25% graphical uplift over the S25 Ultra, suggesting that the best AI smartphones 2026 will also be gaming powerhouses.
The 'Neural' Revolution: Samsung Neural AI OS
Perhaps more significant than the raw speed is the software it enables. Sources close to the supply chain indicate that the shift to 16GB of RAM is a mandatory requirement for the new Samsung Neural AI OS. Unlike the previous "Galaxy AI" which relied heavily on hybrid processing, this new operating layer—likely integrated into One UI 8.5—reportedly processes Large Language Models (LLMs) entirely on-device.
Industry insiders suggest this "Neural" layer will offer near-zero latency for features like real-time video translation and context-aware predictive navigation. By keeping data local, Samsung is also addressing privacy concerns that have plagued cloud-based AI solutions. If these Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leaks hold true, your phone won't just be accessing AI; it will be the AI server.
Release Date and Galaxy Unpacked 2026 Rumors
With the benchmarks surfacing now, the timeline for the launch seems to be solidifying. Galaxy Unpacked 2026 rumors point to a slightly later event this year, likely scheduled for February 25, 2026, in San Francisco. This aligns with recent reports of a delayed production cycle to accommodate the new 2nm manufacturing process for the Snapdragon chips.
As for availability, the Samsung S26 Ultra release date is tipped for March 11, roughly two weeks after the Unpacked event. While the technology inside is cutting-edge, the inclusion of 16GB RAM and the new Snapdragon silicon may come with a price premium, potentially pushing the starting price to $1,399 for the Ultra model.
What This Means for Upgraders
If you held off on the S25, the S26 Ultra is shaping up to be the generational leap you were waiting for. The combination of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the new Neural OS suggests that 2026 will be the year smartphones truly become intelligent agents rather than just passive tools.
