Something to look forward to: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra crushed iPhone 17 Pro Max in this test!

Three days before its official unveiling, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra reappeared in the Geekbench 6 benchmark database – and this time with the highest measured values to date. The results are impressive, Samsung’s marketing department is undoubtedly rubbing its hands. But let’s talk about what the numbers really mean and what’s behind them.

11,738 points in multi-core. What does it mean in practice?

In the last recorded test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra scored 11,738 points in the multi-core test and 3,852 points in the single-core test. For comparison: the iPhone 17 Pro Max with the Apple A19 Pro chipset lags behind in multi-core performance by almost 20%. In the single-core test, both phones are practically on the same level.

Even more interesting is the comparison with last year’s older model. Compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, this is an increase of 24% in single-core and 33% in multi-core performance. These are numbers that look great on paper. However, intergenerational leaps in benchmarks and intergenerational leaps in actual phone usage are two different things – and it’s increasingly true that the difference between flagship phones is becoming less noticeable in practice.

Overclocked Snapdragon: “for Galaxy” isn’t just a label

The S26 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the “for Galaxy” variant. This is a modified version of the chipset with higher boost clock speeds for the performance cores, which Samsung annually negotiates with Qualcomm exclusively for its flagships.

It’s a legitimate advantage, not a marketing trick. At the same time, however, overclocking raises questions about thermal management during long-term load. These are things that a benchmark won’t show – but reviews will.

What else will the S26 Ultra bring?

Performance is just one piece of the puzzle. According to current leaks, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will also feature a so-called Privacy Display – a screen that limits screen visibility from side angles, preventing curious onlookers from peeking over your shoulder.

The battery should increase to 5,200 mAh, and the cameras will receive only minor adjustments. Samsung will also complement the launch with a new generation of Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds Pro headphones.

Launch in three days: why are benchmarks leaking right now?

The timing of Geekbench 6 leaks just before the launch is no mystery. Benchmark results generate media attention, create hype, and customers remember them when making purchasing decisions. Whether these leaks are authentic or controlled – that’s a question we won’t get an answer to anyway. But the result is the same in both cases: the S26 Ultra is on every tech website in the world three days before its sale.

The official unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will take place on February 25. That’s when we’ll learn the price, availability, and – hopefully – a bit more about how the phone performs outside of synthetic tests. Until then, take benchmark results as indicative figures, not as a verdict.

How excited are you for the Galaxy S26 series?

Source: notebookcheck