A flood of rumors ahead of Unpacked

February 25 - the expected date of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event - is fast approaching, and as always, the rumor mill is working overtime.

One of the latest leaks centers on the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s color options. According to renowned leaker Evan Blass, whose track record is notably accurate, the flagship is set to launch in six shades: black, white, silver shadow, sky blue, cobalt violet, and rose gold.

This lineup closely mirrors previous rumors from Ice Universe, who had earlier shared the four SIM tray colors - likely black, white, sky blue, and cobalt violet. Silver shadow and rose gold may be exclusive to online sales.

But take a closer look - what’s missing here?

Where did the bold orange go?

Earlier renders had featured a playful, vivid orange reminiscent of the hue Apple introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. This shade was expected - perhaps even anticipated - by some of the most reliable tipsters in the mobile scene.

Its absence in the final rumored lineup has taken many by surprise.

Granted, changes are still possible in the weeks to come. But at this stage of production, it’s hard to imagine Samsung suddenly adding a seventh color.

What’s more puzzling is that Samsung has often followed Apple’s design cues quite closely in the past. So why skip the orange this time?

Could a color make all the difference?

It may be an overstatement to attribute the iPhone 17’s success in 2025 solely to its orange color, but consumer tastes are unpredictable. Sometimes, it's the smallest visual details that make the biggest splash.

Samsung doesn’t necessarily need to replicate that exact orange. It doesn’t even have to be orange. But a bold, saturated, personality-driven color wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Even as a non-iPhone fan, one can’t deny that Apple’s Product Red remains one of the most iconic smartphone hues ever made. It’s a testament to how color can leave a lasting impression.

A moment to be bold

Flagships typically come in muted, refined tones - partly because the high-end audience tends to prefer subtlety. But now, perhaps more than ever, Samsung needs to make a bold move to outshine Apple.

Based on the leaks so far, the Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn’t appear to be a dramatic leap forward from the S25 Ultra - nor was the S25 a major departure from the S24.

While early reports suggested a larger 5,200 mAh battery, newer sources say it will remain at 5,000 mAh, which may disappoint some fans.

The wired charging speed might increase to 60W, but core specs like RAM or camera megapixels seem unlikely to change significantly.

Sure, the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip will deliver faster performance, but for many users, the improvement may feel incremental - the previous Elite version was already a powerhouse.

Even rumored upgrades to the display, such as the new M14 OLED panel, appear to focus more on energy efficiency than on dramatic visual enhancements.

Looking critically, the S26 Ultra’s rumored new features boil down to three main upgrades: a larger main camera aperture, a new Privacy Screen feature, and a slightly thinner chassis.

A telling user comment

One of the most striking remarks came from a user named JewelyaZ on a discussion forum titled “Will the Galaxy S26 series be a breakthrough or more of the same?” She wrote:

“I don’t care about AI. I care about the camera, battery, charging speed, and the S Pen. I might upgrade from the S23 Ultra to the S24 Ultra this year. But the Galaxy S26 Ultra? It’s just not compelling - and the colors are as dull as a Rav4.”

Hai Phong