nullHere's a change that might disappoint some spec-watchers: the S26 Ultra is expected to use aluminum instead of titanium.
Wait, isn't that worse?
It depends on what you care about. Let's break it down:
What titanium does better:
- Resists scratches slightly more
- Sounds more premium in marketing materials
- That's... pretty much it for most people
What aluminum does better:
- Dissipates heat faster (better for gaming and video recording)
- Costs less to manufacture
- Weighs slightly less
The heat dissipation thing is actually meaningful. When you're playing games or shooting 4K video, the phone needs to shed heat quickly. Aluminum is genuinely better at this than titanium.
Why Samsung made the switch
Let's be honest: cost. Titanium is expensive. By using aluminum instead, Samsung can hold the line at $1,299 despite all the other upgrades costing more.
The weight drop from 233g to around 214g is partially thanks to this change too.
Will you notice?
Probably not in daily use. Samsung's calling it 'Armor Aluminum 2.0,' which suggests they've treated it to be more durable than standard aluminum.
The front glass is still Gorilla Armor 2, which is excellent protection. The frame might technically be less scratch-resistant, but most people put their phones in cases anyway.
If titanium was the main reason you bought a Samsung Ultra, this might matter. For everyone else, the improved thermals are arguably a better tradeoff.
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How we researched this
Where this comes from: this answer draws on the product's published specifications and the reviews ShopSavvy collected for it, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data.
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