In a surprising development just days before Samsung’s big event, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has reportedly been sold in Dubai through grey market channels. The phone is scheduled to launch officially at the Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25, 2026. However, one tech YouTuber claims he has already purchased the device.
Sahil Karoul, known as @KaroulSahil on X, shared videos showing the alleged retail unit of the Galaxy S26 Ultra. According to him, he bought the white variant from a retailer in Dubai for around $3,300. That price is significantly higher than expected official pricing, which clearly suggests early grey market availability.
It is still not clear how the device reached a store before launch. In most cases, smartphones are shipped to retailers ahead of launch under strict embargo rules. Sales are only allowed after the official announcement.
Grey market sales usually happen when a retailer gets early stock and decides to sell it unofficially at a premium price. Dubai is known for such early device leaks in the past as well. Over the years, several flagship phones have surfaced there before launch day.
From the shared videos, the Galaxy S26 Ultra appears to have a flat frame and a more prominent raised camera island compared to the previous model. The periscope lens is now circular instead of rectangular.
The S Pen is still present. However, just like last year, it reportedly does not support Bluetooth features. When inserted backwards, it oddly protrudes, which has already started online discussions.
The color shown in the videos looks white, though Samsung may use a different marketing name when it officially launches the device.
We also got to know about Privacy Display feature. When enabled, the screen becomes unreadable from side angles. It works similar to physical privacy screen protectors but is built into the display. From the demo video, it appears that the entire display darkens from side views. It is not yet confirmed whether users can apply this feature to specific apps or only to the full screen.
The leaked unit shows impressive benchmark numbers. The device scored around 3.72 million points on AnTuTu v11. On Geekbench 6, it achieved 3648 in single core and 10898 in multi core tests.
This early appearance could impact the surprise factor of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event. Many key details are already circulating online.
Interestingly, Samsung reportedly moved quickly to control the situation. Most of the videos shared by Karoul on X were later taken down. The company may have issued copyright takedown requests to limit further spread of the leaked content.
This move appears to be an effort to maintain hype and control the narrative ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event. Big brands usually prefer to reveal new features on their own stage rather than through unofficial leaks. However, once content is posted online, it often spreads quickly across platforms. Even if original videos are removed, screenshots and reposts continue to circulate.
