Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Could Support Android Virtualisation Framework; Design Spotted in Leaked Renders

Samsung Galaxy S26 series is expected to be launched by the South Korean smartphone maker in the fourth week of February. The lineup will reportedly include the standard Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and the flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra. While the tech giant has yet to confirm its rumoured unveiling, the Ultra's specifications and design have been surfacing online for a while. Now, a leaked code of an Android 16-based One UI 8.5 build suggests that the handset will ship with Android Visualisation Framework, allowing users to run developer tools. Additionally, the purported renders of the phone have been leaked, offering a peek into its design.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Features, Design (Expected)

Android Authority reports that the leaked One UI 8.5 build for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra suggests that the smartphone will be launched with Android Visualisation Framework support. This means the handset will be able to run “proper” development tools, along with scripting utilities and Linux-based apps, which would otherwise require a computer.

This is said to allow this year's Ultra model to offer greater flexibility than its predecessor. Considering this was spotted in the pre-release log files, the above information should be taken with a pinch of salt. Additionally, it is unclear whether this feature will also ship with the standard Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26+ models. More details are expected to be revealed in the coming days.

Separately, Android Headlines has shared the purported computer-aided design (CAD) renders of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. The handset is shown with a quad rear camera setup, with three of the lenses placed inside a pill-shaped camera module. This is in line with the recently leaked renders of the phone, which suggested that the South Korea-based company could make some subtle design changes to its flagship Galaxy S series handset.

On the front, the purported Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is shown to sport a hole-punch display cutout for the selfie camera and relatively thin bezels. A power button and volume controls could be placed on the right side of the phone. Its S-Pen stylus also features a curved top, as the S-Pen slot has reportedly been moved to the phone's corner. Meanwhile, the body and tip of the stylus are shown to resemble its predecessor.

This comes soon after a leaked invite to this year's Galaxy Unpacked event suggested that the company will launch the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 on February 25. The phones will reportedly go on sale globally, including India, in March.