Galaxy S26 Ultra Drop Test: Did Samsung’s Aluminum Switch Pay Off?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra made headlines for its Privacy Display, which shields you from nearby prying eyes. But Samsung's one was quite questionable— switching from Titanium back to aluminium. But a recent drop test has shown something incredible about this move's durability perks. Without further ado, let's head into the drop test results of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Drop Test:

Drop test results

In the video, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is dropped several times from about head height onto concrete. This simulates those everyday moments when a phone slips out of your hand or falls from your pocket.

Surprisingly, the phone holds up quite well.

The front display, protected by Corning Gorilla Armor 2, survives every drop without cracking. Even after multiple impacts, the screen shows no spiderweb cracks and continues functioning normally.

So yeah…the new Armor Aluminum 2 frame also performs better than many expected. While the frame does pick up a few dents and scratches, there’s no structural damage, and the phone remains fully usable throughout the test. Sothe move proved durable!

A weak point: the camera glass

That said, not everything escapes damage. In the video, we can see that the glass covering the camera lenses appears to be the most vulnerable area. During the test, the lens cover for the 50MP telephoto camera cracks on the first direct face-down drop and breaks further with later impacts.

Fortunately, the camera itself still works despite the broken glass. However, the thinner camera ring design might leave the lens glass slightly more exposed compared to previous models.

Aluminum vs titanium

So, compared to the titanium frame on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the aluminum frame on the S26 Ultra does seem to show scratches and dents more easily. But importantly, these appear to be cosmetic issues rather than serious structural problems. So, it's safe to say, the newest model is also pretty durable.

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Another interesting detail is that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is thinner and lighter than before. We held the phone in our hands, and it does feel lightweight in the real world. The device measures 7.9mm thick, compared to 8.2mm on the previous model, and weighs 214 grams. So, keeping the phone durable while making it slimmer was likely one of the reasons Samsung switched to aluminum in the first place.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Drop Test Conclusion:

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Overall, the drop test suggests that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is still a very durable flagship phone, even if the aluminum frame may pick up visible marks over time. For most people, especially those using a protective case, this difference probably won’t matter much.

Aside from that, this is a proper flagship phone with a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip and a super-refined OneUI skin. Just that, the cameras are not that big of an upgrade! Lastly, the aluminium switch-back move outcomes as a smart choice, not a foolish one as per the drop test video.

• Meanwhile, you can check our Xiaomi 17 Ultra review.