Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Oppo Find X9 Ultra: Ultra flagship battle heats up

Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra can expect tougher competition in the year to come as the Chinese smartphone makers Oppo and Vivo seem to be all set for the global sale of their ultra-flagship products. After the previous news about the Vivo's X300 Ultra having international availability, it had now come out from the leaks that Oppo was the one that was going to have the Find X9 Ultra live across the globe.

Yogesh Brar, who is a leaker, has said that the Find X9 Ultra is going to be sold in the international market by the end of the first quarter of the year 2026. He further mentions that the availability of the device in India will largely be determined by how well the recently launched Find X9 and X9 Pro models perform in the Indian market. Europe is likely to be one of the first regions to receive the X9 Ultra, thus marking the entry of good quality camera phones made by Oppo outside China.

The Oppo Find X8 Ultra was an excellent smartphone, but it was only available in China. The first rumors about the Find X9 Ultra specify that it will come equipped with two 200MP main cameras plus a multi-spectral sensor for better color reproduction and accuracy. It will also likely come with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, huge battery, and fast charging, thus making it the strongest contender among the ultra-flagships.

The Vivo’s X300 Ultra is said to be the one with a similar route in development. Leakage indicates that the phone will be equipped with two 200MP cameras, topmost Qualcomm chipset, and a battery that can hold a large charge. The release in China is expected in January 2026, with the rollout in the rest of the world the following month possibly getting delayed till March.

Samsung is set to launch its next flagship phone, Galaxy S26 Ultra, in March 2026. Reports coming in point to only minor changes and not the major ones as expected, such as new sensors, little faster charging, and the same 5,000 mAh battery keeping the current camera configuration. Nevertheless, Oppo and Vivo's entry into the international ultra-flagship markets could still make it harder for Samsung.

According to experts, 2026 could be a watershed moment for Android ultra-flagships, as Samsung might have to contend with other brands giving heretofore unheard of pressure. The strong loyalty to the brand remains, yet the introduction of competitors often leads to innovations being unlocked. The end consumers are the ones who benefit, and the high-end smartphone market is in the making.