itel Mobile has unveiled another smartphone this year, the Super 26 Ultra, also known as Itel S26 Ultra, and while it hasn’t been officially launched in Uganda, the handset is available in other markets in Africa, including Nigeria and Kenya.
According to media reports, the Itel S26 Ultra offers customers a hands-on experience with a uniquely designed product that combines elegance and power in one sleek, pocket-friendly package.
Arriving as a deliberate bid to blur the line between mid-range value and flagship polish, the handset stacks a swathe of headline features for a entry-level device, a high-refresh AMOLED display, a large 6,000mAh battery, huge storage, and a fairly-good camera to give photos & videos worth social sharing — into a package that looks aimed squarely at buyers in emerging markets who want premium flair without flagship pricing.
The itel S26 Ultra is an improvement of the S25 Ultra, and while speaking to Kenyan media, Ryan Zhang, Itel Kenya brand manager, noted that the phone features significant improvements ensures smooth operation without lag. While we compared it side by side with its predecessor, the improvements may not win over enthusiasts chasing raw power, but for the average user, they turn incremental upgrades into meaningful enhancements to everyday phone life.
With the phone themed around “Ultra Strong and Ultra Smooth”, its strongest asset is its display. Itel equips the phone with a 6.8-inch 3D-curved AMOLED panel with a Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, a 144Hz refresh rate, 440 ppi density, and roughly 1.5K resolution, offering smooth animations and vivid colours. The company comes with a slim 6.8mm profile, delivering a handset that’s modern and easy to hold —a notable point in a segment increasingly dominated by bulky devices.
Under the hood, the itel S26 Ultra comes with a Unisoc T7300 chipset built on a 6nm node, an octa-core CPU configuration, and Android 15 coupled with itel OS 15. Itel pairs that silicon with generous memory and storage options up to 256GB of onboard storage and 8GB RAM, positioning the device for multi-tasking and everyday gaming. In practice, the SoC won’t topple premium Snapdragon or Dimensity chips in benchmark tests, but it should offer competent day-to-day performance with the benefit of better battery efficiency from its modern fabrication.
As for the cameras, it comes with a dual rear-camera setup: 50MP (primary, wide-angle) + 2MP (depth, macro), and an Auxiliary lens. The rear camera system comes with AI enhancements and can record videos up to 2K. One very essential feature they lack is the Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), which by now every smartphone manufacturer is aware that it’s highly needed.
For the front camera, a 32MP front camera is embedded in a punch-hole notch, promising high-resolution selfies and features designed for night shooting and vloggers. For content creators on a budget, those features — alongside 2K/30fps video recording and software aids such as AI scene optimization ―make the Super 26 Ultra an attractive tool for social content without the need for expensive gear.
Battery life is among the headlines. At 6,000mAh, that capacity translates into confidence for multi-day use for many users. The trade-off is charging speed: the phone supports 18W wired fast charging, which is conservative given the battery’s size, and at a time when many competitors offer much faster wired or even wireless charging.
On the extras list, Itel includes familiar practical touches such as Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth v5.2, NFC Support, USB Type-C 2.0, DTS audio enhancements, and an IP65 water and dust resistance —functional additions that accentuate the device’s everyday utility.
In the crowded value-flagship field, the Super 26 Ultra’s case is straightforward: it offers a premium look and feel, a best-in-class screen for the segment, ample battery life, huge storage, and an average good camera system, all packaged at a price that undercuts traditional flagships. For consumers who prioritize display quality, battery endurance, and camera versatility without paying top-tier prices, the itel S26 Ultra could be a compelling choice.
Ultimately, the Super 26 Ultra reads like a strategic play: give mainstream users the aesthetic and everyday features of a flagship while accepting a few reasonable trade-offs. If Itel aimed to make premium features feel accessible, this is a phone that largely delivers.
See also: From humble beginnings to CITY limits: The remarkable evolution of itel smartphones
