Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: The Best Inventions of 2026 - Time Magazine

The S26 Ultra still offers the best cameras on a Samsung, even over the pricier Z Fold 8 Ultra. From the early days of Android, Samsung has stood out as a leader of the pack, and over the last few years, the Ultra tier of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S line has served as a high bar for the rest of the market. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the latest phone to fill that role, and it's little surprise that it's bringing a lot to the table. The S26 Ultra naturally packs the latest high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip for extreme speeds that'll hold up for years to come. It has a robust camera system that can rival the rest of the market. And for 2026, it naturally has a lot of AI features trying to find practical ways to fit into our lives. Samsung may not be innovating much in the phone's design, leaving it a tame-looking device with little to differentiate it from prior models, but it's still an all-around great phone with a little room for improvement here and there and hardly any major shortcomings. It comes at a high price, starting at $1,399 (it was $1,299 before a post-release price increase), so it won't be for everyone.

Fujifilm’s instax mini Evo Cinema ($378.99 on Amazon), a $410 hybrid instant camera capable of recording short video clips and producing physical prints, has been selected as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026. The camera was recognized in the Consumer Electronics category, joining 300 innovations selected by the publication this year. Interestingly, the award goes to a camera with modest video specifications but a distinctive approach to combining digital recording with the nostalgic experience of instant photography. The camera is currently available on Amazon for $378.99, an 8% discount from its $409.95 list price. Introduced in January 2026, the instax mini Evo Cinema combines three functions in one device: a digital still camera, a short-form video camera, and an instax mini printer. Its design draws inspiration from traditional 8mm movie cameras, featuring a vertical body, physical controls, and a dedicated recording mechanism. The camera’s most distinctive feature is its Gen Dial, which allows users to select visual styles inspired by ten different decades, ranging from the 1930s to the 2020s.

Vancouver-based Glüxkind has been named to TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 for Rosa, its smart stroller designed to make everyday parenting a little easier. The Parenting category selection recognizes a stroller that combines motor-assisted movement with features such as automatic rocking and integrated audio. TIME highlights Rosa’s ability to help parents navigate hills and soothe a child, while noting that the stroller is not intended to operate unattended.

After losing his fingers in a fireworks accident in Nigeria on New Year’s Day 2019, Ubokobong Amanam couldn’t find a prosthetic that matched his dark skin tone. His brother, John, a special-effects artist, crafted him a hyperrealistic hand, and together they founded Immortal Cosmetic Art, making lifelike prosthetics for other Black amputees. “We try to restore comfort and confidence to the amputee,” Ubokobong says. With a background in technology and electronics, John next set out to develop a prosthetic that was not only realistic but also functional. The resulting Ubokobong Bionic Arm—which is myoelectric, or controlled by muscle signals—is now with clients across 56 countries.