Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra becomes Lula's digital campaign 'weapon'
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stands next to his wife, Rosangela “Janja” da Silva, as supporters gather to celebrate his 81st birthday in Brasilia, Tuesday. Reuters-Yonhap
Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S26 Ultras / Korea Times file
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 81, reportedly embraced Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S26 Ultra to step up his social media campaign and reach younger voters in his bid for a historic fourth term in office.
Lula, who had long avoided using mobile phones, received his first smartphone, a Galaxy S26 Ultra, after a setback in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election. He then turned to WhatsApp and other digital platforms to broaden his campaign’s online reach, according to media reports.
The Guardian and the BBC reported on Oct. 26 that Lula’s camp launched a WhatsApp channel called “Lula’s Army” after he lost the first-round vote on Oct. 4. The channel attracted 10.8 million followers in just three weeks.
A video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Oct. 21 shows Rafael Fonteles, governor of the northeastern state of Piaui, presenting Lula with a box containing the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Lula pledged to join the “Lula’s Army” WhatsApp channel. At the end of the video, he held up the smartphone and described it as “the weapon of our army.”
The Galaxy S26 Ultra, launched in February, is Samsung Electronics’ flagship smartphone. It remains unclear why Lula chose the Samsung device as his first smartphone.