Samsung unveiled its first flagship smartphones for 2026 today, the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra, which will be available on March 11. While not a radical departure from previous iterations, the new series features upgraded specifications and refinements across the board, with a particularly strong emphasis on artificial intelligence.
The company is positioning these devices as “AI phones” rather than simply smartphones, highlighting the expanded capabilities of its Galaxy AI platform. Improvements span video capture, AI-assisted image editing, video playback, and daily planning features. Alongside the phones, Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds4.
Privacy Display Gamechanger: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (left), Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26
The Galaxy S26 Ultra represents Samsung’s top-of-the-line offering. It features a 6.9-inch AMOLED QHD+ display with an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. All three S26 models boast a more rounded, slimmer design and are available in Black, Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, and White, with online-exclusive options of Silver Shadow and Pink Gold. The S26 Ultra is 0.3mm thinner than its predecessor and weighs 214 grams.
A key innovation on the S26 Ultra is its Privacy Display. This technology, the result of over five years of research and development, limits side-angle viewing without requiring a screen protector. The display remains clear when viewed directly, but visibility is restricted from the sides, offering increased privacy in public spaces. Users can assign the Privacy Display to the side button’s double-press function for quick access.
The S26 Ultra is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports Super Fast Charging 3.0, capable of reaching 75% charge in 30 minutes with a 60W charger. It also supports 25W wireless charging, though Samsung did not specify the recharge time for wireless charging.
The rear camera system comprises a 50MP ultra-wide lens paired with a 200MP main shooter, which Samsung claims is 47% brighter than the previous generation. A 50MP telephoto lens offers improved brightness (37% brighter), alongside a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The phone includes the S Pen stylus, though Bluetooth functionality has been removed following low user adoption.
Configuration options include 12GB of RAM with 256GB or 512GB of storage, or 16GB of RAM with 1TB of storage, all powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. The S26 Ultra is priced starting at $1,299.99 and is available for preorder now.
Goodbye 128GB Flagships: Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (left), Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26
The Galaxy S26 and S26+ share many similarities with the Ultra model, including the same camera technology and internal specifications. The primary differences lie in the display size and battery capacity. The S26 features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with 411 pixels per inch, while the S26+ boasts a larger 6.7-inch QHD+ display with 516 pixels per inch. Both displays support adaptive refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz.
Samsung has eliminated the 128GB storage option for the S26 series, offering configurations with 256GB or 512GB of storage, paired with 12GB of RAM. Both models are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
The camera systems on both the S26 and S26+ include a 50MP main lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens. The S26 features a 4,300mAh battery, while the S26+ has a larger 4,900mAh battery. The S26+ supports 45W wired charging and 20W wireless charging, while the S26 is limited to 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.
The S26+ is priced at $1,099.99, and the S26 costs $899.99. Both models are available for preorder now, with a launch date of March 11.
Perplexity as Standard: New AI Improvements
The Galaxy S26 series incorporates numerous AI enhancements, including integrated support for Perplexity within its Galaxy AI assistant. The Perplexity app is also pre-installed on the phones as part of a partnership between the two companies.
Improvements extend to the camera system, with enhanced nightography capabilities. The new Super Steady Video feature, with a horizontal lock, provides gimbal-like stabilization for smoother video recording. Samsung also introduced Audio Eraser to reduce background noise in videos, improvements to the Creative Studio for AI-assisted image editing, and a new organization feature for screenshots.
Samsung is also expanding its “Now” features with Now Nudge, which provides real-time suggestions based on message context, such as suggesting meeting times based on calendar availability. Improvements have also been made to Now Brief and Now Bar to deliver more personalized updates.
Samsung has not yet confirmed whether these Galaxy AI improvements will be available on older devices, and while the features are currently free, the company has previously indicated that future AI features may require a subscription.
Volume Up: Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds4
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 4 (left) and Galaxy Buds 4
Alongside the phones, Samsung announced two new pairs of earbuds: the Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds4. The Buds4 Pro are canal-type earbuds with a redesigned, more comfortable fit, while the Buds4 are open-type earbuds. Both are available in Black and White.
The Buds4 feature an 11mm Dynamic Speaker, while the Buds4 Pro utilize an 11mm Super Wide Woofer paired with a 5.5mm Planar Tweeter. Initial testing indicates excellent noise cancellation.
