Samsung Galaxy S26 Series: AI Takes Center Stage

The Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra were unveiled at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 25, 2026, marking the third generation of Samsung’s Galaxy AI phone Samsung Newsroom. Available for pre-order now, the devices will launch on March 11, 2026, and represent a refinement of Samsung’s flagship smartphone line, with a significant emphasis on artificial intelligence capabilities.

Privacy Display: A Game Changer for the S26 Ultra

The Galaxy S26 Ultra leads the lineup with a 6.9-inch AMOLED QHD+ display featuring an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. A key innovation is the Privacy Display, which limits side-angle viewing without requiring a screen protector. Developed over five years, this technology restricts visibility from the sides, above, and below, protecting on-screen content from onlookers Samsung Newsroom. Users can assign the Privacy Display to the side button’s double-press function for quick access.

The S26 Ultra boasts a slimmer profile, measuring 0.3mm thinner than its predecessor and weighing 214 grams. It also features a 5,000mAh battery with Super Fast Charging 3.0, capable of reaching 75% charge in 30 minutes with 60W charging, and supports 25W wireless charging.

The camera system includes a 50MP ultra-wide lens paired with a 200MP main shooter (47% brighter than the previous generation), a 50MP telephoto lens (37% brighter), and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The S Pen stylus is included, though Bluetooth functionality has been removed following low user adoption Tom’s Guide.

The S26 Ultra is available with 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage, or 16GB of RAM with 1TB of storage. It is priced starting at $1,299.99 Tom’s Guide.

Goodbye 128GB: Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+

The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ share similar camera and internal specifications, with the primary differences lying in display size and battery capacity. The Galaxy S26 features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display, while the S26+ offers a larger 6.7-inch QHD+ display. Both displays support adaptive refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz.

Samsung has discontinued 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 setup includes a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens.

The S26 has a 4,300mAh battery and supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The S26+ features a 4,900mAh battery, 45W wired charging, and 20W wireless charging.

The Galaxy S26+ is priced at $1,099.99, and the Galaxy S26 is priced at $899.99 Tom’s Guide.

Perplexity Integration and Enhanced AI Features

The Galaxy S26 series integrates Perplexity, an AI search service, directly into its Galaxy AI assistant and pre-loads the Perplexity app PCMag. AI enhancements extend to the camera, with improved nightography and a new Super Steady Video feature that provides gimbal-like stabilization.

Additional AI-powered features include Audio Eraser for clearer voice capture, improvements to the Creative Studio for AI image editing, and an organization feature for screenshots. Samsung’s Now features—Now Nudge, Now Brief, and Now Bar—have also been enhanced to provide more personalized suggestions and updates.

Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds4

Alongside the S26 series, Samsung announced 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 PCMag.

The Buds4 Pro feature an 11mm Dynamic Speaker, while the Buds4 Pro combine an 11mm Super Wide Woofer with a 5.5mm Planar Tweeter. The Buds4Pro are priced at $249.99, and the Buds4 are priced at $179.99.