San francisco: Samsung Electronics Co. has launched its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S26 series, which come equipped with enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and a built-in privacy display on the Ultra model. The unveiling took place at the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event in San Francisco.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean tech giant presented three variants in the lineup: the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra, featuring displays of 6.3 inches, 6.7 inches, and 6.9 inches, respectively. Roh Tae-moon, co-CEO of Samsung Electronics, highlighted the intuitive AI usability of the series, emphasizing the significant hardware improvements. The Galaxy S26 Ultra boasts the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, offering a 39 percent boost in neural processing unit (NPU) performance compared to its predecessor.
Additionally, the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) performance have improved by 19 percent and 24 percent, respectively, enhancing advanced AI tasks and gaming experiences. Other models in the series will feature the Exynos 2600 application processor, delivering realistic colors through Samsung's mobile digital natural image engine (mDNIe).
The ProScaler image processing feature is included in the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S26+ for better visual clarity. Samsung Electronics emphasizes the customized AI features in the series, such as the Now Nudge feature, which displays a user's schedule when a meeting date is requested via text. The Circle to Search feature allows users to circle products, prompting automatic online searches.
Bixby, Samsung's AI assistant, now has improved natural language understanding, enabling quick device setting changes. Users can also opt for other AI tools like Gemini and Perplexity, accessible via voice command or side button. The Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces the industry's first Privacy Display, allowing users to protect on-screen content without extra films, with customizable scope and timing settings.
The Call Screening feature provides summaries of conversations from unidentified calls, aiding in avoiding spam or voice phishing. For photography, the Galaxy S26 Ultra features a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera and Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec support, while the series enhances night mode and stability in videos through the Super Steady feature.
Samsung plans to launch an advanced AI operating system in collaboration with Google, aiming for deeper AI integration at the system level. Roh expressed optimism about the Galaxy S26 series achieving record sales but did not specify targets. Preorders in South Korea begin Friday, with a global release on March 11.
The Galaxy S26 series will be offered in violet, white, black, and blue, with pink gold and silver available online. Pricing for the 256-GB Galaxy S26 starts at 1.25 million won (US$867), reflecting an increase due to rising memory chip prices. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will be available in 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1-terabyte models, priced at 1.79 million won, 2.05 million won, and 2.54 million won, respectively, while the 256-GB Galaxy S26+ will cost 1.45 million won.
Battery capacities for the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra are 4,300 mAh, 4,900 mAh, and 5,000 mAh, respectively, with the Galaxy S26 marking a 300-mAh increase from its predecessor. In addition to the smartphones, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Buds4 and Galaxy Buds4 Pro wireless earphones.