Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26 series at Galaxy Unpacked 2026 on February 25 in San Francisco. The Galaxy S26 series represents the third generation of Samsung’s Galaxy AI smartphones, combining the most powerful performance in Galaxy S series history with intuitive AI features.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Series (from left): Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Samsung Galaxy S26.
Sleek and Lightweight Design
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series immediately impresses with its refined, modern aesthetic, featuring rounded edges and harmonious colors for a cohesive design across the product line. This focus on design reflects a broader trend in the smartphone industry towards more ergonomic and visually appealing devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Series features a harmonious overall gaze: (From left) Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Samsung Galaxy S26.
The slim, lightweight build is also noteworthy. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is 0.3mm thinner than its predecessor and weighs 214 grams. This slimmer profile enhances handling even as maintaining a secure grip.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Series is available in Cobalt Violet, Black, Sky Blue, and White.
Privacy Display: Focus on Privacy
The newly introduced Privacy Display with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra restricts side visibility without a screen protector. The Privacy Display remains clearly visible from the front, but is limited from the sides to protect screen content from prying eyes. This feature, the result of over five years of research and development, offers a hardware-driven solution to screen privacy.
Users can also conveniently control the Privacy Display with a double-click of the side function key. Content on the display remains hidden from curious glances from the side, which can be useful in public transportation or elevators.
Users can adjust how strongly they protect their privacy in the settings and apply this selectively when entering a PIN, pattern or password or when notification popups are displayed.
Galaxy AI: Intuitive AI for Everyone
Galaxy AI on the Samsung Galaxy S26 series is a combination of deep contextual awareness and proactive suggestions that support everyday tasks. The integration of AI into core smartphone functions signals a shift towards more personalized and efficient user experiences.
The new Now Nudge function ensures users spend less time switching between apps by providing important content in context. For example, if a friend asks about evening plans via a messaging app, Galaxy AI checks the calendar, recognizes conflicts, and offers a “matching popup.”
Now Nudge now displays current information about context-related icons.
Since its introduction in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, Circle to Search with Google has been popular with users and has now been further developed to support searches with multiple elements. For example, if you circle the outfit of a celebrity, the smartphone will show selected items of clothing with which you can copy the look.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series expands its Samsung Galaxy AI ecosystem with Bixby, Gemini and Perplexity. For example, users can adjust settings and control their device with natural language commands, even without knowing the exact designations of the settings or specific commands. If they say, “My eyes feel tired,” Bixby suggests activating eye comfort mode without having to navigate through the menus. Together, these agents can understand users’ intentions and context to optimize their daily routines, reduce steps to be performed on the smartphone, and make its apply seamless and efficient.
Bixby can understand users’ intentions and make relevant suggestions for smartphone settings.
Camera: High-Level Recordings, Supported by AI
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series marks another leap in mobile photography on Galaxy smartphones. Thanks to advanced AI, users can effortlessly capture and edit photos and videos.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra features a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 50-MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and 10x optical quality zoom, complemented by a larger aperture compared to the previous model for high image sharpness even in low-light conditions. The improved Nightography makes the reconstructed San Francisco skyline in the exhibition hall appear vivid and detailed despite the dark environment. The AI Image Signal Processor (ISP), previously used in the rear camera, is now also used in the front camera, capturing fine details from individual strands of hair to eyebrows while maintaining natural skin tones.
The enhanced Nightography function ensures clear recordings even in demanding lighting conditions. A look at the exhibition room (above) and a video recorded with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (below).
With the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, users not only have a variety of ways to take pictures, but also to get creative. Thanks to Galaxy AI, it offers an intuitive environment where ideas can be turned into finished results in moments.
The enhanced photo assistant goes one step further: it allows unwanted objects to be removed and new elements to be added naturally. If users want to restore a cut cake, the AI reconstructs it as if it were untouched. The function can also turn a daytime shot into a nighttime shot or adjust the details of an outfit to match the mood, making editing quick and effortless.
The photo assistant can reconstruct elements in images using AI-powered editing.
With Creative Studio, edited photos can be transformed into high-quality content. Users can simply prompt, for example, “Please draw me a dog” to generate a situation-specific sticker set that they can use in messages or photos. The function is also suitable for invitations, profile cards and backgrounds, thus expanding the creative possibilities in everyday life.
Users can create images from simple prompts with Creative Studio and transform them into individual stickers.
With the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, Samsung ushered in its new era of AI smartphones: Galaxy AI smartphones of the 3rd generation, which enable a personalized use that goes beyond recognizing intentions. With its powerful performance and intuitive Galaxy AI, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series is ushering in a new chapter in Samsung’s mobile technology.
1 Energy efficiency class: 
2 Certain AI features require an internet connection, a Samsung Account or a Google Account login. Galaxy AI is available in Germany from 16 years of age. Samsung reserves the right to make the service or individual functions chargeable.
3 The Privacy Display function controls the possible viewing angle of the screen to restrict visibility for other people. Outside the set viewing angle, there may be changes in image quality. Despite activation, some information may be visible to others depending on the viewing environment, such as angle or brightness. Not available for all apps. Requires the function to be manually activated in the settings.
4 The Now Nudge function requires logging in with a Samsung Account. The available functions and features may vary depending on the country, region and language. The messaging function is available with certain third-party messaging apps, including Samsung Messages, Google Messages, Google Chat, WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, KakaoTalk, LINE, Signal, Instagram (DM), Tango, NTT Docomo Messages and KDDI Messages. Supported languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese. Japanese, Korean, Thai, Polish, Vietnamese, Hindi.
5 Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Internet connection required. The availability of search functionalities and supported apps may vary depending on the country and language. Search results may vary depending on visual matches. Only works with compatible apps and interfaces.
6 The availability or scope of the service may vary depending on the country, provider, device model and operating system version. The real-time response function requires One UI 8.5 or higher. Bixby supports the following languages: Korean, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and Japanese. Samsung Account login and data network (WLAN or internet connection) are necessary for full functionality for Bixby.
7 Perplexity is a trademark of Perplexity AI Inc. A separate download from the Google Play Store is required for use. To use Perplexity as a digital assistant, the function must be assigned in the device settings of the function key. Certain functions require a account login and an internet connection. Availability may vary depending on the country, language, device model and operating system version.
8 47% more light in the 200MP wide-angle camera and 37% more light in the 50MP telephoto camera (5x optical zoom) of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. The shown improvements in brightness were determined in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
9 The results may vary depending on the lighting conditions and/or recording conditions, including multiple subjects, blur or moving subjects.
10 Generative editing requires an internet connection and logging in with a Samsung Account. Editing results in a reduced photo with up to 12 MP. A visible watermark is placed over the image when saving to indicate that the image was generated with AI. An invisible watermark is also added to image files so that they comply with the requirements of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). The accuracy of the results is not guaranteed.
11 Creative Studio requires a network connection and logging in with a Samsung Account. The availability of the service may vary depending on the country, language or device model. The accuracy and reliability of the generated results are not guaranteed. Stickers are only compatible with the Samsung Keyboard and can only be shared with other Galaxy devices with One UI 5.0 or newer and the Quick Share app version 13.8.50.x or newer via the Quick Share function.
