Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S26 series and Galaxy Buds4 series at Galaxy Unpacked 2026, held February 25 in San Francisco. The event underscored the company’s commitment to embedding Galaxy AI more deeply into everyday experiences, centered around the pillars of Reach, Openness, and Confidence. The launch signals a growing emphasis on artificial intelligence as a core component of the mobile experience.
The Galaxy S26 lineup follows a familiar structure with three models: a compact base model, a larger Plus version, and the feature-rich Ultra. The Ultra boasts an integrated S Pen and offers up to 1 TB of storage, with a corresponding premium price tag reaching as high as $2,2490 (converted from 22,490 Swedish krona).
Samsung’s TM Roh, CEO and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division, emphasized the company’s vision for agentic AI, stating, “Every groundbreaking technology follows a similar journey. It begins as a marvel — rare, expensive and loudly celebrated. But the technologies that change history fade into the background given that they become infrastructure.” He added, “Infrastructure is responsibility. It must work for everyone, everywhere. Today, there is still a gap between what AI promises and what people actually experience. Closing that gap is where Galaxy keeps pushing forward.”
Mattias Inghe
The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are powered by Samsung’s new Exynos 2600 chipset, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra features the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a special “For Galaxy” edition. The specifics of the “For Galaxy” edition remain unclear, potentially involving slight overclocking of cores or the graphics processing unit.
While previous “For Galaxy” versions haven’t delivered substantial performance gains, Samsung claims to have improved cooling in this year’s Ultra model. A test unit is currently undergoing performance evaluations.
Mattias Inghe
Privacy Display: A Standout Feature
Among the numerous AI, camera, and security enhancements, one feature particularly stands out: Privacy Display. This technology limits viewing angles, preventing onlookers from seeing the screen’s content. It functions similarly to a privacy filter applied to a display.
The screen controls this pixel by pixel, and can obscure specific elements, such as notifications, or activate automatically for selected apps. When enabled, the overall brightness is slightly reduced, but image quality and brightness otherwise remain unaffected. Initial impressions suggest it’s as clear and vibrant as previous models.
Mattias Inghe
Color Options, But Not So Vibrant
Four subdued colors will be available at retail, with two exclusive options sold through Samsung’s online store. The same color palette applies to all three models, and none are particularly striking, though the purple variant is quite appealing.
Mattias Inghe
Is the Galaxy S26 Ultra the phone to beat right now? Perhaps, in some respects. With its unique screen, Samsung offers something I haven’t seen before. However, its modest battery capacity is a concern. And whether the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus can rely solely on more AI features remains to be seen.
Samsung emphasized the “democratization of AI” and making AI features more “accessible and user-friendly” in everyday life. At the same time, they continue to add more features, overlapping models, and systems that users may need time to learn.
A Learning Curve
If you’re familiar with the differences between Gemini, Perplexity, and other providers and services, and understand what generative and agentic AI are and how to manage them, you may be able to get a lot out of Galaxy AI this spring. However, a seamless “one-button solution” that makes everything easier for a complete beginner is still lacking.
The Galaxy S26 series is available for pre-order now, both through Samsung, retailers, and carriers, with deliveries expected later in March.
