No breakthroughs, but with an updated design and deep AI integration — Samsung introduced the Galaxy S26 series
Samsung Electronics held a Galaxy Unpacked presentation, where it officially announced the launch of the flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone series, which become the most intuitive and smart devices in the brand's history thanks to improved Galaxy AI artificial intelligence capabilities, enhanced performance, and advanced cameras.
Main innovations
The lineup includes three models: Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra and features an updated design with smoother contours, reduced thickness, and a unified color palette.
There are practically no hardware improvements in the S26 series; the specifications remain almost identical to the previous lineup, except for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor — an exclusive version of the chip with increased performance. It should be noted that in South Korea, the Galaxy S26 and S26+ will also be available with the world's first 2nm Exynos 2600 chipset.
The new camera module received a redesigned block and improved aperture (Ultra — f/1.4), while enhanced Galaxy AI integration added extended photo and video processing functions, as well as smart camera usage scenarios.
However, one of the main innovations is the Privacy Display — a unique feature of the Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen, concealing the image from prying eyes.
The main focus of the presentation was on the Galaxy S26 Ultra — the flagship of the series. Its body is made of aluminum and became 0.3 mm thinner compared to the previous generation, featuring an updated camera system — a main camera of 200 MP and a periscope camera of 50 MP with 5x zoom.
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S26+ | Galaxy S26 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 146.9×71.7×7.2 mm, 167 g | 158.4×75.8×7.3 mm, 190 g | 163.6×78.1×7.9 mm, 214 g |
| Screen | 6.3" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, FHD+, 1–120 Hz | 6.7" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+, 1–120 Hz | 6.9" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+, 1–120 Hz |
| Processor | 10-core Exynos 2600, up to 3.8 GHz, Xclipse 960 | 10-core Exynos 2600, up to 3.8 GHz, Xclipse 960 | 8-core Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| Memory | 12 GB RAM + 128/256/512 GB ROM | 12 GB RAM + 256/512 GB ROM | 12 GB RAM + 256/512/1024 GB ROM |
| Cameras | 12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 120°, 1.4 μm + 50 MP, ƒ/1.8, 85°, 1.0 μm (wide) + 10 MP, ƒ/2.4, 3x (telephoto); 12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 85°, 1.12 μm (selfie) |
12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 120°, 1.4 μm + 50 MP, ƒ/1.8, 85°, 1.0 μm (wide) + 10 MP, ƒ/2.4, 3x (telephoto); 12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 85°, 1.12 μm (selfie) |
50 MP, ƒ/1.9, 120°, 0.7 μm + 200 MP, ƒ/1.4, 85°, 0.6 μm (wide) + 50 MP, ƒ/2.9, 5x (telephoto 1) + 10 MP, ƒ/2.4, 3x (telephoto 2); 12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 85°, 1.12 μm (selfie) |
| Battery | 4300 mAh, fast, wireless, and reverse charging | 4900 mAh, fast, wireless, and reverse charging | 5000 mAh, fast, wireless, and reverse charging |
| System | OneUI 8.5 (Android 16) | OneUI 8.5 (Android 16) | OneUI 8.5 (Android 16) |
As insiders reported, sales of the Galaxy S26 start on March 11, and pre-orders can already be placed.
Galaxy S26 is offered in four colors: purple, white, black, and blue.
Source: Samsung
