Samsung S26 Ultra: samsung s26 ultra launch and what changed
The samsung s26 ultra sits at the center of pricing and feature shifts after Samsung's latest reveal, with new U. K. and U. S. fares and a headline privacy screen. The phones were shown at a London press briefing last week, where pricing, storage changes and upgraded software were all discussed.
Launch and London briefing
The devices were presented at a press briefing in London last week. Immediately after the presentation the presenter was asked about price, a detail the company had kept largely under wraps despite heavy leaks that had previously revealed an upgraded Bixby.
Samsung S26 Ultra pricing details
In the U. K., the base Galaxy S26 starts at £879, the Galaxy S26 Plus at £1, 099 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra at £1, 279. That represents a small £30 to £100 bump across the range and semi-aligns with an earlier rumor that Samsung planned to increase prices by £23 and £45. In the U. S., the Galaxy S26 base unit is listed at $899. 99, up from $799. 99 for the Galaxy S25; the Galaxy S26 Plus is $1, 099. 99, up from $999. 99; and the Galaxy S26 Ultra is quoted at $1, 299. 99. Separate coverage lists the Galaxy S26 starting at $900, the S26+ at $1, 100 and the S26 Ultra at $1, 300, and notes that both baseline non‑Ultra Galaxy S26 phones cost $100 more than the previous generation.
Memory prices and shortages
All devices in the new line now start at 256GB; the cheaper 128GB option has been eliminated. The price adjustments are tied to a global shortage of memory that is being eaten up by AI data centers, a shift that is driving component prices higher and raising the cost to make hardware — costs that are being passed on to consumers. One assessment noted the company refused to downgrade memory specs, a move that would hamper on‑device AI processing, and that memory and RAM pressures are a real factor in the pricing decisions.
Privacy screen and settings
The most notable hardware addition is a built‑in privacy screen. In the most aggressive mode the display blacks out at certain angles and becomes opaque quite quickly as you move away from looking directly at the panel. The privacy display can be set to protect only select apps or notifications in the settings menu — for example, blocking out a password as it is typed or hiding notifications from specific apps while leaving the rest of the screen visible. The feature is built into the hardware and was said to have taken five years to develop. The privacy implementation was described as working better than expected and is expected to be a standout feature of the series, evoking a past industry surprise when 3D Face Unlock was introduced on another device.
Design, weight, colors and chips
The new models use aluminum frames rather than the titanium seen on recent Ultra and Pro models, a choice that keeps them lighter with less chance of overheating but at the cost of some durability. The Galaxy S26 is lighter than the iPhone 17 at 167g (0. 36 pounds) compared with Apple’s 177g (0. 39 pounds). The Galaxy devices come in a classic cobalt violet purplish color, plus sky blue, black and white; silver and pink gold are available only by ordering online. By contrast, the regular iPhone 17 colorways include black, white, "Mist Blue, " "Sage" and "Lavender, " while the most popular color overall was the iPhone 17 Pro in "Cosmic Orange, " a shade no Galaxy S26 model matched in boldness. One visible difference between the platforms is the absence of a programmable Action button on Galaxy phones and the different logo on the back. Under the hood, despite prior rumors that lower‑end Galaxy phones might use an in‑house Exynos chip, all three Galaxy phones are powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip.
Specs, S Pen and availability
Both the Galaxy S26 and the iPhone 17 have 6. 3‑inch displays; resolutions differ, with the Galaxy S26 at 2, 340 x 1, 080 and the iPhone 17 at 2, 622 x 1, 206. The iPhone 17 lists a slightly higher pixel density at 460 PPI versus 411 PPI on the Galaxy S26, and both support refresh rates up to 120Hz. The S26 Ultra keeps support for the included S Pen that slots into the phone’s base and is fitted with a 3, 120 x 1, 440 resolution screen with a stated 500 PPI; the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s comparable 6. 9‑inch display is listed at 2, 868 x 1, 320 with 460 PPI. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is also the only phone in the set with the special Privacy Display. The Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra go up for preorder Feb. 25 and start shipping Mar. 11.
Bixby upgrade and example use
Bixby has been upgraded to operate as a natural‑language device expert, able to find or change settings without knowing their names. An example demonstration used the phrase, "My eyes are strained; what can you do?" and the assistant turned on the Eye Comfort Shield in response.
These are the explicit, confirmed changes and comparisons from the latest reveal, covering pricing, storage, the new privacy hardware, software upgrades and the detailed display and weight specs made public at the briefing.
