Samsung S26 Ultra Tops Galaxy S26 Lineup as Samsung Unveils New Phones and Buds
Samsung announced new smartphones and earbuds today, including the Samsung S26 Ultra and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, with all new products available for pre-order today and launching officially on March 11th. This release matters because the company raised base storage across the S26 family, introduced a new internal chip with AI features, and refreshed its earbuds lineup—moves that change pricing and what buyers get at each tier.
Samsung S26 Ultra: price, cameras and charging
The Samsung S26 Ultra arrives as the flagship of the newly revealed Galaxy S26 series. It includes improved cameras and faster wired and wireless charging, and it starts at $1, 299—an entry price unchanged from last year’s S25 Ultra. The phone is part of a trio that benefits from a new internal chip designed for faster performance across tasks and to power new AI software features.
S26 and S26 Plus: storage, batteries and pricing
Samsung is launching a full lineup that includes the Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. All three models now start at 256GB of storage, up from 128GB on the S25 and S25 Plus. The S26 and S26 Plus received modest hardware upgrades: the S26 gains a slightly larger battery—4, 300 mAh, up from 4, 000—while the S26 Plus offers slightly faster wireless charging. The storage increase also brings price changes: the S26 and S26 Plus are $100 more expensive than before, with retail prices of $899 and $1, 099, respectively.
Built-in privacy screen and new AI features
A major software and UX change across the S26 lineup is a built-in privacy screen. Traditional privacy screens dim a display when viewed off-angle; Samsung’s implementation is highly customizable, letting users choose which elements are dimmed to onlookers, including notifications and password screens. Complementing that is the new internal chip and a slate of AI software features intended to improve everyday performance and interactions.
Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro: design and battery
Samsung also announced the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Both earbuds share a new design with smoother, rounded eartips that contrast with the Buds 3’s sharp, triangular stem shape. The Buds 4 are the more budget-friendly option and do not have rubber eartips, resulting in a semi-open ear design similar to another well-known earbud. They deliver up to six hours of battery life, plus 30 more hours from the charging case. The Buds 4 Pro are positioned as the premium pair, featuring traditional rubber eartips and up to seven hours of battery life plus 30 additional hours from the charging case.
What’s missing and what to expect next
Notably absent from the announcement was any mention of a Galaxy S26 Edge. Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge last year—a super-thin, super-light smartphone compared to its other models—but the company did not mention the Edge during today’s event, so it is unclear in the provided context whether there will be a Galaxy S26 Edge. Separately, Samsung typically launches new Galaxy Watches, Z-Flip and Z-Fold phones in the summer, and a second Galaxy Unpacked event in the summer is expected for those devices.
Galaxy Ring legal questions and the product’s future
The Samsung Galaxy Ring launched in the summer of 2024, but its future is clouded by legal action: Oura, maker of the Oura Ring, quickly filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung, and Samsung filed a counter suit against Oura. This follows a pattern in which Samsung has filed similar patent suits against other smart ring makers such as Ultrahuman, RingConn and Zepp Health. The fate of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is more uncertain than some of the brand’s other products, and it is unclear in the provided context when we might see a Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 hitting store shelves.
A reporter who has covered Samsung and its competitors for years provided this overview as part of ongoing coverage of phones, smartwatches and earbuds. The company’s February launch cadence has been consistent for more than five years, and today’s pre-orders and the March 11th launch date mark the next step in that cycle.
