S26 Ultra and s26 ultra: The Most Intuitive Galaxy AI Phone Yet
Samsung Electronics announced the Galaxy S26 series, and the S26 Ultra is presented as the most intuitive Galaxy AI phone yet. The company says the Galaxy S26 lineup is designed to simplify everyday tasks and reduce the number of steps required, and the announcement notes that all new products are available for pre-order today and will launch officially on March 11th.
Galaxy S26 series overview
Samsung described the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra as its third-generation AI phones. The series is engineered with three elements working together: strong performance, an industry-leading camera system and Galaxy AI, which Samsung says allows complex tasks to run in the background so users can focus on results rather than the technology. the lineup is built on the most powerful hardware ever on a Galaxy S series and uses a customized chipset tuned for AI performance, power efficiency and thermal management.
S26 Ultra privacy and design
Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces what Samsung calls the world’s first built-in Privacy Display for mobile phones, intended to unlock new display experiences and reinforce privacy at a pixel level. The S26 Ultra is also described as the slimmest Ultra yet and is said to deliver a customized chipset and upgraded thermal management to enable faster and more powerful AI.
Processor, performance and cooling
On Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung highlighted a customized mobile processor named Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy. this chipset delivers the best performance ever in its class with significant gains across CPU, GPU and NPU to support faster, smoother experiences throughout the day. The announcement lists a CPU performance increase of up to 19%, a 39% improvement in NPU performance to power always-on Galaxy AI features, and a 24% boost in GPU performance for richer visuals and more fluid gameplay.
To sustain performance, Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces a redesigned Vapor Chamber with thermal interface material positioned along the sides of the processor, which Samsung said allows heat to spread more efficiently across a larger surface area. That design is intended to improve heat dissipation to keep the device cool and consistent during demanding activities such as gaming, multitasking and video capture.
Battery, storage and pricing
Samsung said all three S26 models now start at 256GB of storage, up from 128GB on the S25 and S25 Plus. The company also said the phones have a new internal chip for faster performance in all tasks, including new AI software features. The S26 model was described as having a slightly larger battery of 4, 300 mAh, up from 4, 000 mAh, while the S26 Plus was said to have slightly faster wireless charging. That storage increase was noted to make the S26 and S26 Plus $100 more expensive than before, with retail prices of $899 and $1, 099, respectively. Samsung said the S26 Ultra also has improved cameras and faster wired and wireless charging and that it starts at $1, 299, unchanged from last year’s S25 Ultra price.
Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro
Alongside the phones, Samsung announced Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Both earbuds were described as sharing a new design with smoother, rounded eartips, a change from the Buds 3’s sharp, triangular stem shape. The Buds 4 were described as the more budget-friendly option that do not have rubber eartips and therefore use a semi-open ear design similar to Apple AirPods 4; Samsung said the Buds 4 will get up to six hours of battery life plus 30 more hours with the charging case. The Buds 4 Pro were described as the premium option with traditional rubber eartips and up to seven hours of battery life plus 30 more hours from the charging case.
Other product notes and legal context
Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge last year, described as a super-thin, super-light smartphone compared to other models; the brand did not mention an Edge model during this event, so it is unclear whether there will be a Galaxy S26 Edge at this time. The company typically launches new Galaxy Watches, Z-Flip and Z-Fold phones in the summer and a second Galaxy Unpacked event in the summer was suggested for those devices. The Galaxy Ring launched in the summer of 2024; the context states that Oura, maker of the Oura Ring, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung and that Samsung has filed similar patent suits against Ultrahuman, RingConn, Zepp Health and others. Samsung has filed a counter suit against Oura. The context notes that the fate of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is more uncertain than some of the brand’s other products and includes the line: "I'm not sure when we might see the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 hitting store shelves. "
Samsung’s announcement also quoted TM Roh, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics: "We believe AI should be something people can depend on every day, designed to work consistently for everyone and without the need for expertise, " and he added, "With the Galaxy S26 series, we focused on making AI feel effortless, working quietly in the background so people can focus on what matters. "
The release text ends with the fragment "To support all-day use, Galaxy S26" — unclear in the provided context.
All the new products are available for pre-order today, and launch officially on March 11th. The company noted it has launched new phones and earbuds in February consistently for over five years.
