S26 Ultra Leads Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Series With Privacy Screen, Bigger Storage and New Buds

Samsung announced its latest hardware today, introducing the Galaxy S26 family and new earbuds. The announcement confirms the Galaxy S26 Ultra as the flagship in a lineup where every phone now starts with 256GB of storage; all devices are available for pre-order today and will launch officially on March 11th. The S26 Ultra and its siblings bring a mix of hardware tweaks, a new internal chip with AI-focused software features, and a new built-in privacy screen that Samsung says is highly customizable.

What Samsung announced for the S26 family

The company revealed a full lineup: the Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. All three models now start at 256GB of storage, an increase from 128GB on the S25 and S25 Plus. The phones incorporate a new internal chip aimed at faster performance across tasks and enabling new AI software features. The brand continues its pattern of launching phones and earbuds in February, a cadence maintained for over five years.

S26 Ultra: camera, charging and flagship positioning

The S26 Ultra is presented as the most complete model in the family, with improved cameras and faster wired and wireless charging. The S26 Ultra starts at $1, 299, unchanged from last year’s S25 Ultra price, and shares the move to 256GB base storage with the rest of the series. The headline hardware and charging upgrades position the S26 Ultra as the focal point of the new generation.

S26 and S26 Plus: modest hardware upgrades and pricing shift

The S26 and S26 Plus receive targeted, incremental changes. The S26 gets a slightly larger battery of 4, 300 mAh, up from 4, 000 mAh. The S26 Plus benefits from slightly faster wireless charging. Both models now start at 256GB, and that storage increase corresponds with a $100 premium over last year’s entry prices: the S26 is priced at $899 and the S26 Plus at $1, 099.

Privacy screen and storage changes across the lineup

A major software-driven feature unveiled is a built-in privacy screen. Traditional privacy screens make the display appear very dim at off-angles; Samsung’s implementation is described as highly customizable, letting users choose which on-screen elements are dimmed to onlookers, including notifications and password screens. The move to 256GB base storage across all three phones is a significant shift in the series’ positioning and is accompanied by the new internal chip that supports the announced AI features.

Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: design and battery differences

Alongside the phones, Samsung introduced 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 use a semi-open ear design without rubber eartips, similar to Apple AirPods 4; they deliver up to six hours of battery life plus an additional 30 hours from the charging case. The Buds 4 Pro are the premium model with traditional rubber eartips and up to seven hours of battery life plus 30 additional hours from the case.

What’s next: Edge model, wearables and the Galaxy Ring legal cloud

Last year’s launch included a Galaxy S25 Edge model, but the company did not mention an Edge variant during this event; it is unclear in the provided context 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 is expected in the summer for those devices. Separately, the Galaxy Ring, which launched in the summer of 2024, faces legal uncertainty: Oura filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung and Samsung has filed a counter suit. Samsung has previously filed similar patent suits against other smart ring makers such as Ultrahuman, RingConn and Zepp Health. Given the ongoing litigation, it is unclear in the provided context when a Galaxy Ring 2 might hit store shelves.

All of the new Galaxy S26 phones and the new earbuds are available for pre-order today, with the official launch set for March 11th. Details not stated in the event remain unclear in the provided context.