Samsung Unveils S26 Ultra With Privacy Screen, Lighter Design and Expanded AI Focus
The new S26 Ultra debuted as part of Samsung’s freshly announced Galaxy S26 lineup, highlighted by a customizable privacy screen, expanded AI features and modest hardware updates across the range. The S26 Ultra appears alongside the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, all available for pre-order today and set to launch officially on March 11. The announcement was presented with an emphasis on artificial intelligence features and real-world privacy over major design changes.
S26 Ultra: privacy screen, lighter design and camera and charging upgrades
The S26 Ultra brings improved cameras and faster wired and wireless charging while preserving a starting price close to last year’s Ultra. One account lists the Ultra starting at $1, 299, unchanged from last year’s S25 Ultra price; another lists the Ultra at $1, 300. The device was revealed at an event in San Francisco on Feb. 23 and was shown as part of the broader Galaxy S26 presentation.
S26 Ultra and sibling models: storage, chips and price shifts
Samsung is launching a full S26 lineup that includes the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus and S26 Ultra. All three models now start at 256GB of storage, up from 128GB on the S25 and S25 Plus. The phones use a new internal chip intended to deliver faster performance across tasks and to support the new AI software features included in the lineup.
Pricing details show a clear $100 increase for the non-Ultra models compared with last year. One set of figures lists the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus at $899 and $1, 099, respectively; another set lists them at $900 and $1, 100. The rise in entry-level storage and the higher starting prices may be partially explained by an ongoing memory chip crunch.
Privacy screen and incremental hardware changes
The biggest software-driven hardware feature is a built-in privacy screen. Unlike traditional privacy filters that simply dim the entire display at off-angles, Samsung’s implementation is highly customizable: users can choose which on-screen elements are dimmed to onlookers, including notifications and password screens. The S26 and S26 Plus also receive modest physical upgrades: the standard S26 gets a slightly larger battery, increasing to 4, 300 mAh from 4, 000 mAh, while the S26 Plus offers slightly faster wireless charging.
New Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro join the S26 rollout
Alongside the phones, Samsung announced two new earbuds: Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Both earbuds share a redesigned look with smoother, rounded eartips, departing from the Buds 3 design’s sharper, triangular stem shape. The Buds 4 are the more budget-friendly option and use a semi-open fit without rubber eartips, a design approach similar to Apple AirPods 4; they offer up to six hours of battery life on a charge plus an additional 30 hours from the charging case. The Buds 4 Pro are the premium option, equipped with traditional rubber eartips and delivering up to seven hours of listening per charge plus 30 more from the case.
What the event left unclear and what’s next
- Last year’s Galaxy S25 Edge was positioned as a super-thin, super-light model compared with the rest of the lineup. The Edge was not mentioned during the recent event, and it is unclear in the provided context whether there will be a Galaxy S26 Edge at this time.
- 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.
- The Galaxy Ring launched in the summer of 2024. That product’s legal path is contested: the maker of the Oura Ring filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung, and Samsung has filed a counter suit. Samsung has previously pursued similar patent suits against other smart ring makers such as Ultrahuman, RingConn and Zepp Health. The fate of the Galaxy Ring is more uncertain than other products, and it is unclear in the provided context when a Galaxy Ring 2 might reach store shelves.
The presenter of the coverage has followed Samsung and its competitors for years as part of phone, smartwatch and earbuds reporting, noting that Samsung has launched new phones and earbuds in February consistently for more than five years. All of the new S26 products are available for pre-order today, with the official launch scheduled for March 11.
