Samsung Galaxy S26 series ushers in the Agentic AI Phone
Samsung unveils the Galaxy S26 series, led by the S26 Ultra "Agentic AI phone". The brand shifts focus from hardware to software in 2026 marking a new era of AI-driven mobile tech.
Samsung has poured AI all over its new Galaxy S26 series, which was announced at a Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday in San Francisco, California.
Dubbing the devices, the Galaxy S26 Ultra in particular, the ‘Agentic AI phone,’ the brand highlighted several new software features and updates, as well as collaborations with new AI companies, with a true focus on hardware. However, Samsung included some highlight display features, among others, to give the devices a unique spin for 2026.
The specification upgrades on the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra are moderate, helping to keep the device’s prices steady year-over-year. The devices are powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, with Samsung claiming a 39% more powerful NPU, 19% faster CPU, and 24% more sturdy GPU.
However, the standout feature on the series is sure to be the built-in privacy display, which is the world’s first for mobile phones. Making it so that others cannot see the contents of your screen when viewing it from the side. The feature is customizable between apps and notifications. Users can also toggle on the Maximum Privacy Protection option for the most sensitive applications.
Having employed AI features on its smartphones for the past two years, Samsung has continued to add intuitive touches to make features more functional. New features to Galaxy AI allow you to screen calls with an AI summary. Other features, such as Now Nudge, generate action prompts within the context of a chat conversation, such as pulling up a link to the Gallery, directing you to recent photos after discussing photos from a recent trip within a chat. Now Brief allows you to keep track of reminders and can update your schedule in real time, based on incoming messages or received emails.
The brand’s legacy Bixby software works as an on-device assistant, helping you navigate and troubleshoot the Galaxy S26 using prompts. Samsung will also partner with Perplexity on the Galaxy S26 within the Ask AI feature in the Samsung browser. Users can collect research across different browser tabs for organization and comparison.
One of Samsung’s most popular AI collaborations with Google Circle to Search is also getting an upgrade. On the Galaxy S26, users will be able to circle to search multiple items at once, to find the items they desire in one search session.
These are just some of the software showcased in what Samsung is calling its intelligent operating system, or AI OS.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Galaxy S26 Ultra features a 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It has 12GB and 16GB RAM options and 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB internal storage options. The device is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, which supports Super-Fast Charging 3.0 through its 60W Adapter, allowing for 75% charge in around 30 minutes, Wireless PowerShare, and Qi wireless charging through accessory support.
The device’s camera system includes a 200-megapixel f/1.4 wide lens with 2x Optical Quality Zoom, a 50-megapixel f/1.9 ultra-wide lens, and a 50-megapixel f/2.9 telephoto lens with10x Optical Quality Zoom and 5x Optical Zoom. The front camera includes a 10-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto lens with 3x Optical Zoom and a 12-megapixel f/2.2 lens.
Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+
The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ feature 6.3-inch FHD+ and 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED displays, respectively, with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. They feature 12GB RAM and 256GB and 512GB internal storage options. The Galaxy S26 is powered by a 4,300mAh battery supporting Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, which allows for 55% charge in around 30 minutes with a 25W Adapter or USB-C cable. The Galaxy S26+ includes a 4,900mAh battery, supporting Super-Fast Wireless Charging, allowing 69% charge in around 30 mins with a 45W Adapter.
The camera system on both devices includes a 50-megapixel f/1.8 wide lens with 2x Optical Quality Zoom, a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, and a 10-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto lens with 3x Optical Zoom. The front camera includes a 12-megapixel f/2.2 lens.
Pricing and availability
The Galaxy S26 series is available for pre-order starting today, with the devices officially hitting the market on March 11. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will sell for $1299, while the Galaxy S26+ will sell for $1,099, and the Galaxy S26 for $899. The devices will be available in color options including Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue, as well as Pink Gold and Silver Shadow schemes, which will be Samsung.com exclusives.