Samsung Unveils Galaxy S26 Series; Ultra Debuts Built-In Privacy Display [Video]

Samsung has officially unveiled its Galaxy S26 series, bringing hardware upgrades, a built-in privacy display, and a strong emphasis on proactive artificial intelligence to its flagship smartphone lineup. The launch arrives just weeks after data showed Apple overtook Samsung to become the world's top smartphone maker by volume in 2025.



All Galaxy S26 Ultra models sold worldwide will be powered by a customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset for Galaxy. Samsung says the updated processor delivers up to a 19 percent boost in CPU performance, a 39 percent improvement in neural processing, and a 24 percent increase in GPU performance over the previous generation. To manage the added thermal load, the Ultra features a redesigned vapor chamber with thermal interface material extending along the sides of the processor to improve heat dissipation.


Meanwhile, the standard S26 and S26+ are expected to use Samsung's own 2nm Exynos 2600 in select international markets. That positions Samsung's latest silicon against the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 lineup and Apple's upcoming 2nm A20 chip.



One of the most notable additions to the Galaxy S26 Ultra is what Samsung calls the world's first built-in Privacy Display for mobile phones. Rather than relying on a physical screen protector, the device dynamically controls how pixels disperse light to limit visibility from side viewing angles. When activated, content remains clear for the user while restricting what others can see from the sides. Users can enable privacy mode manually, tie it to specific apps, or have it activate automatically when entering PINs, patterns, or passwords. Samsung is also extending its use of post-quantum cryptography to protect software verification, firmware integrity, and eSIM transfers, and is promising seven years of security updates.

On the camera side, the S26 Ultra features wider apertures that allow 47 percent more light on the 200-megapixel wide lens and 37 percent more on the 50-megapixel telephoto (5x optical) lens. Video capture adds a new horizontal lock option for Super Steady stabilization and support for the APV professional video codec. Improvements to the AI-powered image signal processor now extend to the selfie camera, aiming to deliver more natural skin tones and finer detail in mixed lighting. Updated Photo Assist tools let users modify images using natural language prompts, such as converting a daytime scene to night, restoring missing parts of objects, or seamlessly changing outfits in a photo.



Artificial intelligence remains central across the S26 lineup. Samsung introduced features like "Now Nudge," designed to proactively suggest actions, such as surfacing recent trip photos when a contact asks about them. The upgraded Now Brief feature surfaces timely reminders for reservations and travel updates based on personal context. Bixby has been rebuilt as a more conversational device agent capable of adjusting complex settings without precise commands. Users can also select third-party AI models like Gemini or Perplexity as their default assistant to handle multi-step tasks. The move intensifies competition as Apple prepares its own chatbot-style Siri overhaul later this year.


Pre-orders begin today, with pricing reflecting modest increases on most models. The base Galaxy S26 now starts at 256GB for $899, a $40 increase over an equivalently configured S25. The Galaxy S26+ also begins at 256GB but rises to $1,099, up from $999 for the S25 Plus. The Galaxy S26 Ultra holds steady at $1,299 for 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Color options include Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue, with Pink Gold and Silver Shadow available exclusively through Samsung. The company also introduced the new Galaxy Buds4 series alongside the smartphones, adding head gesture controls and direct voice access to AI agents.

Take a look at the videos below for more detail.