Overview
- Preorders are open now, with general availability set for March 11 and U.S. pricing at $899 for S26, $1,099 for S26+, and $1,299 for S26 Ultra.
- The S26 Ultra debuts a built-in Privacy Display that restricts side viewing angles and can be toggled or tied to specific apps and credential screens.
- Samsung’s Agentic/Galaxy AI suite rolls out across all models, adding tools like Now Nudge, Now Brief, Photo Assist, upgraded Circle to Search, a more conversational Bixby, and optional Gemini and Perplexity assistants including “Hey Plex.”
- U.S. variants run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy across the lineup, while the S26 and S26+ use Samsung’s Exynos 2600 in select international markets.
- Hardware changes skew incremental: the Ultra retains a 6.9-inch display and 5,000 mAh battery but adds wider camera apertures, a 50MP 5x periscope, Super Fast Charging 3.0 up to 60W wired/25W wireless, and aluminum construction, with all phones starting at 256GB storage and promising seven years of updates.