Samsung Launches Galaxy S26 Series With Expanded AI Features

At Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on Feb. 25, the tech giant came out swinging with a fresh lineup of devices that put privacy and artificial intelligence front and center. 

The spectacle, held in San Francisco, gave tech fans their first official look at the Galaxy S26 series, the new Galaxy Buds 4, and a whole suite of AI features that aim to make daily life a little less complicated. Samsung emphasized that this generation marks its most ambitious push yet toward on-device AI and built-in privacy protections.

Here’s everything you need to know about what Samsung just dropped.

Galaxy S26 series takes center stage

At the heart of the event was the new Galaxy S26 lineup: the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. According to Samsung, the new phones are designed to handle more tasks in the background using Galaxy AI. 

“We believe AI should be something people can depend on every day, it should be designed to work consistently for everyone, without the need for expertise,” said TM Roh, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics.

He added: “With the Galaxy S26 series, we focused on making AI feel effortless, working quietly in the background so people can focus on what matters.”

All three models share a similar design, though they differ in weight, battery size, and camera systems. The Galaxy S26 is lighter than last year’s model at 167g, while the S26 Ultra weighs 214g, also lighter than its predecessor.

Battery capacity varies across the range. The S26 Ultra carries a 5,000mAh battery, while the S26+ features a 4,900mAh battery. In terms of processing power, the Galaxy S26 Ultra runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, while the Galaxy S26 and S26+ are powered by the Exynos 2600 processor in some markets.

Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces a built-in privacy display

One of the most talked-about features is the new Privacy Display, available exclusively on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Samsung says it is the world’s first built-in Privacy Display for mobile phones. The feature darkens parts of the screen when viewed from the side, helping protect sensitive information such as messages and passwords. Users can choose which parts of the screen to hide and can turn the feature on or off at any time.

The Ultra model also includes a four-camera setup with a 200MP wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens offering 10x optical-quality zoom. It supports an Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec that maintains quality even after multiple edits.

Other camera upgrades across the S26 series include improved low-light performance, enhanced Nightography Video on the Ultra, a horizontal lock stabilization feature, and an upgraded Photo Assist suite for real-time AI editing.

AI features expand across One UI

Samsung also used the event to highlight deeper AI integration within its latest One UI software. The S26 series supports multiple AI agents that anticipate user needs and act as companions.

New tools include:

• Now Nudge: Offers suggestions based on what’s on screen, such as calendar prompts while typing a message.
• Now Brief: A more personalized overview of important information.
• Creative Studio: Combines AI photo and video tools into one place for editing with text prompts.
• Circle to Search: Allows users to circle an object on screen to search for related information.
• Finder: Searches across the device and apps for details about flights, meetings, and more.

In a significant move, Samsung also partnered with Perplexity to bring agentic AI capabilities to the platform. Perplexity becomes the first non-Google AI assistant to use a wake word on a Samsung device, joining Bixby and Gemini as available AI agents on the S26 series.

Google’s call screening feature is also expanding to the Galaxy S26 series, aiming to reduce unwanted spam and scam calls. Document scanning has also improved, with AI automatically removing shadows, wrinkles, and folded edges from scanned pages.

Galaxy Buds4 and Buds4 Pro arrive

Alongside the smartphones, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds4 and Galaxy Buds4 Pro.

The new earbuds feature a refined design and a see-through case. Samsung says the Buds4 Pro introduces a Super Wide Woofer, paired with enhanced Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Adaptive EQ.

“Samsung understands that a truly premium audio experience combines technical sound quality with how that sound feels throughout a user’s day,” said Ikhyun Cho, corporate VP of Mobile Enhancement R&D Team, Mobile eXperience.

He added, “With the Galaxy Buds4 series, our design philosophy was uncompromising, providing all-day comfort without sacrificing audio performance, because these are what consumers value most.”

The Buds4 Pro retail for $249, while the standard Buds4 retail for $179. The earbuds also support hands-free AI controls and Live Interpreter translation in over 20 languages. Users can even respond to calls by nodding or shaking their heads.

Pricing, availability, and deals

The Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26+, and S26 are available for preorder starting today on Samsung’s website, at major retailers, and from carriers. General availability begins March 11, 2026.

Samsung is offering up to $900 in eligible trade-in credit or $150 without trade-in for a limited time on Samsung.com. In the US, AT&T is offering preorder deals, including $0 for the Galaxy S26 lineup with an eligible trade-in, as well as bundle offers on other Samsung devices.

With the Galaxy S26 series and Buds4 lineup, Samsung is clearly doubling down on AI, privacy, and refined design, setting the tone for what could be a competitive year in flagship smartphones.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on our sister website, TechRepublic.

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