First price hike in three years as company rolls out agentic AI, privacy upgrades
Samsung Electronics on Thursday unveiled the highly anticipated Galaxy S26 series, marking the first price increase in three years. The tech giant aims to attract consumers with enhanced autonomous, “agentic” artificial intelligence features in an increasingly competitive smartphone market.
At its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event in San Francisco, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra, positioning them as its third-generation AI-powered smartphones. This launch occurs amidst plateauing global handset growth and rising cost pressures from increased memory and processor prices, largely due to the demands of AI data centers.
Compared to the Galaxy S25 series, the 256GB base models have seen a price increase of 99,000 won ($70) across all three variants. The Galaxy S26 Ultra now starts at 1,797,400 won ($1,255), the S26+ at 1,452,000 won, and the standard S26 at 1,254,000 won.
Betting on AI and privacy to justify the jump
Building upon the on-device AI tools introduced with the Galaxy S24 and expanded upon in the S25, the S26 emphasizes AI systems designed for contextual understanding and proactive action with minimal user input.
The new “Now Nudge” feature provides real-time, context-aware suggestions, such as recommending photos to share in a chat or alerting users to scheduling conflicts. An enhanced “Now Brief” analyzes user behavior to create personalized summaries.
Users can select from a range of AI agents, including Samsung’s Bixby, Google’s Gemini, and Perplexity, activating them through a dedicated side button or voice command. In Samsung’s demonstration, requesting Gemini to book a taxi allows the AI to handle the reservation process, with the user simply confirming the final details.
Camera capabilities remain a key distinguishing factor. The S26 Ultra boasts a 200-megapixel wide camera and a 50-megapixel telephoto lens featuring 10x optical zoom and a wider aperture for superior low-light performance.
AI-powered editing tools have also been significantly enhanced. The upgraded Photo Assist supports natural language instructions, enabling users to make requests like changing clothing in a full-body photograph. A new AI-driven document scanner removes visual distortions and automatically combines multiple pages into a single PDF document.
Privacy is a central theme, reflecting the increasing reliance on personal data by AI features. The S26 Ultra’s integrated “Privacy Display” narrows the screen’s viewing angle, ensuring clarity for the user while appearing darkened to onlookers, preventing “shoulder surfing” in public spaces. Unlike traditional attachable privacy filters, this feature is built into the display and can automatically activate when entering passwords, making payments, or launching selected apps, with the option to conceal only notification pop-ups instead of the entire screen.
Samsung has committed to providing seven years of security updates for the Galaxy S26 series.
Dual-chip strategy returns
The Galaxy S26 series marks the return of Samsung’s proprietary Exynos processor to its flagship devices after a three-year hiatus. Following performance and production yield challenges with previous Exynos models, Samsung exclusively utilized Qualcomm chips for the Galaxy S23 through S25 generations.
With the S26, the standard Galaxy S26 and S26+ will be powered by the new Exynos 2600 in select markets, including South Korea. This chip is manufactured using Samsung’s advanced 2-nanometer gate-all-around process, a cutting-edge technology designed to enhance power efficiency and thermal management.
However, the premium S26 Ultra will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in all markets. According to Samsung, this processor offers a 39 percent improvement in neural processing unit performance, along with CPU and GPU gains of up to 19 percent and 24 percent, respectively, compared to its predecessor.
A redesigned vapor chamber and improved cooling system are also incorporated to maintain consistent performance during demanding AI tasks and gaming sessions.
Domestic preorders will be accepted from February 27 to March 5, with global sales commencing on March 11 in approximately 120 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and India.
The Galaxy S26 series will be available in four standard colors: Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue. Two additional finishes, Pink Gold and Silver Shadow, will be offered exclusively through Samsung.com and at Samsung Gangnam in Seoul.
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