Samsung has announced the launch of its latest flagship smartphone lineup, the Galaxy S26 series. The series, which includes the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra, integrates Galaxy AI and other quality-of-life improvements including an all-new privacy display feature which is exclusive to the Ultra model.
A key highlight of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the introduction of what’s being billed as the world’s first built-in privacy display for smartphones. Engineered for use in public settings like transit systems and cafes, the privacy display uses a combination of hardware and software to restrict screen visibility to the user, helping protect sensitive information without impacting the user’s viewing experience. You can read more about it in our quick review of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra here.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra also brings notable hardware improvements. At just 7.9mm thick, it is the slimmest Ultra device Samsung has made so far. The flagship model runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip (S26 and S26 Plus have Exynos 2600) and supports 60W fast wired charging (25W wireless) which is rated to top its 5,000mAh battery to 75 percent in 30 minutes.
Camera upgrades are another focus for the S26 Ultra. The new model uses brighter lenses for enhanced low-light photography and marks the debut of improved Nightography Video. The Super Steady mode has been upgraded to stabilise framing in video capture, while improvements to the AI ISP extend to the selfie camera for more accurate skin tones and detailed images. Notably, the S26 Ultra is the first Galaxy phone to support the Advanced Professional Video (APV) standard, enabling efficient high-quality video compression.
Elsewhere, the S26 Ultra has a 6.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with 1440p resolution. The S26 has a 6.3-inch and S26 Plus a 6.7-inch display.
All the phones in the Galaxy S26 series are running the latest One UI 8.5 software with Samsung committing to seven years of major OS and security updates. There are some new Galaxy AI features and Samsung has tied up with Perplexity to bring its AI chatbot to the Galaxy S26 phones. Bixby, too, has been revamped with agentic capabilities.
Beyond smartphones, Samsung has also introduced the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and Galaxy Buds 4 earphones. These earbuds are designed for high-fidelity audio and ergonomic comfort, with the Buds 4 Pro featuring a wider woofer and enhanced Active Noise Cancellation. Both models support AI-powered digital assistants and are available in matte white and black finishes.
The entire Galaxy S26 lineup features a unified design language, with consistent colour options including Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue across all models. As for pricing, the Galaxy S26 starts at Rs 87,999, Galaxy S26 Plus at Rs 1,19,999 and Galaxy S26 Ultra at Rs 1,39,999. The Galaxy Buds 4 are priced at Rs 16,999 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro at 22,999.
