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As we close the first quarter of 2026, it’s time for Samsung to showcase its new Galaxy flagship smartphones. Meet the Galaxy S26 lineup with the S26, the S26+, and the S26 Ultra. However, don’t expect massive hardware upgrades or any redesigns. Samsung kept the physical changes incremental and focused more on software features this year.
Samsung’s newest flagships look relatively the same as last year’s models, save for their rounded corners and a camera island for their rear sensors. All three S26 phones are equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, screens offer 2,600 nits of peak brightness, a 12MP selfie camera, Wi-Fi 7 support, capable of capturing video up to 8K, and run Android 16 with One UI 8.5 software.
The S26 gets a slight hardware upgrade similar to what Apple did with the iPhone 17 and Google with the Pixel 10. It goes from a 6.2-inch screen to a 6.3-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen with the same 2340 x 1080 resolution and from a 4,000 mAh cell to a 4,300 mAh battery with 25W charging. While the S26+ has a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with 3120 x 1440 resolution and a 4,900 mAh battery with 45W charging. Both the S26 and S26+ will have 12GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage with a 256GB base option, and a triple rear camera system consisting of a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom.
While the S26 Ultra remains relatively unchanged from a hardware perspective. It offers a 6.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with 3120 x 1440 resolution, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, a 5,000 mAh battery with fast charging up to 75% in 30 minutes, an S Pen still without Bluetooth support, an updated vapor chamber for improved internal cooling, and a more powerful and robust rear-facing camera setup with a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide, a 50MP periscope telephoto with 5x zoom, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom. Samsung did add a software-based privacy screen, which dims the display to make it difficult for eavesdropping at various angles.
And speaking of software, we already shared the news of Perplexity’s addition to Galaxy AI, but Samsung has introduced additional features. Bixby got a refresh to be more conversational and used for system-wide hardware and software issues. Google lets Samsung borrow Gemini for its superior Call Screening abilities, which is similar to what Pixel phones have used for years. Gemini can also now call an Uber and order food via DoorDash. Google’s Circle to Search can now recognize multiple objects. A new Photo Assist feature that lets you edit photos using text. And lastly, Now Nudge, which is similar to Google’s Magic Cue that displays relevant suggestions while messaging (i.e., Calendar invite when discussing plans or Maps when discussing a new restaurant).
Thanks to the rising costs of tech, Samsung is adding a $100 increase from last year’s non-Ultra Galaxy S25 phones. So you’ll pay $900 for the Galaxy S26, and $1,100 for the S26+, while the S26 Ultra remains at $1,300. All three models will arrive in the same color options of Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue, alongside the Samsung-exclusive colors of Pink Gold and Silver Shadow. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 family begin today and go on sale on March 1st.
Verizon customers can get the Galaxy S26+ for free on its Unlimited Ultimate or Unlimited Plus plans. The carrier is also offering the Galaxy S26 Ultra for free with trade-in and adding a line on its Unlimited Ultimate plan.
