Samsung Launches Galaxy S26 Series, Powered by Smarter, Background AI

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Wednesday announced the Galaxy S26 series, powered by the most proactive and adaptive Galaxy AI experiences yet and designed to simplify the tasks people do on their phones every day.

From managing plans and finding information to capturing and refining content, Galaxy S26 reduces the effort and number of steps required to get things done. As Samsung’s third-generation AI phones, Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra handle complex tasks in the background, allowing users to focus on results rather than how the technology works.

The Galaxy S26 series was engineered with Samsung’s most advanced capabilities working together as one: incredible performance, an intuitive camera system and Galaxy AI. This provides a strong foundation that gives Galaxy S26 users the confidence to depend on their phone throughout the day without compromising security or privacy.

Building on Samsung’s decades of innovation in display technology, Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces the industry’s first built-in Privacy Display for mobile phones to unlock a new class of display experiences and reinforce Samsung’s commitment to privacy at a pixel level. Galaxy S26 Ultra also delivers a customized chipset and upgraded thermal management that enable faster and more powerful AI, all wrapped up in the slimmest Ultra yet.

Together, these choices allow the Galaxy S26 series to deliver the most powerful Galaxy experience yet. Engineered for all-day performance, the Galaxy S26 series is built on the most powerful hardware ever on a Galaxy S series, powered by a customized chipset.

Across the line-up, the Galaxy S26 series is engineered for AI performance, power efficiency and thermal management, ensuring demanding tasks run smoothly and consistently, so users can rely on their device when it matters.

On Galaxy S26 Ultra, a customized mobile processor, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy^, delivers the best performance ever in its class with significant gains across CPU, GPU, and NPU to support faster, smoother experiences that keep up throughout the day.

A CPU performance increase of up to 19% means Galaxy S26 Ultra responds more quickly and handle complex workloads intelligently, even when multiple tasks are running at once. A 39% improvement in NPU performance powers always-on Galaxy AI features that run seamlessly, allowing users to move between tasks without lag or interruption.

A 24% boost in GPU performance delivers richer visuals and more fluid gameplay. To support all-day use, Galaxy S26 Ultra also brings Super-Fast Charging 3.0, minimizing downtime by reaching up to 75% charge in just 30 minutes. Taken together, these advancements deliver dependable all-day performance, making every action feel effortless.

Galaxy’s Best Camera System Yet

The Galaxy S26 series brings the same focus on intuitive interaction to creativity and productivity, delivered through the best Galaxy camera system ever. With an approach that integrates content capture, editing and sharing into a single, seamless experience, creativity feels more natural and accessible even without professional tools or technical knowledge.

On Galaxy S26 Ultra, wider camera apertures allow more light to reach the sensor, delivering clearer photos with richer details in low-light conditions, even when zoomed in.

Enhanced Nightography Video keeps footage clearer and more vibrant even in dim scenes, whether capturing concerts indoors or recording moments around a campfire after sunset.

Video capture is further enhanced with upgraded Super Steady capabilities, which add a horizontal lock option for greater stability and to make consistent framing easier to achieve, even with bumpy trails or fast-paced activities.

Galaxy S26 Ultra is the first Galaxy device to support APV, a new professional-grade video codec designed to deliver efficient compression for high-quality production workflows. Optimized for advanced creators, it ensures visually lossless video quality that stays true even after repeated editing. Improvements to the AI ISP now extend to the selfie camera, capturing more natural skin tones and finer detail in mixed lighting.

Galaxy S26 Ultra is the first Galaxy device to support APV, a new professional video standard and codec designed to deliver efficient compression for high-quality production workflows. For creators who care about quality, this means visually lossless video quality that stays true even after repeated editing.

Editing photos and videos is just as easy and straightforward, with AI-powered tools built into familiar workflows so users can make changes quickly and unlock their creativity without design expertise. With the upgraded Photo Assist suite, users can simply describe what they want to change in their own words.

Changing the scene from day to night is just a matter of asking. It can also add to images and restore missing parts of objects like a bite taken out of a cake. Personal details, such as a spill on clothing, can also be cleaned up with Galaxy AI’s new ability to change outfits in photos. Edits can now be made continuously, reviewed step by step, and easily adjusted or undone along the way, making the process feel fluid rather than final.

Creative Studio builds on this simplicity by bringing creation and customization into one integrated space, making it easy to act on ideas when inspiration strikes. Starting from a sketch, photo or prompt, users can quickly turn ideas into polished visuals, from stickers and invitations to personalized wallpapers, and refine or share them without switching tools or interrupting creative flow.

The Galaxy S26 series also simplifies frequent visual tasks with AI-powered tools like the Document Scanner, which removes distortions and distractions such as creases or fingers to deliver clean scans instantly. Multiple images can be organized automatically into a single PDF, making it easy to digitize receipts, forms or notes.

Everyday Ease With Proactive And Adaptive Galaxy AI

The Galaxy S26 series is designed to make frequently used experiences feel straightforward and user-friendly, with Galaxy AI reducing the steps between intent and action. It works more proactively and seamlessly on the user’s behalf based on context, surfacing the right support at the right moment and automating tasks with minimal manual input. As the technology fades and handles tasks in the background, users can focus on the results.

The Galaxy S26 series integrates a choice of agents, including Bixby, Gemini and Perplexity. Once set up, tasks can be completed with a single button press or voice prompt.

The series features an upgraded Bixby as a conversational device agent, making it easier than ever to interact with Galaxy devices. Galaxy S26 can also handle multi-step tasks in the background, streamlining the process on the user’s behalf.

For example, with Gemini, booking a taxi is as simple as asking, reviewing the details and tapping confirm. These assistants support tasks such as searching, coordinating actions across apps, and controlling device settings through natural interaction.

Layers of Protection in the Age of AI

As mobile experiences become more personalized thanks to AI, protecting user privacy becomes even more critical. Samsung builds protection into every layer of Galaxy S26, keeping personal data secure while giving users transparency and control over how their information is used.

Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces privacy at the pixel level with the mobile industry’s first built-in Privacy Display, a breakthrough in display technology that fundamentally changes how privacy can be protected on a phone.

Designed for everyday situations like transit, cafés and shared environments, Privacy Display goes beyond anything previously available on mobile devices, hardware and software working as one to protect privacy without compromising the viewing experience. By controlling how pixels disperse light, the display keeps content clear, bright and comfortable for the user in everyday use, while limiting what others can see.

Unlike traditional stick-on privacy films, Galaxy’s integrated Privacy Display preserves full viewing quality from all directions when off, and limits visibility for others from side viewing angles when activated, even when switching between portrait and landscape orientation.

Users can customize when it turns on, such as when entering PINs and passwords or opening selected apps, and adjust privacy levels depending on the situation. Partial Screen Privacy intelligently limits visibility for notification pop-ups, while Maximum Privacy Protection further obscures side views for added discretion, all with minimal impact on power or usability.

The Galaxy S26 series also brings smarter software safeguards that work quietly in the background. AI-powered Call Screening identifies unknown callers and summarizes intent, making it easier to safely manage calls. Privacy Alerts use machine learning to proactively notify users in real time when apps with device admin privileges unnecessarily attempt to access sensitive data, such as precise location, call logs or contacts. These alerts help users quickly understand when apps are seeking deeper access, so they can manage permissions with greater clarity and control.

Private Album, built directly into Gallery, lets users easily hide selected photos and videos without creating a separate folder or signing into a Samsung Account. To stay ahead of emerging threats, Galaxy S26 also extends Samsung’s innovation in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to critical system processes, including software verification and firmware protection, strengthening device integrity for the future.

New updates to Knox Matrix further strengthen protection across connected Galaxy devices, adding PQC-enabled end-to-end encryption for direct transfers like eSIM migrations and clearer visibility into firmware update status across the ecosystem through Security Status of Your Devices.

Galaxy S26’s ease of use continues even when the phone is out of reach. The new Galaxy Buds4 series is a natural companion to Galaxy S26, extending everyday experiences beyond the phone while delivering rich and immersive hi-fi sound.

When Galaxy S26 is paired with Galaxy Buds4, interactions can continue naturally in moments when using hands isn’t practical. Users can activate AI agents  with their voices, manage calls through simple Head Gestures  on Buds4 Pro, and stay connected without breaking their flow.

 Availability

Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26+ and S26 will be available for pre-order starting from February 25. The Galaxy S26 series features a unified design language across all models, with shared color options including Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue alongside the Samsung.com-exclusive Pink Gold and Silver Shadow.

For added peace of mind, Samsung Care+ offers comprehensive coverage optimized to users’ device needs, including fast repairs for accidental damage, extended warranty, and certified expert support available both at home and abroad.

This ensures a seamless mobile lifestyle and provides lasting protection that safeguards the value of Galaxy devices.