Samsung just took the wraps off the Galaxy S26 lineup at Unpacked, and this year they made the phone feel smarter in nearly everyway. The S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra all lean into that idea, with Samsung pushing more proactive features that surface at the right time, plus a few hardware upgrades that actually matter if you use your phone in public, shoot a lot of photos, or game regularly.
On the design side, the lineup looks more refined and consistent across the board, but the Ultra is the one that stood out to me. It’s slimmer than last year and sits at 214g, which is not nothing for a big flagship. Display-wise, Samsung keeps the familiar setup: the Galaxy S26 has a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, the S26+ is 6.7-inch, and the Ultra stretches to 6.9-inch, with the Plus and Ultra stepping up to QHD+ while all three run 120Hz.
One of the most interesting new ideas is something Samsung is calling Privacy Display, and it’s Ultra-only. The short version is it’s built into the screen itself and helps block side-angle viewing, so you’re not constantly doing the “phone tilt” every time you’re checking something private in public. Samsung is framing it as quick to toggle, and it can be set up to kick in for things like PIN entry or sensitive notifications. It’s one of those features that sounds small until you’ve had someone on a train read your screen over your shoulder.
The Galaxy AI getting more useful background features. Things like Now Brief and Now Nudge to surface context-aware suggestions based on what you’re doing, what’s on your calendar, and what you’re likely to need next. Circle to Search is also being pushed harder this time, with multi-object recognition so you can circle more than one thing in an image and get smarter results, like picking out multiple pieces of an outfit in one go. Samsung also keeps the door open on how you want to do the assistant side of things, calling out Bixby, Google Gemini, and Perplexity integrations, with more of a natural language approach to controlling settings and getting tasks done.
Performance-wise Samsung’s putting the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy in the S26 Ultra, and they’re also talking up a redesigned vapor chamber and thermal structure to help sustain performance when you’re gaming or doing heavier multitasking. Charging also gets a notable bump on the Ultra, with Super Fast Charging 3.0 and up to 75% in about 30 minutes using a 60W adapter (sold separately). That’s the kind of thing you feel immediately if you’re always topping up before you leave the house.
Camera-wise, on the Ultra the headline numbers are a 200MP wide camera and a 50MP telephoto setup with 5x optical zoom, plus Samsung’s continued “optical-quality” zoom claims when you push further. They’re also emphasizing improvements to the AI processing pipeline for better low-light results and more natural-looking front camera output. On the video side, Samsung’s calling out support for APV, which is aimed at people who actually edit their clips and want better quality retention across a workflow. And the edit tools continue to get more aggressive: object removal, filling in missing bits, lighting changes, and prompt-like creative tools that basically let you remix photos into stickers, wallpapers, and shareable assets without bouncing across three apps.
Samsung also used Unpacked to talk about the new Galaxy Buds4 and Buds4 Pro, with a redesigned fit and more “intelligent” audio tuning. Buds4 Pro is the premium one with a wider woofer and upgraded ANC, but both are being positioned as part of the same ecosystem, including hands-free assistant control and adaptive audio behavior based on fit and environment.
If you’re buying through Verizon, pre-orders start today, February 25, at 1 PM ET, and full availability kicks off March 11 online and in stores. Pricing on Verizon Device Payment over 36 months starts at $24.99/month for the Galaxy S26 ($899.99 retail), $30.55/month for the Galaxy S26+ ($1,099.99 retail), and $36.11/month for the Galaxy S26 Ultra ($1,299.99 retail). Verizon’s early promos include the S26+ “on us” with a new smartphone line on Unlimited Ultimate or Unlimited Plus (or $10/month on Unlimited Welcome), and a trade-up option where new and existing customers can get the S26 Ultra (256GB) on us with an eligible trade-in in any condition when adding a new line on Unlimited Ultimate. Verizon Business customers also get their own version of the S26 Ultra (256GB) on us with eligible trade-in and a new line or upgrade on qualifying plans. Verizon’s listing also notes all three models will be available via Verizon stores, the MyVerizon app and verizon.com, plus Verizon Prepaid and Visible, with Straight Talk, Total Wireless and Simple Mobile carrying the Galaxy S26 starting March 11.
And if you’re planning to bundle accessories, Verizon lists the redesigned Galaxy Buds4 Pro at $249.99 and Galaxy Buds4 at $179.99, with pre-orders for both starting February 25. Stay tuned here for more Samsung Galaxy news, potential hands-on and reviews!
