In a move toward more “agentic” mobile technology, Samsung Electronics has officially unveiled its Galaxy S26 series, headlined by the S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. Billed as the most intuitive Galaxy AI phones to date, the new lineup focuses on reducing the friction between user intent and action by handling complex tasks proactively in the background.
A New Class of Intelligence: Galaxy AI
The Galaxy S26 series introduces a suite of “proactive and adaptive” AI experiences designed to simplify daily life. Key features include:
- Now Nudge & Now Brief: These tools provide timely, context-aware suggestions, such as automatically surfacing trip photos when a friend asks for them or checking for calendar conflicts upon receiving a meeting invite.
- Upgraded Circle to Search: Users can now explore multiple objects within a single image simultaneously, identifying everything from a jacket to shoes in one go.
- Advanced AI Agents: Alongside an upgraded Bixby that understands natural language, the series integrates third-party agents like Gemini and Perplexity. Tasks such as booking a taxi can now be completed through simple conversational prompts.
Hardware Built for Performance
To support these heavy AI workloads, Samsung has equipped the series with its most powerful hardware yet.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra features the customized Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy. This chipset delivers a 19% increase in CPU performance, a 24% boost in GPU visuals, and a significant 39% improvement in NPU performance for lag-free AI features. To maintain this power, the Ultra includes a redesigned Vapor Chamber for more efficient heat dissipation.
The Galaxy S26 and S26+ are powered by the Exynos 2600 processor. All models across the lineup feature Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with 120Hz adaptive refresh rates and Vision Booster technology.
Camera and Creative Tools
Samsung continues to push mobile photography with an integrated approach to capturing and editing.
The S26 Ultra boasts a massive 200MP Wide Camera with wider apertures for superior low-light “Nightography”. It also introduces APV, a new professional video codec for high-quality production. On the software side, the Photo Assist suite now allows users to change scenes from day to night or even change outfits in a photo simply by describing the desired edit in words.
Privacy at the Pixel Level
Recognizing the sensitivity of AI-driven data, Samsung introduced Privacy Display exclusively on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This hardware-software integration controls how pixels disperse light to limit side-angle visibility, protecting content from prying eyes in public spaces without requiring stick-on films.
Further security enhancements include:
- Privacy Alerts: Machine learning notifications when apps attempt to access sensitive data like location or call logs.
- Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): Enhanced protection for system processes and firmware to stay ahead of emerging threats.
- Seven Years of Updates: Samsung commits to seven years of security updates to ensure long-term device resilience.
Availability and Promotions
The Galaxy S26 series is available for pre-order starting February 26, 2026.
In Malaysia, the Galaxy S26 is priced starting at RM5,199, while the S26+ starts at RM6,199, and the S26 Ultra (1TB) is positioned at RM7,999. Pre-order customers between February 26 and March 10 can access rewards worth up to RM1,200, including double storage upgrades and instant rebates
