Samsung presents Galaxy S26 series
From touch navigation, to actual results. With those words, Samsung characterises the Galaxy S26. Samsung sees the Galaxy S26 not just as a smartphone, but an AI smartphone. It is taking Galaxy AI to the next level. Today, the phone series was finally presented after weeks of rumours. DroidApp can already share a comprehensive experience with you.
Samsung is releasing the Galaxy S26 series with the same curves, so this is the same on all three models. With that, the Galaxy S26 Ultra gets the most attention. At 7.9 millimetres thick, it is the thinnest Ultra phone in history. The other models are also slim. The S26+ is 7.3 millimetres thick, the S26 7.2 millimetres. The three models all come in four colours; White, Sky Blue, Cobalt Violet and Black. Samsung will sell two more colours, Silver Shadow and Pink Gold, through its own online shop. In addition, the Galaxy S26 will now come with 256GB of storage, where previously the base model came with 128GB of storage.
With the Galaxy S26 Ultra, you will find the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, with this 'By Galaxy model' having a slightly higher clock speed than the traditional version. An updated design for the Ultra's so-called 'Vapor Chamber', keeps the device from getting as hot. This while the regular and Plus models are fitted with Samsung's own Exynos 2600 chipset. This 2nm chipset too can handle all AI tasks, though you will continue to find the highest speed on the Ultra model. Speaking of AI; everything privacy-sensitive in terms of data is calculated on the device itself. As a result, there is no sharing of data via the cloud.
In terms of battery life, Samsung has also worked on improvements. The battery capacity on the Ultra model is still 5000 mAh, but you can now charge it at 60W. With this, Samsung is taking a new (tentative) step on fast charging. The previous model, the Galaxy S25 Ultra you could charge at 45W. Charging the battery from 0 to 75 per cent takes around 30 minutes. Wireless charging is also faster: 25W instead of 15W.
Privacy Display
A notable feature we know mostly from screen protectors: Privacy Display. Now this feature is incorporated in the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (and thus not in the other two models). Not just software, it also darkens the screen hardware-wise for those who don't need to see anything on your phone. With Privacy Display, whatever you want is blacked out when you look at the S26 Ultra's screen from a different angle. You can set this to apply to everything, but you can also specify that this should only happen with certain apps, or that only notifications 'from the side' are not visible. Handy in a crowded train, so others don't just see something when peering in.
Camera
The camera of the Samsung devices has also been improved. As more light is captured, the amount of noise decreases and you take even better photos in dark environments. Samsung also promises good quality videos, both day and night. In which autoframing ensures you don't have to miss your moment anymore. Filming can be done in 8K at 30fps. The biggest improvements in the camera are in the software, the brand reveals. AI should help with sharper images and with improved image editing.
Editing with Photo Assist brings even more possibilities. The principle works on the basis of Google Nano Banana and is completely free and unlimited with the S26 models. For example, you can have AI finish a piece of cake that you have already taken a bite of, so that you have one whole pie slice again. You can also use Photo Assist to perform other operations, where you can describe in your own words what to do with a photo.
Creative Studio lets you let your creative self shine. For example, by making stickers, which you put together with your own assignment. Document Scan ensures you get 'clean scans', without creases or fingers on the image. In addition, you can combine multiple scans into one PDF file. The Audio Eraser can now handle Netflix, YouTube and Instagram, providing support for several third-party apps.
We already have one comparison photo for you, between the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and the Galaxy S26 Ultra. See the difference below. What immediately stands out: the Samsung has bright, saturated colours, where the Pixel keeps it more neutral and true to life.
Now Nudge
Now Nudge is an interesting new feature. It gives you relevant, timely suggestions based on what is happening on the screen. When a friend asks for photos from your recent trip, the Galaxy S26 will automatically suggest photos from your gallery. You then don't have to search through albums yourself. The Galaxy can also give you suggestions for your calendar, or indicate when an invitation comes with a time that you already have something in your calendar. The feature also works in Dutch and also with different apps; such as WhatsApp. Now Nudge works in Samsung Messages, Google's SMS app, Google Chat, WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, KakaoTalk, Line, Signal, Instagram (DM) and a few other lesser-known services. For example, Telegram is currently not supported.
Call screening
An AI feature asks the caller who he or she is, and why they are calling. You see this directly on the screen, after which you can choose whether to answer the call, or cut it off. This function does not yet work with the Dutch language. Samsung could not indicate when it will. For now, the feature is reserved for the languages English, Korean, Japanese, Polish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Vietnamese, Hindi and Chinese.
Galaxy S26 series in brief
We have collected all the specifications via the device pages below. Here you can instantly find all the specifications you want to know. We briefly list them in this paragraph.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 has a 6.3-inch AMOLED display with Full-HD+ resolution. All models have a 12-megapixel front camera. The S26 offers a 50-megapixel main camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x zoom and a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens. There is a 4300 mAh battery with 25W charging and 15W wireless charging. The device is nice and light at 167g.
On the Galaxy S26+, the camera is the same as that of the S26. The screen is bigger and sharper: 6.7 inches with a QHD+ resolution. The battery capacity comes out to 4900 mAh with 45W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. The weight comes out to 190 grams.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra offers four lenses: a 200-megapixel main camera, 10MP telephoto lens, 50MP periscope telephoto lens (up to 3x optical zoom and 10x zoom with optical quality) and a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens. There is a 6.9-inch AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution and, of course, support for the S Pen. The 5000 mAh battery can be charged at 60W, or 25W wirelessly.
Our first impression
The new smartphone series feels nice and fresh again, and especially the thin body stands out positively here. Interestingly, the camera island is hefty though, especially on the Ultra. You can forget about laying the device flat on a table. The camera bump makes the device wobble quite a bit on a flat surface. The Privacy Display is a nice, useful addition that keeps prying eyes out. Nice that you can personalise so much on it. We expect it to be a matter of time before we start seeing this on other brands as well. All three models in the Samsung Galaxy S26 range feel fast, and while not every AI feature is supported in Dutch, Samsung puts plenty of effort into useful features, such as Photo Assist. Add in the fact that Samsung has a name to uphold with its update policy and camera, and it can't help but be another success. We will get to work on the review copies at a later stage, where we will be able to tell you all about it after extensive testing.
Updates and availability
All three smartphones will get another seven years of updates: both Android updates and security patches. Out of the box, the smartphones run on Android 16 with One UI 8.5. The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is available from today via the retailers listed below. The devices will be in shops from 11 March.
Prices start at 999 euros for the Galaxy S26 (12/256GB), 1249 euros for the S26+ (12/256GB) and 1449 euros for the Ultra (12/256GB). Temporarily, you get extra benefits, where for the same money, you get the version with more storage.
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