At the launch, Samsung presented the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra as successors to the S25 line. The devices share a unified design language, run on Qualcomm’s most advanced Snapdragon processor and integrate a more application driven Galaxy AI ecosystem. One highlighted example is the ability to summon an Uber ride by voice directly from the lock screen.

Price hike and a stronger AI emphasis

The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus both see a US$100 increase over their predecessors. The standard model starts at US$900, while the Plus version is priced at US$1,100, US$200 less than the top tier S26 Ultra. Samsung has not confirmed the reason for the increase. Industry observers suggest it may stem from strategic pricing adjustments or ongoing global RAM supply constraints. The devices are set to go on sale from March 11.

To justify the higher price, Samsung is pushing the third generation of Galaxy AI. New features focus on portrait processing, outfit changes within images and contextual information suggestions. Company representatives described the new lineup as having “AI everywhere.”

Refined design and improved battery

The standard Galaxy S26 expands its display from 6.2 inches to 6.3 inches, making the device slightly taller and wider while maintaining a slim 7.2mm profile. The S26 Plus retains its 6.7 inch screen. Color options include purple, white, blue and black.

Battery capacity on the S26 rises to 4,300mAh, an increase of 300mAh compared to the S25. Combined with the new processor, Samsung promises a noticeable boost in usage time. The Plus version keeps its 4,900mAh battery unchanged.

Charging specifications remain the same. The standard model supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, while the Plus offers 45W wired and 20W wireless charging. To preserve slimness, Samsung has not integrated internal magnets for magnetic accessories, meaning users will need a dedicated case for such add ons.

Familiar camera hardware, upgraded software

The camera systems on both the S26 and S26 Plus remain unchanged from the previous generation: a 50 megapixel wide lens, a 13 megapixel ultrawide lens and a 10 megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

Instead of hardware changes, Samsung has doubled down on software powered by AI.

Advanced Selfie uses machine learning to optimize skin tone and texture.

Photo Assist allows users to edit images with AI prompts, such as changing backgrounds or outfit colors without manual selections.

Horizontal Lock keeps the horizon level when recording video, even if the phone rotates 360 degrees.

AI optimized chip

The entire lineup runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, a Qualcomm tuned variant designed to enhance Samsung’s AI workloads.

Galaxy AI has also been expanded with practical features.

Automatic app actions now support third party applications. Users can press the side button and say, “Call me an Uber to the airport,” and a compact booking window will automatically appear.

Creative Studio serves as a content creation hub, enabling users to generate stickers from photos or design invitations.

Audio Eraser provides a quick control panel to filter background noise in videos on platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and Instagram.

Document Scanner automatically detects documents, scans multiple pages at once and removes folds and shadows.

Now Nudge integrates directly into the keyboard, analyzing context to suggest relevant information and images.

Circle to Search adds multi object recognition. When circling a person, the AI can separate and display detailed information about individual items such as shirts, watches and shoes.

Bixby now integrates a large language model to better understand natural language, allowing more conversational commands.

Call Screening and Scam Detection identify unknown numbers and provide real time fraud warnings during calls.

Overall, the standard Galaxy S26 records a clearer configuration upgrade, particularly in display and battery. However, the higher price combined with unchanged camera hardware may place the US$1,100 S26 Plus under greater competitive pressure in the premium segment.

Du Lam