Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Debuts as World's First Smartphone with Integrated Privacy Display
Samsung Electronics unveiled the Galaxy S26 series at its Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 25, 2026, introducing models that include the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra with a focus on advanced AI integration and hardware enhancements.
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| Credit: Samsung |
The S26 Ultra features a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and Vision Booster technology, measuring 78.1 by 163.6 by 7.9MM and weighing 214 grams.
Its camera system consists of a 50MP ultra-wide lens with an F1.9 aperture, a 200MP wide camera offering 2x optical quality zoom at F1.4, a 50MP telephoto camera providing 10x optical quality zoom and 5x optical zoom at F2.9, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom at F2.4, and a 12MP front camera at F2.2.
The device runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, with memory and storage options of 16GB RAM plus 1 terabyte, 12GB plus 512GB, or 12GB plus 256GB.
It includes a 5,000 mAh battery, supporting wired charging up to 75% in about 30 minutes with a 60-watt adapter, Super Fast Wireless Charging 3.0, and Wireless PowerShare.
The S26 Ultra operates on Android 16 with One UI 8.5, supports 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth version 6.0, and carries an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
Samsung incorporated a unified design across the series, with color options such as Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue, plus exclusive Pink Gold and Silver Shadow available on Samsung.com.
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| Credit: Samsung |
The S26 Ultra introduces the Privacy Display, a built-in layer that limits side-angle viewing to enhance user privacy without requiring additional accessories.
AI capabilities in the series encompass Now Nudge for timely suggestions like sharing photos from the gallery based on message context or alerting to calendar conflicts, Now Brief for proactive event reminders, an upgraded Circle to Search with Google for better multi-object recognition, and enhanced Bixby as a conversational agent.
Additional AI tools include the Photo Assist suite for editing scenes, adding elements, restoring objects, or cleaning details, along with Creative Studio for generating visuals from sketches or prompts, and Document Scan for distortion removal and PDF organization.
“We believe AI should be something people can depend on every day, designed to work consistently for everyone and without the need for expertise,” said TM Roh, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Head of Device eXperience Division at Samsung Electronics.
The Galaxy S26 measures 71.7 by 149.6 by 7.2MM and weighs 167 grams, with a 6.3-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, a camera setup featuring a 12MP ultra-wide at F2.2, 50MP wide with 2x optical quality zoom at F1.8, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom at F2.4, and 12MP front at F2.2.
It uses either the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy or Exynos 2600 processor, with 12GB RAM and 512 or 256GB storage, a 4,300 mAh battery charging to 55% in about 30 minutes with a 25-watt adapter, and Bluetooth version 5.4.
The S26 Plus dimensions are 75.8 by 158.4 by 7.3MM at 190 grams, with a 6.7-inch QHD+ display, the same camera as the S26, processor options identical to the S26, storage configurations matching, a 4,900 mAh battery reaching 69% charge in about 30 minutes with a 45-watt adapter, and Bluetooth version 6.0.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra began on February 25, 2026, with U.S. pricing set at 899 dollars for the S26, 1,099 dollars for the S26 Plus, and 1,299 dollars for the S26 Ultra.
