The global smartphone race intensified this week when Samsung Electronics officially unveiled its next-generation Galaxy S26 series alongside the new Galaxy Buds 4 lineup, positioning artificial intelligence (AI), privacy, and performance at the centre of its 2026 strategy.
The launch, held on Wednesday, introduced the Galaxy S26, S26+ and flagship S26 Ultra, which Samsung described as its “most intuitive Galaxy AI phone yet”. The new devices aim to reduce the number of steps users take to complete everyday tasks.
“We believe AI should be something people can depend on every day,” said TM Roh, CEO and head of Samsung’s Device eXperience Division. “With the Galaxy S26 series, we focused on making AI feel effortless.”
AI at the core
Now in its third generation of AI-powered smartphones, the S26 series integrates Galaxy AI deeply into daily functions – from scheduling and searching to editing photos and booking services. Features such as “Now Nudge” and “Now Brief” provide contextual prompts, while enhanced Circle to Search allows users to identify multiple objects within a single image.
Under the hood, the S26 Ultra is powered by a customised Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform for the Galaxy chipset, delivering gains across CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. Samsung claims up to a 39% improvement in AI processing power, ensuring that AI-driven tools run seamlessly without draining battery life.
Thermal management has also been upgraded with a redesigned vapour chamber to maintain performance during gaming, multitasking and
video capture.
The Ultra supports Super-Fast Charging 3.0, reaching up to 75% charge in 30 minutes.
Privacy display breakthrough
One of the standout features is the industry’s first built-in privacy display on a mobile phone. Designed to protect sensitive information in public spaces, the display controls how pixels disperse light, limiting side-angle visibility when activated.
Users can customise when the feature activates, such as during PIN entries or when specific apps are opened.
Security enhancements extend further with AI-powered call screening, real-time privacy alerts and strengthened Knox Matrix protection across connected Galaxy devices. Samsung has also introduced post-quantum cryptography protections in key system processes – future-proofing the device against emerging threats.
Camera and creativity upgrades
The Galaxy S26 Ultra features Samsung’s most advanced camera system yet. Wider apertures improve low-light photography, while enhanced Nightography Video and upgraded Super Steady Stabilisation deliver smoother footage.
A new professional-grade APV video codec ensures high-quality compression for content creators. AI-powered editing tools allow users to modify images by describing changes in natural language.
Galaxy Buds4: Sound meets AI
Complementing the new smartphones is the Galaxy Buds4 series, comprising Buds4 and Buds4 Pro. Samsung says the new earbuds redefine premium audio by combining hi-fi sound with enhanced wearability.
The Buds4 Pro introduces a wider woofer that increases effective speaker area by nearly 20% compared to its predecessor, supporting 24-bit/96kHz audio playback.
Head gesture controls on the Buds4 Pro allow users to manage calls hands-free, while voice integration with Bixby, Google Gemini and Perplexity enables AI interactions without touching the phone.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 series run from February 26 to March 1, with general availability from March 11 in South Africa and other select markets.
