The Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup is official, ending the vibrant rumor cycle. We’re left with three new devices: the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. By and large, the Galaxy S26 series will look and feel a lot similar to the Galaxy S25, with a few exceptions. At the top of the list are the Samsung Galaxy S26’s fresh Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and the Android 16-based One UI 8.5 software experience.
Beyond those major changes and slight design tweaks, you’ll have to look harder to spot what’s new about the Galaxy S26 series. The base model has a larger battery, while the Plus and Ultra models get faster charging speeds. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is thinner and the base Galaxy S26 has a larger screen. These are the kind of minor upgrades you can expect to find on Samsung’s newest handsets.
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Samsung Galaxy S26: Price and availability
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S26 lineup at a Galaxy Unpacked event on Feb. 25, 2026 — about a month later than usual. They are available for pre-order now, and debuted alongside the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro earbuds. The Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra will be generally available March 11, and that’s when pre-orders will start being delivered.
Here’s how the Galaxy S26 series will be priced in the U.S. market:
Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB / 512GB): Starting at $899.99Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (256GB / 512GB): Starting at $1,099.99Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB / 512GB / 1TB): Starting at $1,299.99
This represents a significant price hike for the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Plus, which are each $100 more expensive than their predecessors. The base Galaxy S26 now ships with 256GB of storage as standard — compared to 128GB on the Galaxy S25 — but this doesn’t explain the price discrepancy. The 256GB Galaxy S26 still costs more than the equivalent 256GB Galaxy S25 model from the prior generation. And the price hike also hits the Galaxy S26 Plus, which doesn’t offer a base model storage upgrade.
The one saving grace for Galaxy S26 pricing is that the Galaxy S26 Ultra costs the exact same as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It’s worth noting, though, that its $1,300 price point was already at the top of the market for non-folding phones in the U.S.
There are four main colors for each Galaxy S26 model: Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, and White. Silver Shadow and Pink Gold are available from Samsung’s online store as exclusive colorways.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Design and display
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
Samsung slightly altered the design of the Galaxy S26 series, but if you follow the Galaxy ecosystem, the new look will feel familiar. The back of the device contains most of the changes, as each phone’s triple-camera system rests atop a pedestal, matching the appearance of the Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus store their flash sensors outside this primary camera pedestal, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra has two sensors and a flash beside the pedestal.
The raised camera lenses look more premium, and allow Samsung to thin the main body of the device while keeping large camera sensors onboard. However, they also protrude more from the back of each smartphone, which is something to consider. Rounding out the design changes is the inclusion of an Armor Aluminum frame on all three smartphones, replacing titanium on the Ultra model.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is seriously thin this year, breaking the 8mm thickness barrier. It measures 7.9mm thick, dropping 0.3mm compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It’s also four grams lighter, and these changes make a big difference in how the Galaxy S26 Ultra will feel in the hand. The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus keep the same thickness as their predecessors, coming in at 7.2mm and 7.3mm, respectively.
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
Notably, the Galaxy S26 sports a larger 6.3-inch display. This makes the entire phone taller, with the device measuring 149.6mm tall compared to 146.9mm tall on the Galaxy S25. It’s slightly wider, too. The base Galaxy S26 is a few grams heavier as a result, weighing 167 grams.
The displays for each Galaxy S26 model roughly match the specifications of their predecessors, with the base model featuring a Dynamic AMOLED 2X FHD+ screen with a 2340×1080 display resolution. Both the Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra use a Dynamic AMOLED 2X QHD+ panel with identical 3120x1440p display resolutions. However, since the Galaxy S26 Plus screen is 6.7 inches while the Galaxy S26 Ultra screen is 6.9 inches, the former is actually sharper with a higher 516ppi pixel density.
Each model supports variable high refresh rates between 1Hz and 120Hz.
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra gets a Gorilla Armor 2 protective covering with anti-glare properties, plus a neat display trick — an all-new “Privacy Display” feature. It’s the “world’s first privacy display on mobile” and works by “turning off pixels that project light to angled views.” For example, if you’re typing a password or viewing your online banking account, you might not want someone looking over your shoulder. Samsung’s Privacy Display feature will nip this in the bud.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Specs and performance
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
On the inside, there’s a lot of similarities between the three Galaxy S26 models. The Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra are all powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip in North America, China, and Japan. All other regions will get the Samsung Exynos 2600 processor instead. They’re paired with 12GB of memory, unless you grab the 1TB variant of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which offers 16GB of RAM.
For connectivity, the Galaxy S26 series supports 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6. However, only the Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra models support mmWave. They’re all powered by One UI 8.5, the major software release just announced by Samsung and based on Android 16. The phones will get seven years of Android OS upgrades in the future.
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Category
Samsung Galaxy S26
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Display
6.3-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz
6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz
6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Memory
12GB
12GB
12GB or 16GB
Storage
256GB, 512GB
256GB, 512GB
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Front Camera
12MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
Rear Camera 1
50MP (wide), OIS f/1.8
50MP (wide), OIS f/1.8
200MP (wide), OIS, f/1.4
Rear Camera 2
12MP (ultrawide), f/2.2, FOV 120Ëš
12MP (ultrawide), f/2.2, FOV 120Ëš
50MP (ultrawide) f/1.9, FOV 120Ëš
Rear Camera 3
10MP (telephoto), 3x Optical Zoom, f/2.4
10MP (telephoto), 3x Optical Zoom, f/2.4
10MP (telephoto), OIS, f/2.4, 3x Optical Zoom, FOV 36˚   
Rear Camera 4
—
—
50MP (telephoto), OIS, f/2.9, 5x Optical Zoom
Battery
4,300 mAh
4,900 mAh
5,000 mAh
Charging
25W (wired), 15W (Qi wireless), 4.5W (reverse wireless)
45W (wired), 20W (Qi wireless), 4.5W (reverse wireless)
60W (wired), 25W (Qi wireless), 4.5W (reverse wireless)
Connectivity
5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 6
5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 6
5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 6
Biometrics
Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner, Face Recognition
Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner, Face Recognition
Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner, Face Recognition
Ingress Protection
IP68, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front glass), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (rear glass), Aluminum
IP68, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front glass), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (rear glass), Aluminum
IP68, Corning Gorilla Armor 2 (front glass), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (rear glass), Aluminum
Dimensions
71.7 x 149.6 x 7.2 mm
75.8 x 158.4 x 7.3 mm
78.1 x 163.6 x 7.9 mm
Weight
167 grams
190 grams
214 grams
Software
One UI 8.5 w/Android 16
One UI 8.5 w/Android 16
One UI 8.5 w/Android 16
Colors
Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White
Online exclusive: Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White
Online exclusive: Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White
Online exclusive: Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
There are some battery and charging upgrades here, but the more noticeable thing is what isn’t here. Despite a few rumors suggesting otherwise, Samsung did not add built-in Qi2 magnets to the Galaxy S26 series. You will still need a compatible case or adapter to magnetically attach the Galaxy S26 to chargers, accessories, and more.
That said, the Galaxy S26 Ultra now offers faster 60W wired charging and 25W wireless fast charging. It matches the Qi2 25W specification, just without the internal magnets. The Galaxy S26 Plus charges at 45W with a cable and 20W wirelessly, while the Galaxy S26 charges at 25W wired and 15W wirelessly. All three models support reverse wireless charging at 4.5W speeds.
The only Galaxy S26 model to get a battery capacity bump is the base model, which now offers 4,300mAh capacity. The Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra are still rated for 4,900mAh and 5,000mAh, respectively.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Cameras
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
This is yet another year that Samsung went without giving the Galaxy S26 cameras a complete overhaul. There are a few changes here and there, but the bulk of the sensors are the same. All three phones use the same quality front-facing cameras — with a larger field-of-view — and every camera on the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus is unchanged. As a reminder, this is camera hardware that can be traced back to the Galaxy S22 series.
The only phone to get a meaningful upgrade is the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which now sports a new main camera sensor. It’s still 200MP, but now features a larger sensor with a wider aperture. Samsung calls it the brand’s “brightest ever.” The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s primary telephoto lens is also tweaked, as it’s a 50MP, f/2.9 sensor now. However, the sensor still supports 5x optical zoom, just like the one on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
There are a handful of software tweaks that will improve the Galaxy S26 series camera quality compared to its predecessors. Nightography mode has a new noise-reduction algorithm and there’s deeper integration with the Qualcomm mobile platform to improve quality. Overall, though, there are more similarities than differences.
Samsung Galaxy S26: AI and software
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
The entire Galaxy S26 series launches with One UI 8.5, and unsurprisingly, there are a ton of AI features onboard. The highlight is an overhauled Bixby virtual assistant that offers better natural-language understanding and can connect to the web in real-time. It can change device settings for you and help troubleshoot your device, functioning like a living and breathing manual.
Beyond that, Samsung partnered with Google to deliver a few more AI tools, including a Scam Detection for phone calls feature that uses on-device AI models. Circle to Search gets a big upgrade, as it can now present Google Searches for everything on your screen at once. There are also Gemini-powered automations that complete actions on your behalf in the background — saving you time to use your Galaxy S26 for other things.
Other software perks include Photos Assist, which lets you edit photos with simple text prompts, similar to Google’s Ask Photos feature. There’s also a Creative Studio tool, which is basically a copy of Google’s Pixel Studio app. It’s worth mentioning the incredible Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display once again, as it uses a combination of hardware and software to safeguard sensitive data.
The entire Samsung Galaxy S26 series is available for pre-order now, with full retail availability beginning March 11.