Samsung launches Galaxy S26 series, flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra gets unique privacy display and 60W charging
Samsung has launched the Galaxy S26 series globally and in India. There are three models in the lineup: Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Joining the S26 series are the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.
Samsung has announced the launch of its latest flagship smartphone lineup, the Galaxy S26 series. The series, which includes the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra, integrates Galaxy AI and other quality of life improvements, including a brand new Privacy Display feature that is exclusive to the Ultra models.
The highlight of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is being introduced as the world’s first built-in privacy display for a smartphone. Engineered for use in public settings such as transit systems and cafes, privacy displays use a combination of hardware and software to restrict screen visibility to the user, helping to protect sensitive information without impacting the user’s viewing experience. You can read more about it in our quick review of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra here.
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The Galaxy S26 Ultra also brings notable hardware improvements. At just 7.9mm thick, it is the thinnest Ultra device Samsung has ever made. The flagship model is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip (the S26 and S26 Plus have an Exynos 2600) and supports 60W fast wired charging (25W wireless), which charges its 5,000mAh battery up to 75 percent in 30 minutes.
The camera upgrade is another focus for the S26 Ultra. The new model uses brighter lenses for better low-light photography and marks the beginning of improved night photography video. Super Steady mode has been upgraded to stabilize framing in video capture, while improvements to AI ISP extend to the selfie camera for more accurate skin tones and detailed images. Notably, the S26 is the first Galaxy phone to support the Ultra Advanced Professional Video (APV) standard, which enables efficient high-quality video compression.
Elsewhere, the S26 Ultra features a 6.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with 1440p resolution. The S26 has a 6.3-inch display and the S26 Plus has a 6.7-inch display.
All phones in the Galaxy S26 series are running the latest One UI 8.5 software, with Samsung committing to seven years of major OS and security updates. There are some new Galaxy AI features and Samsung has teamed up with Perplexity to bring its AI chatbot to the Galaxy S26 phones. Bixby has also been redesigned with agentic capabilities.
Beyond smartphones, Samsung has also introduced Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and Galaxy Buds 4 earphones. These earbuds are designed for high-fidelity audio and ergonomic comfort, the Buds 4 Pro feature wider woofers and improved active noise cancellation. Both models support AI-powered digital assistants and are available in matte white and black finishes.
The entire Galaxy S26 lineup has a unified design language, with consistent color options across all models, including cobalt violet, white, black, and sky blue. As far as price is concerned, the Galaxy S26 price starts at Rs 87,999, the Galaxy S26 Plus at Rs 1,19,999 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra at Rs 1,39,999. Galaxy Buds 4 is priced at Rs 16,999 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is priced at Rs 22,999.
