Samsung S26 launch: Everything new, insane Privacy Display & Galaxy Buds4

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the Samsung S26 series during a private pre-launch event 2 weeks ago. While the annual Galaxy Unpacked event just made everything official last night, the hands-on gave me a good idea of what will work for smartphone users in Singapore.

In a nutshell, the new Galaxy S26 series continues Samsung’s trend of safe yet refined design of the S series. However, one feature blew us away, and we also now know for sure that Agentic AI will be the core of Samsung smartphones from now. Here is everything you need to know.

S26 series — main upgrades

If last year was about introducing AI, this year is about integrating it to the point of invisibility. The S26 series is built on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip (for the Ultra) and the Exynos 2600 (for the S26 and S26+), with Samsung promising a 39% jump in NPU performance. That means the AI isn’t a standalone tool but constantly working in the background to anticipate what you need.

Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25

• 6.3-inch display (up from 6.2-inch) with thinner bezels.
• 4,300mAh battery (up from 4,000 mAh) with improved thermal management.
• New Exynos 2600 chipset optimised for 5G efficiency.

Galaxy S26 Plus vs Galaxy S25 Plus

• 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display — no change.
• Same 4,900mAh battery but now with Super-Fast Charging 3.0.

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S25 Ultra

• 6.9-inch display (the largest yet) featuring the new Privacy Display tech – the best feature, imho.
• Custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 across all regions.
• 200MP Main Camera with wider apertures for significantly better low-light Nightography.

Privacy Display

The feature that blew everyone away at the pre-launch was the Privacy Display, available exclusively on the S26 Ultra.

We’ve all experienced “shoulder surfers” on the MRT trying to catch a glimpse of our messages. Samsung has integrated a pixel-level hardware solution that narrows the viewing angle at the touch of a button. When turned on, the screen looks completely black to anyone sitting next to you, while remaining crystal clear with its full 2,600 nits only for you.

Customise it to activate automatically when you open banking apps or your Telegram, or location (home vs office vs commute), and even set it to shade only part of the screen, e.g., login name and password fields.

Agentic AI

Samsung is moving away from basic chatbots. The S26 is being marketed as an “Agentic AI Phone”, where a dedicated AI agent such as Perplexity will  handle complex, multi-step tasks. For example, you could ask it to plan a staycation and the agent will book the rooms, the transport and even make restaurant reservations, all within one interface.

• Now Nudge: If a friend asks for photos of your recent dinner at a hawker centre, the phone automatically surfaces those specific photos in your suggestion bar so you don’t have to hunt for them.
• Photo Assist 2.0: You can now describe edits in plain English. It was most fun having it create a cake in its original form after I’d taken a bite out — very relevant in this industry!

Galaxy Buds4 & Buds4 Pro

Alongside the S26 launch, the Galaxy Buds4 series also made its debut. The new design focuses on a “Secure-Fit” wingtip that feels much more stable for runners.

The Buds4 Pro now features AI ANC, which doesn’t just block noise but identifies different types of sounds and filters them actively for the situation. For example, if it hears a siren or someone calling your name, it smartly lets that specific sound through while keeping the construction noise at bay.

I feel the new curved touch surface is much more intuitive for volume control, with the bump acting as a reference point. Also, the transparent cover is a nice design decision.

If you do want to buy the Buds, they are available at a 10% discount when bundled with the S26 series.

Local pricing & pre-order discounts

Pre-orders in Singapore start today, 26 Feb 2026, with devices delivered as early as 6 Mar 2026.

Pre-order Offers (till 10 Mar)

• Double the storage: Get the 512GB model for the price of the 256GB (worth up to S$300).
• Samsung Rewards: 5x points redemption if you buy via the Samsung Shop App in the first 96 hours.
• Launch promos: 20% off the Galaxy Ring and 10% off the Galaxy Watch8 when bundled.

Get your device now