Samsung unveils S26 smartphones and agentic AI features

On Wednesday, at its Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco, South Korean technology company Samsung unveiled its new S26 series of smartphones and new earbuds. The lineup includes three models—the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra—which feature iterative hardware updates. The processor powering the devices varies by region: while the Ultra model runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, Samsung uses its own Exynos 2600 processor for the standard S26 and S26 Plus in some geographies.

The specifications and pricing for the new devices include:

• Galaxy S26: Starts at $899, representing a $100 price increase from the previous model.
• Galaxy S26 Plus: Starts at $1,099, which is also a $100 price increase, and supports wireless charging at 20 W.
• Galaxy S26 Ultra: Starts at $1,200. It features a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, a 6.9-inch QHD+ display, and a 5,000 mAh battery. It can charge from 0% to 75% in 30 minutes using a 60 W charger. The camera system includes a 200 megapixel wide lens with an f/1.4 aperture and a 50 megapixel telephoto lens with an f/2.9 aperture.

Samsung is deepening its AI strategy by integrating services from Google and Perplexity. Google previewed an agentic version of Gemini—meaning artificial intelligence capable of performing tasks on a user’s behalf. Sameer Samat, head of the Android ecosystem at Google, demonstrated Gemini analyzing a group chat to place a meal order on Grubhub, and noted it can perform other tasks like hailing a ride from Uber. Google also introduced a new version of “Circle to Search,” a feature that uses multi-object recognition to search for items highlighted on the screen. Additionally, Samsung is partnering with Perplexity to preload its application and use its APIs to power browser searches and perform tasks like taking notes or setting alarms.

Alongside the smartphones, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Buds4 and Galaxy Buds4 Pro, priced at $179 and $250 respectively. The Buds4 Pro features an 11 mm woofer that increases the speaker area by 20%. For the S26 Ultra, Samsung highlighted a new privacy display feature that allows users to hide specific parts of the screen, such as password fields or notification areas. The company stated this includes a “maximum privacy protection” feature that tones down bright areas and lifts dark parts of the screen.

Why it matters

Samsung is pivoting its hardware strategy to emphasize AI-driven utility, integrating third-party services like Perplexity and Google’s agentic Gemini to differentiate its devices in a crowded market.