It might’ve come a month later than usual, but Samsung followed through on its yearly launch cadence, announcing the Galaxy S26 range in San Francisco overnight. Paired with a new set of buds, Samsung’s new phones look familiar, with a lot of the heavy lifting left to AI features.
Of the lot, the Galaxy S26 Ultra was the standout, gaining an eye-catching Privacy Display feature that obscures the screen from unwanted onlookers. Samsung also announced the Galaxy Buds 4 range, led by major audio improvements to the flagship Galaxy Buds 4 Pro model.
As expected, given current economic factors, there were some price increases along the way. To help offset that, there are some compelling Galaxy S26 pre-order deals to help soften the blow.
As for everything else, read on for all the major announcements from Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event.
Price increases across the board
Amidst the backdrop of a global memory shortage, more expensive consumer technology was always on the agenda. One of the first major examples came courtesy of Samsung, with price increases across the entire Galaxy S26 range.
$50 more for the 256GB Galaxy S26 Ultra isn’t too steep a hit, but the next tier down is where it’s particularly noticeable. Compared to last year’s phones, the Galaxy S26 and S26+ are $150 pricier for the base storage configuration. Look at the next storage option, and you’ll see a $250 price hike.
No matter which way you slice it, that’s a steep increase.
Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display stops snooping
Samsung’s 2026 flagship phone improves in all the expected areas, while keeping some things the same. It has faster processing power, relying on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset to power its on-device smarts.
Privacy Display is the S26 Ultra’s biggest addition, a technology that helps obscure the screen when out in public. Often, the people who buy top-end phones use them for work, so the security of confidential files is a concern. Exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Privacy Display makes it nearly impossible for passersby to read the screen.
When the feature is enabled, only the person viewing the screen head-on can see the displayed contents clearly. Everyone else sees the equivalent of a tinted window, with Samsung’s feature concealing the screen. People sitting next to you on the bus, or anyone peeking over your shoulder in public, can’t see a thing.
S26 range doesn’t support Qi2, but there are options
Some punters hoped that Samsung would add native Qi2 wireless charging support to the new Galaxy S26 devices. They were partially let down by the lack of magnetic technology on show, but at least the S26 Ultra gained faster wireless charging speeds.
Fortunately, for prospective Galaxy S26 owners eager to use magnetic chargers, there are some workarounds. Samsung sells a magnetic charger that supports 25W wireless charging speeds on the S26 Ultra, but you’ll need a compatible case to benefit from the magnetic alignment.
Overnight, Belkin announced a range of accessories for the latest Galaxy phones, including a Qi2 charging dock capable of powering three devices simultaneously. To take advantage of the magnetic component of Qi2, Belkin’s Sheerforce cases include built-in magnets. When fitted with one of the cases, you can slap one of the Galaxy S26 phones on a Qi2 charger and not worry about alignment.
Sleeker Galaxy Buds 4 range steps up quality
Samsung usually waits until midway through the year to announce new earbuds. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro came out in July 2024, alongside the Z Flip 6 and Fold 6 phones. This year, Samsung decided to launch the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and Buds 4 earlier, alongside its flagship S26 range.
Now with more compact stems and a nice brushed metal finish, the Galaxy Buds 4 look more stylish than the previous-gen earbuds. Most importantly, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have a larger woofer and better active noise cancellation, designed to improve the listening experience.
The post Biggest announcements at the Samsung Galaxy S26 launch appeared first on GadgetGuy.
