Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Best pre-order deals in Australia

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked showcase lifted the lid on the new S26 Ultra, the brand’s flagship phone for 2026. It’s more powerful, has better cameras, and an eye-catching display that can prevent onlookers from snooping. If you want to find the best way to pre-order a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra in Australia, you’ve come to the right place.

Getting your hands on the latest and greatest handset doesn’t have to cost a big chunk of money up front. Thanks to various telco plans and trade-in deals, there are several ways you can make the upgrade cheaper.

Most of the Galaxy S26 Ultra pre-order deals run until 10 March, so read on to find out how you can save money on Samsung’s next top phone. You’ll also find some good deals on Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 4 range.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra price

Starting at $50 more than last year’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, the S26 is slightly more expensive when looking at an outright purchase.

• $2,199 (256GB)
• $2,499 (512GB)
• $2,949 (1TB)

From left to right: Galaxy S26+, Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26. Image: Samsung.

If you don’t think you need to go all the way to an Ultra, here’s how much the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ cost outright:

Samsung Galaxy S26

• $1,549 (256GB)
• $1,849 (512GB)

Samsung Galaxy S26+

• $1,849 (256GB)
• $2,149 (512GB)

As you’ll see further on, there are a few different ways you can save money when pre-ordering each phone.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra pre-order deals

Samsung’s online store

In addition to the Silver Shadow and Pink Gold colours exclusive to Samsung’s online store, there are a few more upsides to pre-ordering the Galaxy S26 Ultra directly from the brand.

From now until 11:59 PM AEDT on 10 March, pre-ordering any Galaxy S26 device nets you $300 towards a storage upgrade. In the case of the S26 and S26+, where there’s a $300 difference between storage variants, it acts as a free storage upgrade.

At the same time, Samsung also offers a 10 per cent discount on either of the new Galaxy Buds 4 or Buds 4 Pro earbuds, plus a 30 per cent discount on various accessories.

If it’s just the buds you’re after, pre-ordering either model with the code ‘BUDS4YOU’ takes a bit of money off. It brings the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro down to $319, and $249 for Galaxy Buds 4. In the same order, you can also get 30 per cent off Buds 4 accessories.

Telstra

Kicking off the telco deals, Telstra’s main deal is based on trading in your existing phone. For the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specifically, Telstra offers up to $1,000 off when you pre-order the phone on a payment plan, which includes a trade-in bonus on top of the existing value of your phone. The deadline on that one is 10 March at 11:59 PM AEDT.

Telstra also has a pre-order deal across the Galaxy Buds 4 range. Pre-ordering the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro through Telstra discounts the earbuds by $125, while the Buds 4 get an $80 discount. This deal lasts a bit longer than the Galaxy S26 offers, valid until 7 April.

Optus

Optus has one of the longest-running Galaxy S26 Ultra pre-order deals, giving you until 8 April to pull the trigger.

Pre-ordering the S26 Ultra through Optus on an eligible plan saves $700 on payments. You can also save $500 on the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ via the same method.

Like Telstra, Optus also offers a pre-order discount on the Galaxy Buds 4 range, although it’s not quite as deep. As long as you get your pre-orders in, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are $80 off through Optus, while the Buds 4 are $50 off.

Vodafone

Vodafone’s Galaxy S26 Ultra pre-order deal is similar to Optus’, in that you save money when connecting to an eligible plan. You don’t have as long to think about it, though, with the deal ending on 10 March at 11:59 PM AEDT.

It starts with a $700 saving on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, followed by a $500 saving on the Galaxy S26+, and a $400 saving on the base S26 model. Plus, if you trade in your existing phone, Vodafone will add a bonus $300 of value on top of what the device is already worth.

As for the buds, Vodafone offers $160 off the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and $100 off the Buds 4. If you want Samsung’s new earbuds, Vodafone seems like the early winner.

JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, and Officeworks

Across the major retailers, pretty much all the heavy hitters offer the same $300 storage upgrade bonus as Samsung. Then there are a few specific deals per retailer.

Starting with JB Hi-Fi, the tech franchise offers $1,800 off a Galaxy S26 Ultra when signing up to its $99 mobile plan over 24 months. As an FYI, JB Hi-Fi’s mobile plans run on the Telstra network.

Providing a slight variant, Harvey Norman’s deal includes a Galaxy S26 for $0 by signing up to the store’s $69 Optus-powered mobile plan over 24 months.

Officeworks, on the other hand, doesn’t have a regular discount as such. Instead, its pre-order deal is 20x bonus Flybuys points when you buy any Galaxy S26 phone.

Across all major retailers, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are discounted to $318 until 18 March, while the Buds 4 temporarily cost $248.

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Mega-popular $279 robot vacuum is back on sale at Aldi

Every few months, Aldi’s eclectic Special Buys aisle has a super-cheap robot vacuum that people all around Australia go nuts over. That time has come once again, with Aldi gearing up to sell the Ecovacs Deebot Neo 2.0 at the end of next week.

Considered one of the best-value robot vacuums, the Deebot Neo 2.0 will cost just $279 when it arrives as part of Aldi’s Special Buys deals starting on 7 March. That price tag matches the previous low when Aldi sold the robot vacuum in August last year.

Like previous sales, Aldi alternates between selling the Neo 2.0, which contains just a robot vacuum, and the Neo 2.0 ‘Plus’, which includes an auto-empty station. This sale includes just the robot vacuum, but that means the price is even lower.

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Taking a look at the specs for a moment, the Deebot Neo 2.0 includes up to 5,000Pa of suction power and a battery that lasts up to 180 minutes between charges. That’s all pretty good for a robot of this price, making it ideal for keeping on top of daily cleaning.

Its specialty is vacuuming, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given that it’s a robot vacuum, after all. Mopping is more of a secondary feature, especially for a sub-$300 device. Using a single detachable mopping plate, the Deebot Neo 2.0 isn’t a scrubbing specialist, so adjust your expectations accordingly. It’s great as an automatic cleaner that doesn’t cost thousands of dollars.

Like all of Aldi’s Special Buys deals, the Deebot Neo 2.0 is very much a limited-time affair. You can only buy the robot vacuum in store, so put 7 March in your diary and prepare to brave the crowds. You can also browse the rest of the upcoming sale items in Aldi’s latest catalogue.

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Apple blocks 18+ app access for Australians not verified as adults

Apple is one of the latest tech companies to limit users’ access to content unless they are verified to be an adult via “reasonable methods”.

As confirmed via a recent update on Apple’s developer site, the company will block Australian users from downloading software from the App Store rated 18+ if they are not “confirmed to be adults through reasonable methods”. This restriction, which took effect on 24 February, also applies to users in Brazil and Singapore.

Apple did not elaborate on the definition of “reasonable methods” in the update beyond explaining that “the App Store will perform this confirmation automatically”.

As part of Australia’s youth social media ban, various platforms relied on age estimation technology, which uses a range of factors to determine a user’s age without requesting any further information. However, as found by a report into age assurance methods, age estimation has a “margin of error”.

Apple’s update to developers also said that “developers may have separate obligations to independently confirm that their users are adults”. App developers can access what is called the “Declared Age Range API”, which lets users provide an age signal without giving up sensitive data, like birthdates.

Apple’s latest move follows a recent flurry of developments focused on digital family safety. Tools, such as parental controls, are largely underused in Australia, with much of the current crackdown on platform access driven by legislative requirements. Other regions are also driving change, including Brazil banning the sale of loot boxes to children.

GadgetGuy has contacted Apple for comment.

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2 big updates come to cheaper YouTube Premium Lite subscription

When YouTube launched its Premium Lite tier last year, it introduced ad-free viewing across most videos at a lower price than its full-priced subscription. However, Premium Lite missed out on a few popular features. Now, Premium Lite supports offline viewing and the ability to play videos in the background on mobile devices.

Like much of the internet in the 21st century, YouTube is riddled with ads. Before videos, during videos, and even after videos, you’re faced with a barrage of advertisements, many of which are unskippable. In recent years, if you wanted to dodge YouTube advertising, a $16.99 monthly Premium plan has been the main method.

YouTube’s main subscription tier removes ads from videos, while granting access to the YouTube Music streaming service. YouTube Premium Lite, on the other hand, which costs $8.99 per month in Australia, doesn’t include ad-free music streaming. Instead, it only removes ads on non-music-related videos.

Image: YouTube.

According to a recent announcement from YouTube, both offline viewing and background play will roll out to Premium Lite subscribers in the coming weeks. Previously, Premium Lite didn’t let you download videos for offline viewing. Nor did it allow background viewing on mobile, pausing videos when the screen turns off, or the YouTube app is minimised.

Some users found a workaround by accessing YouTube in a mobile browser instead of the app, making background viewing possible without a subscription. That workaround appears to be on its last legs, though, with YouTube cracking down on the practice.

So while YouTube Premium Lite isn’t quite at feature parity with the more expensive tier, it’s now better value than it once was. If you already have a music streaming subscription elsewhere, Premium Lite might be the ticket to avoiding an onslaught of unskippable ads.

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Win a Tapo H500 Smart HomeBase valued at $249!

Smart homes can do many things: take care of security, adjust your thermostat when the temperature drops, and even identify water leaks. But just because a smart home can do all those things, it doesn’t mean that it requires a complex setup. That’s where a smart hub like the Tapo H500 Smart HomeBase comes in handy, and GadgetGuy has one to give away courtesy of Tapo!

As noted in our review of the Tapo 500, the device is one of the best ways to simplify smart homes. Pairing particularly well with Tapo’s range of smart cameras, sensors, and video doorbells, it unlocks each device’s full potential.

Capable of connecting to various Tapo security cameras, the H500 lets you manage various feeds from one central location. With 16GB of onboard storage, you can store footage locally, away from the threat of cloud breaches, and without a costly subscription fee. Plus, the smart hub’s capacity is expandable via USB storage.

Connected cameras also benefit from premium features, aided by the hub’s processing power. Person, vehicle, and pet detection are enabled when connecting a compatible Tapo camera to the H500.

With the hub installed, you can then set up sensors throughout your home to make things even easier. Temperature sensors can help keep your home at a comfortable temperature, while water leak sensors alert you to any issues before they become a big problem.

How to win a Tapo H500 Smart HomeBase

Thanks to Tapo, GadgetGuy has one H500 Smart HomeBase, valued at $249, to give away to one lucky reader. For your chance to win, simply follow the instructions below.

First, fill out the entry form contained in the following widget. Every entry method you complete via the widget gives you more chance of winning. If you can’t see the widget, visit the entry page directly.

GadgetGuy & Tapo H500 Smart HomeBase Control Centre giveaway

Entries are open now until 4:00 PM AEDT on 7 March 2026, so get your entries in now before you miss out! All the eligibility details, including terms and conditions, are included in the entry form.

Once you’ve entered, share the love by sending the giveaway to your friends and sharing it on social media. Good luck!

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Logitech’s new mouse could help casual gamers compete with pros

By now, it’s reasonable to think that we might have seen everything there is to see in computer mice. But when gaming is concerned, there’s always room to try something new. To try to give gamers a competitive edge, Logitech claims that the G Pro X2 Superstrike Lightspeed produces the fastest click going around.

It’s a wireless mouse with not only a lot of proper nouns in its name, but an interesting customisable click technology. Similar to Logitech’s productivity-focused MX Master 4 mouse, the Pro X2 Superstrike doesn’t have a traditional ‘click’ as such. Instead of using mechanical technology, it relies on electromagnetic fields paired with haptic feedback to let you know when you’ve ‘clicked’.

Because of the lack of mechanical components, there’s less latency between when you press down and when the mouse registers the input. According to Logitech, click latency is cut down by as much as 30ms by using the technology it calls the “Haptic Inductive Trigger System”, with the apt acronym of “HITS”.

Images: Logitech.

HITS enables a decent level of customisation, like how quickly a click is registered. It also supports six different levels of haptic feedback. Due to the magnetic hardware, you don’t necessarily ‘feel’ the click, so the customisable haptics let you know when a click registers.

How does the Pro X2 Superstrike actually help?

Of all the things Logitech says its high-end gaming mouse can do, responding faster to inputs sits firmly at the top. From the company’s claims, pro players benefit, but casual players might get the most performance improvements.

During a pre-launch briefing, Logitech’s engineers pointed to data it collected during the mouse’s development. Based on the company’s data, pro players reduced click latency by an average of 15ms, while casual players benefited from a 26ms latency reduction.

In fast-response competitive games, like League of Legends or Counter-Strike 2, there’s a bit to factor in. Players need to pick up on visual cues, register them, and then click accordingly. With its new mouse, Logitech doesn’t want to be the weak link in determining whether a pro player lands a headshot or narrowly misses an ult.

This type of technology is very new, coming with a high price point to match. In Australia, the Pro X2 Superstrike costs $299.95, making it one of the more expensive gaming mice on the market.

Pro players could easily justify the cost based on the tangible performance gains, with every millisecond important. Logitech’s internal data suggests that its mouse narrows the gap between casual and pro players, but the price might make it a harder sell for those who only dabble in online gaming.

Still, a mouse with such touted benefits could appeal to gamers who want to rise the online rankings, regardless of professional aspirations.

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AFL to get even more precise with new optical tracking technology

Trials for a new “optical tracking technology” are set to kick off this AFL season at Marvel Stadium, placing dozens of cameras around the venue to improve the gameday experience for fans and teams.

A result of a partnership between the AFL, Telstra, and Champion Data, the technology is being touted as a boon for fans and broadcasters, as well as football staff. It expands on the existing technology that powered the “Touch and Track” system, which provided a tactile way for blind or low vision footy fans to follow the on-field action.

40 cameras will be installed throughout Marvel Stadium midway through 2026, up from the 14 used for the existing tracking system. Following the ball and players, the cameras will help capture data that can be used by broadcasters to give fans more information, and even help umpires with goal-line decisions.

It’s also said that the expanded camera system will assist coaches in making more informed tactical decisions, while providing medical staff with more data when assessing injuries, such as potential concussions.

Once the cameras supporting the new optical tracking technology are installed, a two-year trial will take place. This will help inform how the technology could be rolled out to other AFL grounds.

Herald Sun‘s Glenn McFarlane previously reported on Champion Data’s “secret” trials of the optical tracking technology throughout the 2025 AFL season. It’s expected that the more precise player and ball movement data recorded by the technology will be accurate to within 10cm and “available to within a second”.

Telstra’s involvement in the partnership also involves upgrading network capacity to support the technology. The telco recently rebuilt its network infrastructure at Marvel Stadium, improving the venue’s Wi-Fi, 4G, and 5G connectivity.

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