Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Hands-On With Buds 4 Live At Unpacked 2026

The Galaxy S26 Ultra Gets A Trick Privacy Screen

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra ($1299) gets the biggest hardware updates in the series this year, without getting a price hike. That’s good news, but don't get too excited just yet. Other than the new Privacy Screen, which is the hero feature, there are also some relatively minor tweaks. The design’s been updated: the titanium frame is out, and aluminum is back, making the S26 Ultra thinner (7.9mm vs. 8.2mm) and lighter (214g vs. 218g) than the S25 Ultra.

In addition, the S26 Ultra’s corner radius has been increased to match the S26+ and S26. This gives the entire S26 family a more consistent look and feel. Samsung also changed the camera bump for the entire S26 lineup to match the S25 Edge’s design, with metal-rimmed lenses protruding from a pill-shaped bump. It’s a subtle but nice improvement. The rest of the S26 Ultra is familiar, from the flat display and slab sides to the S Pen.
Let’s talk about that Privacy Screen. Turning on this feature dramatically reduces the viewing angle of the display such that you can’t see what’s on the screen unless you’re looking at it almost dead on. Better yet, it can be activated at the pixel level, so only part of the display can be hidden from sideways glances. As such, the Privacy Screen can be set always on, on for specific apps, on for notifications, on for pin entry, etc…

The way it works is that the display is made up of alternating pixels. Every other pixel can only be seen when looking at the screen dead on (narrow pixels), while the remaining pixels are visible when looking at any angle (wide pixels). When both narrow and wide pixels are turned on the display looks normal, with a wide viewing angle. But when the Privacy Screen is enabled, only the narrow pixels are turned on. Clever stuff!

Speaking of shooters, the S26 Ultra inherits the S25 Ultra’s quad rear sensors – 200MP main, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x telephoto, and 50MP ultrawide. What’s different this year are the lenses, which are faster (larger aperture) for the main camera (f/1.4 vs. f/1.7) and for the 5x telephoto (f/2.9 vs. f/3.4). The aperture for the 3x telephoto and the ultrawide lenses remains the same at f/2.4 and f/1.9, respectively.
Obviously, those faster lenses should improve low-light performance. The S26 Ultra’s main shooter and both telephotos still pack OIS, and the ultrawide retains autofocus, doubling as a macro. Video recording also benefits from new functionality, including AVP codec support at up to 8k 30fps and 4k auto-framing to keep people centered. In addition, the Ultra Steady mode gains a horizon lock feature across the entire S26 lineup.

Under the hood, the S26 Ultra boasts Qualcomm’s 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. At this point, it’s unclear how the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip differs from the regular 8 Elite Gen 5, but it's likely just a bump in clock speed to give Samsung's line-up a boost in performance. The S26 Ultra also gains a redesigned vapor chamber for better heat dissipation.
While the S26 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery capacity remains the same as the S25 Ultra's, charging speeds have jumped up from 40W to 60W wired and from 15W to 25W wireless (Qi2 ready). That’s a welcome improvement, but unfortunately, the S26 Ultra still lacks the built-in magnets needed for MagSafe/Pixelsnap support. Samsung will be selling first-party cases with embedded magnets like it did last year.

The Galaxy S26 And S26+ Cost $100 More

The Galaxy S26 ($899) and Galaxy S26+ ($1099) cost $100 more than the previous-gen S25 and S25+, and the S26+ is basically unchanged from its predecessor. On the plus side, the S26 now packs twice the base storage (256 vs. 128GB), a marginally bigger 1080p 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display (6.3 vs. 6.2 inches), and a slightly larger capacity battery (4,300 vs. 4,000mAh) than before.

Meanwhile, the S26+ inherits the 6.7-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO AMOLED screen and 4,900mAh battery from the S25+. In the US, both the S26 and S26+ are powered by Qualcomm’s 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256 or 512GB of storage. Wider (85-degree) 12MP f/2.2 selfie camera aside, the 50MP f/1.8 main shooter with OIS, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, and 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto with OIS carry over.
Charging speeds remain the same at 25W wired and 15W wireless for the S26 and 45W wired for the S26+, but the latter now gets faster 20W wireless charging (Qi2 ready). Sadly, and like the S26 Ultra, the S26+ and S26 lack the built-in magnets required for Pixelsnap/MagSafe support, so you'll have to purchase a case with embedded magnets from Samsung or a third party if you want to use magnetic accessories.

Design wise, the S26 and S26+ are almost identical to the S25 and S25+, except for the camera pods, which follow in the S26 Ultra’s footsteps and match the S25 Edge’s two-tiered configuration. In other words, you’re getting familiar aluminum and glass sandwiches with flat displays and slab sides. Finally, it’s worth noting that the S26 and S26+ are getting an Exynos 2600 SoC in some markets outside the US.
As you’d expect, the entire S26 family comes with a heavy dose of AI, but interestingly, much of the functionality Samsung promotes replicates what’s already available on Google’s Pixel handsets. Photo Assist (prompt-based photo editing) is similar to Help me edit; Creative Studio (centralized generative AI creation tool) is similar to Pixel Studio; Screenshots (AI-based screenshot organizer) is similar to Pixel Screenshots.

Now Nudge (timely and relevant suggestions) is similar to Google’s Magic Cue; Document Scan (automatic document scanner within the camera app) is similar to Scan document. You get the idea. The S26 series is getting call screening and scam detection too, and Now Brief and Circle to Search are seeing improvements as well. Samsung’s Audio Eraser is also now available system-wide for any audio being played.

The Galaxy Buds4 And Buds4 Pro Crank Up The Tunes

Samsung also introduced two pairs of earbuds today, the Galaxy Buds4 ($179) and Buds4 Pro ($249). The main difference between them is that the Buds4 are half in-ear (without silicone tips), while the Buds4 Pro are full in-ear (with silicone tips) and provide better passive noise isolation. Both feature a redesigned clamshell case that makes it easier to stow the earbuds, and reduce the likelihood of getting debris on the charging pins.
The Buds4 Pro boast a 2-way driver system with a tweeter and wider woofer than before, plus enhanced ANC and enhanced adaptive EQ. Meanwhile, the Buds4 feature a single driver, plus ANC and adaptive EQ. Both models support SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec), SSC UHQ (Ultra High Quality, 24bit 96KHz), AAC, SBC, and LC3 codecs, plus SWB (Super Wide Band) audio for HD voice calls (16kHz bandwidth).
The Buds 4 Pro are rated IP57 and offer up to 6h of music playback with ANC enabled (26h with the case), while the Buds4 deliver up to 5h of music playback with ANC enabled (24h with the case) and are rated IP54. According to Samsung, the Buds4 lineup features an “ultra-sleek, ergonomic fit” that maximizes all-day comfort regardless of ear type. The case for both models supports Qi-compatible wireless charging.

My Takeaway: Incremental But Welcome Updates

Samsung’s latest Galaxy flagships deliver incremental updates, but perhaps that’s to be expected considering the current economic landscape. The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Screen is a truly innovative feature and a welcome addition that comes without a price increase. And while the Galaxy S26 costs $100 more than its predecessor, it features double the storage, a marginally bigger display, and a slightly larger battery, so it's easy to justify.

The Galaxy S26+, however, doesn’t bring any major improvements to the table, yet costs $100 more than last year’s S25+. And with the Galaxy Buds4 and Buds4 Pro, Samsung continues to offer high-quality earbuds that integrate seamlessly with the Galaxy ecosystem. That being said, Samsung isn’t really pushing the envelope with any of these new Galaxy devices, which quells some of the excitement usually associated with the launch of new flagships and accessories.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 series and Galaxy Buds4 lineup start today and general sales begin March 11. The S26 Ultra ($1299+), S26+ ($1099+) and S26 ($899+) are available in Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, and White – plus Silver Shadow and Pink Gold on Samsung’s website. The Buds4 ($179) and Buds4 Pro ($249) come in black and white, plus Pink Gold (Buds4 Pro only) on Samsung’s website.