Samsung’s big AI moved happened about two years ago with the launch of the Galaxy S24 series. And, while there have been meaningful additions since then, the ones on S26 series will go a long way in defining how phones are used in the future. I was at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in San Fransisco where the company launched its three new flagship phones – Galaxy S26, S26+ and the S26 ultra. All three phones come with updated chipset, claim for better performance and battery efficiency but it’s the privacy display and AI features on the S26 Ultra that stood out for me.
First things first, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is being positioned as the first ever ‘agentic AI phone’. But, what does that mean? How is it different from the usual AI you have been using on your device? Well, basically Agentic AI takes actions on your behalf and it works across apps to ensure that you don’t have to do the tapping or talking. It’s like having a personal assistant. You tell them you are meeting someone for lunch, they will find the perfect spot and make a reservation for you. That simple. All of this will be made possible through an underlying layer of Google’s Gemini.
Then, there is Perplexity which is now integrated within the Galaxy S26 series. It will enable some specific tasks for Bixby is what I have been told. Interested, as this is a shift towards an open multi-agent ecosystem. So, now Samsung phones can run multiple AI models, including Gemini, Perplexity and more with Galaxy AI sitting on top of everything.
The AI goodness has been extended to a bunch of other features, starting with an improved Photo Assist which now lets you modify images using text prompts. For example, if someone ate a piece of cake before you could take that perfect shot, just ask the phone to recreate that part and it will do it within seconds. You can also use Photo Assist to change backgrounds, add elements to it and even to add different styles to your pictures.
Samsung has also updated the Now Nudge feature. Unlike before, it can now pull context, information from various apps and suggests actions accordingly.
More privacy, similar hardware
One of the most exciting and talked about feature of the S26 Ultra, is of course, the new Privacy Display. It basically makes your phone unreadable from certain angles, providing that additional layer of security you need. But, it’s Samsung’s execution of the feature that makes it really interesting. It can be enabled for specific apps or notifications. This means while your screen might be visible from sides while watching YouTube videos, your messages won’t be visible to anyone else.
The rest of the phone feels familiar with no major design change. The only noticeable difference from the S25 ultra is that camera lenses are now placed on an oval island, very similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s cameras. Overall, the phone is quite light and is Samsung’s thinnest Ultra device so far. It feels great to hold and use. The other two phones also have similar design language with the S26 being the most compact of the three.
Another key differentiator for the S26 Ultra is the presence of the S Pen. Also, it comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, while the other two models are powered by the Exynos 2600 SoC. The charging on S26 Ultra has been bumped up from 45W to 60W, with Samsung claiming 0 to 75 per cent charge in just 30 minutes.
The camera system remains unchanged from the previous generation with Samsung claiming wider apertures for more light and better low-light photos. One interesting feature here is the Horizon Lock for videos which basically lets you shoot steady videos even while changing the angles.
Overall, the S26 series takes another step in putting AI at the heart of the phone experience. While the hardware might seem similar to last year, there are many features and experiences I find interesting and are looking forward to use. Stay tuned for the full review for more thoughts on the same.
