Samsung Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Extremely: Specs, Options, Worth, Launch Date

Samsung’s newest Galaxy smartphones—the Galaxy S26 collection—are all about optimization and AI. Introduced at its Galaxy Unpacked occasion in San Francisco, the telephones aren’t vastly totally different from final yr’s Galaxy S25 fashions, however the firm is hyping up efficiency optimizations that purportedly increase AI processing. Naturally, there are a bunch of latest AI options baked into the telephones too.

The headline {hardware} change is reserved for the top-tier Galaxy S26 Extremely: the Privateness Show. It prevents stray eyes from peeping over your shoulder at delicate info in your display screen—no want to use a third-party privateness display screen protector. The Extremely in any other case does not look as visually distinct subsequent to the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26; not like the earlier flagships, they now all share the identical look.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Sequence

{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu

The Galaxy S26 collection is obtainable for preorder now, with official gross sales kicking off on March 11. The Galaxy S26 and S26+ are getting a $100 worth enhance—seemingly attributable to a RAM bump, as RAM is pricey as of late. They begin at $900 and $1,100, respectively. The Galaxy S26 Extremely stays on the identical worth as its predecessor: $1,300. Samsung additionally unveiled a brand new pair of wi-fi earbuds, the Galaxy Buds4 ($179) and Buds4 Professional ($249), additionally arriving March 11. This is all the things you have to know.

The Privateness Show

The Galaxy S26 Extremely has one thing you have by no means seen on a smartphone: a built-in privateness display screen. This can be a hardware-driven characteristic; there are two varieties of pixels on the OLED panel, one which shoots mild on to your eyes, and one other subsequent to it that’s wider, permitting the sunshine to succeed in the edges. That permits you to view the display screen from all angles. When the Privateness Show is enabled, the latter pixels are turned off, severely limiting what folks round you may see. It isn’t simply blocking the left and proper sides of the smartphone like most two-way privateness display screen protectors, but additionally the highest and backside.

What makes it extra highly effective than your typical privateness display screen protector is that the Privateness Show may be custom-made by way of the software program. You possibly can toggle it on for all the display screen with a easy faucet on the Fast Settings tile, or you may allow it for all incoming notifications, on a per-app foundation, or for any app that requires a pin or passcode, like banking apps. Samsung says it’s going to even work with its Routines, so you may mechanically flip it on by way of geolocation, like whenever you depart the workplace.

{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu