Samsung Galaxy S26 series: The most intuitive Galaxy AI phone to make your life easier, faster
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26+ and S26 will be available for pre-orders from 26 February to 19 March 2026. And there’s a storage surprise if you jump in early…
Samsung Electronics has officially announced the Galaxy S26 series in Johannesburg, introducing a line-up powered by the most proactive and adaptive Galaxy AI experiences yet designed to simplify everyday tasks.
From managing your busy plans to capturing and refining social media content, the new series is engineered to reduce the effort and number of steps required to get things done. As the third generation of Samsung’s AI phones, the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra handle complex tasks quietly in the background, allowing South African users to focus on the results rather than worrying about how the technology actually works.
On 25 February 2026, Samsung Electronics South Africa explained that the series was engineered with their most advanced capabilities working together as a single unit: incredible performance, an intuitive camera system and Galaxy AI. This foundation gives users the confidence to depend on their phone throughout the day without having to compromise on their security or privacy. Whether you are a creative professional or a busy parent, these devices deliver a powerful Galaxy experience.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Powerful performance designed around everyday use
Engineered for all-day performance, the Galaxy S26 series is built on the most powerful hardware ever seen in a Galaxy S series, powered by a customised chipset. Across the entire line-up, Samsung has focused on AI performance, power efficiency and thermal management. This ensures that even the most demanding tasks run smoothly and consistently, so you can rely on your device when it matters most.
On the top-tier Galaxy S26 Ultra, the customised mobile processor – the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy – delivers the best performance ever in its class. We are looking at significant gains across the CPU, GPU and NPU to support faster and smoother experiences that keep up with you throughout the day.
To put some numbers to it, the CPU performance has increased by up to 19%, meaning the Galaxy S26 Ultra responds more quickly to your touch and handles complex workloads intelligently, even when you have multiple tasks running at once. There is also a massive 39% improvement in NPU performance, which powers those always-on Galaxy AI features so they run seamlessly without lag. For the gamers among us, a 24% boost in GPU performance delivers much richer visuals and more fluid gameplay.
To sustain this level of power, the Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces a redesigned Vapor Chamber. It features thermal interface material positioned along the sides of the processor, allowing heat to spread more efficiently across a larger surface area. This keeps the device cool during demanding activities like gaming or video capture. To support all-day use, the Ultra also brings Super-Fast Charging 3.0, which can reach a 75% charge in just 30 minutes.
Samsung has also embedded proprietary technologies to enhance what you see on the screen. ProScaler improves image scaling so photos and videos appear clearer by sharpening text and fine detail. Additionally, the mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe) delivers more lifelike colours with four times the precision of the previous generation.
Best camera system for South African creators
The Galaxy S26 series brings a major focus on intuitive interaction to creativity and productivity. With an approach that integrates content capture, editing and sharing into a single experience, creativity feels more natural even if you do not have professional tools or technical knowledge.
On the Galaxy S26 Ultra, wider camera apertures allow more light to reach the sensor, delivering clearer photos with richer details in low-light conditions. The Enhanced Nightography Video feature keeps your footage vibrant even in dim scenes, which is perfect for capturing a concert or a braai around a campfire after sunset.
Video capture is further enhanced with upgraded Super Steady capabilities, including a horizontal lock option for greater stability. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is also the first among the Galaxy devices to support APV, a professional-grade video codec designed for high-quality production workflows. For the advanced creators, it ensures visually lossless video quality that stays true even after you have edited it multiple times.
Improvements to the AI ISP now extend to the selfie camera, capturing more natural skin tones and finer detail. Editing is just as straightforward with AI-powered tools built into your familiar workflows. With the upgraded Photo Assist suite, you can simply describe what you want to change in your own words.
Want to change a scene from day to night? Just ask. It can also add to images, restore missing parts of objects, or even clean up a spill on your clothing by changing your outfit in the photo. These edits can be reviewed step by step, making the process feel fluid and easy to adjust along the way.
Everyday ease with proactive Galaxy AI
The Galaxy S26 series is designed to make frequently used experiences feel straightforward. Galaxy AI works proactively on your behalf based on context, surfacing the right support at the right moment with minimal manual input.
With Now Nudge, you get timely suggestions to help you stay in the flow. If a friend asks for photos from a recent trip, the phone automatically suggests them from your Gallery. When you receive a message about a meeting, it can recognise related Calendar entries and check for any conflicts.
The Now Brief widget has also become more personalised, recommending exercise playlists and surfacing reminders for important events. Searching for information is easier than ever with an upgraded Circle to Search with Google, which now features enhanced multi-object recognition. If you spot a look you love, it can identify everything from the jacket to the shoes in one search.
The series integrates a choice of agents, including Bixby, Gemini and Perplexity. Once set up, tasks can be completed with a single button press or voice prompt. Galaxy S26 can also handle multi-step tasks in the background. For example, asking Gemini for a ride is as simple as reviewing the details and tapping confirm.
The Galaxy S26’s ease of use continues even when the phone is out of reach. The new Galaxy Buds4 series is a natural companion to the Galaxy S26, extending everyday experiences beyond the phone while delivering rich and immersive hi-fi sound.
When your Galaxy S26 is paired with Galaxy Buds4, interactions can continue naturally in moments when using hands isn’t practical. Users can activate AI agents with their voices, manage calls through simple Head Gestures on Buds4 Pro, and stay connected without breaking their flow.
Layers of protection for your privacy
As mobile experiences become more personalised, protecting your privacy is critical. Samsung builds protection into every layer of the Galaxy S26. The Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces the industry’s first built-in Privacy Display.
Designed for everyday situations like commuting in a taxi or sitting in a café, the Privacy Display protects your viewing experience. By controlling how pixels disperse light, the content stays clear for you but limits what others can see from side angles. Unlike traditional stick-on films, this integrated technology preserves full viewing quality from all directions when it is turned off.
Users can customise when it turns on, such as when entering a PIN or opening specific apps. Partial Screen Privacy can even limit the visibility of notification pop-ups. Smarter software safeguards also work in the background, like AI-powered Call Screening which identifies unknown callers and summarises their intent.
Private Album, built directly into Gallery, lets users easily hide selected photos and videos without creating a separate folder or signing into a Samsung Account. To stay ahead of emerging threats, the Galaxy S26 also extends Samsung’s innovation in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to critical system processes, including software verification and firmware protection, strengthening device integrity for the future.
New updates to Knox Matrix further strengthen protection across connected Galaxy devices, adding PQC-enabled end-to-end encryption for direct transfers like eSIM migrations and clearer visibility into firmware update status across the ecosystem through Security Status of Your Devices.
Galaxy S26 Series Specification Table
| Feature | Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S26+ | Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Refresh Rate | 1~120Hz Adaptive | 1~120Hz Adaptive | 1~120Hz Adaptive |
| Processor | Exynos 2600 | Exynos 2600 | Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Rear Camera | 50MP Wide, 12MP Ultra-Wide, 10MP Tele (3x) | 50MP Wide, 12MP Ultra-Wide, 10MP Tele (3x) | 200MP Wide, 50MP Ultra-Wide, 50MP Tele (5x), 10MP Tele (3x) |
| Front Camera | 12MP F2.2 | 12MP F2.2 | 12MP F2.2 |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 4,900 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 25W Wired, Wireless | 45W Wired, Wireless | Super-Fast 3.0 (75% in 30m) |
| OS | Android 16 / One UI 8.5 | Android 16 / One UI 8.5 | Android 16 / One UI 8.5 |
| Weight | 167g | 190g | 214g |
Samsung Galaxy S26: Availability and Pricing in South Africa
The Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26+ and S26 will be available for pre-orders from 26 February to 19 March 2026. If you jump in early, you can double your storage and save up to R5,000 in an exclusive pre-order offer. Shared colour options include Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue.
For added peace of mind, Samsung Care+ offers coverage from a once-off fee of just R799, covering accidental damage and expert support. The recommended retail prices are as follows:
- Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB: from R30,999
- Galaxy S26 Plus 256GB: from R25,999
- Galaxy S26 256GB: from R20,999
For the latest news and deeper technical details, you can visit the Samsung Newsroom.