Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: All the Phones that Were Announced

Just like pretty much every other year, the leaks around Samsung’s latest Galaxy S phones had been floating around for a while. By the time Galaxy Unpacked rolled around, the public already had a decent idea of what to expect. And if you were like me, expecting mostly incremental upgrades with one standout trick (that new privacy screen), then you probably won’t be too shocked by how things turned out.

At its latest Unpacked event in San Francisco, Samsung officially unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Galaxy S26+ and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. The trio runs Android 16 with One UI 8.5.

Beyond that, this year’s story is more about hardware refinement than sweeping changes, especially outside the Ultra model.

Here’s a closer look at what each phone brings to the table:

Galaxy S26: Small Tweaks, Smarter Core

The standard Galaxy S26 is the most straightforward update of the trio.

It now has a slightly larger 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (up from 6.2 inches on its predecessor), with a 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate and peak brightness hitting 2,600 nits. It’s still a Full HD+ panel, so if you were hoping for a resolution bump, that’s reserved for the bigger siblings.

Battery capacity gets a small boost to 4,300mAh, which should help with longevity, especially when paired with the more efficient chipset. Charging remains at 25W wired and 15W wireless, which feels conservative compared to some rivals pushing far faster speeds.

Camera hardware is unchanged on paper: a 50MP main sensor, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP 3x telephoto. Instead of new sensors, Samsung is leaning hard into computational photography. The upgraded image signal processing, Object-Aware Engine and improved video stabilization (including horizon leveling) aim to make photos and 8K video sharper and more consistent.

One of the most practical upgrades this year, though, has been the bump in storage. The base model now starts at 256GB, finally ditching the 128GB entry tier. But it's also $100 more than last year's starting price, with the S26 starting at $899.

Galaxy S26+: The Middle Child (Still) Plays It Safe

The Galaxy S26+ feels very much like a bigger S26 rather than a distinct step up.

It keeps the 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with the same 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, offering sharper visuals than the base model. If media consumption matters to you, this is likely the sweet spot in the lineup.

Performance is identical to the standard model, with 12GB of RAM and the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip in select markets. Storage options remain 256GB and 512GB.

Interestingly, while earlier generations used the Plus model to differentiate more clearly, this year’s S26+ sticks close to last year’s formula. The battery is 4,300mAh according to Samsung’s official specs shared at launch, and wired charging climbs to 45W, with wireless charging at 20W. Noticeably faster than the base S26.

Cameras are the same triple-lens setup as the S26. So again, improvements are mostly software-driven. If you’re upgrading from an S24 or even S25 series device, the jump will feel evolutionary rather than revolutionary. This phone is going to cost you at least $1,099 though. Also $100 more than its predecessor.

Galaxy S26 Ultra: The Real Flagship

As usual, the Ultra is where Samsung pushes the envelope.

The S26 Ultra features a 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2,600 nits of brightness. But the headline feature is its new built-in Privacy Display tech, a first-of-its-kind implementation on a mainstream flagship. When activated, it reduces visibility from sharp side angles, making it harder for people nearby to peek at your screen. You can even configure it to activate automatically when opening banking apps or entering passwords. It’s subtle, but could be genuinely useful in real-world situations like commuting.

Some reviewers have complained about how activating the feature makes the screen feel slightly dim and that the optimal viewing angle of the device isn't as good as the S25 Ultra because of the technology that goes into the feature, but time will tell if this ends up being an issue.

Under the hood, it runs the same chipset as its siblings but offers up to 16GB of RAM and storage options up to 1TB.

The camera system is where things get serious. You’re looking at a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide, a 10MP 3x telephoto and a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto. On paper, resolutions look similar to last year’s Ultra, but Samsung says wider apertures on key sensors improve low-light performance. Video capture also gets a boost, supporting up to 4K at 120fps and 8K at 30fps.

Battery size climbs to 5,000mAh, and charging speeds top out at 60W wired and 25W wireless, the fastest in the lineup. All while starting at the same price as the S25 Ultra at $1,299.99.