Samsung Galaxy S26 Series First Impression
Samsung recently briefed the industry on the upcoming Galaxy S26 series, which includes the base S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. While the launch is arriving a month later than previous years, the lineup features significant hardware streamlining and new AI-driven utility.
Design and Hardware
Samsung is focusing on a unified aesthetic and improved thermal management across the series:
- Unified Colors: All three models share four standard colors (Cobalt Violet, Black, White, and Skyblue), with Silver Shadow and Pink Gold available as online exclusives.
- Build Material: The entire series now utilizes Armor Aluminum, which is cited to offer superior heat conduction compared to titanium.
- Chipsets: The S26 Ultra will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 worldwide, while the base and Plus models will feature the Exynos 2600 in specific regions (Malaysia being one of it).
- Thermal Architecture: A redesigned vapor chamber and repositioned thermal interface material aim to improve cooling, complemented by a new “Heat Path Block” (HPB) in the Exynos 2600.
Display and Charging (Ultra Exclusives)
The S26 Ultra introduces several high-end “magic” features:
- Privacy Display: Using subpixel light manipulation, the Ultra can focus light in a cone shape to act as a digital privacy filter without a physical polarizer. This is hardware level privacy
- Increased Size: The base S26 display has grown to 6.3 inches.
- Wired Charging: The Ultra now supports 60W wired charging (0-75% in 30 minutes) via a new GaN-based USB-PD PPS charger.
- Wireless Charging: A new 45W (input) charging puck has been introduced, though it outputs a maximum of 25W to the device.
Camera and Videography
While the sensors remain largely the same, the optics and software have received notable upgrades:
- Brighter Apertures: The Ultra’s main camera is now f/1.4 (47% brighter), and the 5x zoom is f/2.9 (37% brighter).
- Super Steady Video: This new mode features a horizontal lock that keeps the view stabilized even if the phone is rotated 360° (available across the entire series).
- APV Codec: The Ultra supports the new Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec for near-lossless 8K 30fps capture.
One UI 8.5 and Galaxy AI
The new software suite introduces several new intelligence features:
- Call Screening: Galaxy AI acts as a robocall assistant, screening and transcribing calls in 13 languages.
- Now Nudge & Bar: Contextual shortcuts that suggest text replies, contact info, or adaptive recommendations based on usage.
- Audio Eraser: This tool now works within third-party apps like Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix to clear up background noise.
- Smart Organization: Screenshots are now automatically tagged and categorized by the system.
All models in the series will come with 12GB of RAM, with storage options ranging from 256GB up to 1TB for the Ultra.
