Samsung’s Galaxy S26 phones add privacy screen, faster charging and smarter AI
At an event in San Francisco, Samsung took the wraps off its latest flagship phones, the Galaxy S26 series.
The biggest new feature is a privacy screen on the Ultra. Turn it on and people around you cannot see your display from the sides. You can set it to automatically activate for certain apps, for notifications, or even in specific locations.
It is a simple idea, but a useful one, especially if you are checking email, banking apps or messages in public.
Another big improvement is faster charging, especially on the Ultra model. The S26 Ultra now supports 60 watt wired charging, which Samsung says can get you from zero to 75 percent in about 30 minutes.
Wireless charging is faster too. And while there are still no magnets built into the phone itself, this year’s official cases have magnets for accessories.
When it comes to AI, Samsung is pushing features designed to save you time.
If someone texts about dinner, AI can offer a one tap shortcut to check your calendar. If a friend asks for photos from a trip, it can pull up matching pictures so you can share faster. You will also be able to ask AI to book an Uber, with Gemini handling the steps in the background.
There is also a new AI call assistant aimed at cutting down on spam. It can answer for you, ask who is calling and why, then only ring you if it seems important. During a live call, AI can also warn you during a conversation that sound like a scam.
As for the camera, both the main lens and the zoom lens capture more light, which should mean better photos, especially in challenging lighting.
Samsung’s Audio Eraser now works in real time inside apps, so you can boost voices and reduce background noise while watching videos on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and even Netflix.
Pricing starts at $900 for the base models, which is $100 more than last year, but you are getting double the storage. The top of the line Ultra model starts at $1,300 - no price increase over last year.
I have a review unit in hand so I’ll be putting it through the paces over the next few weeks. Let me know in the comments if there’s something in particular you want me to check out and report back on.
In the meantime, here are some early photos I’ve taken with the phone. Selfies and low light are the areas where the cameras have been improved the most, so that’s what I’m interested in.
