After months of the usual rumours and leaks doing the rounds, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series has finally arrived.
Galaxy S26 & S26+
If you are picking one up in Malaysia, you will be looking at the Exynos 2600 chipset for the Galaxy S26 and S26+, with the units limited to the 12GB+512GB configuration (the 256GB model will come later).
The standard S26 has grown slightly this year, moving to a 6.3-inch screen, though it sticks with the 1080p LTPO OLED panel we have seen previously. It is a bit beefier in the battery department too, jumping up to 4,300mAh, yet it manages to keep almost the exact same footprint as the old model, weighing in just a tiny bit heavier at 167g.
The Galaxy S26+ is a more familiar story, keeping the 6.7-inch display and the same dimensions and weight as the S25+. The battery remains at 4,900mAh, but there is a slight improvement for those who prefer untethered power, as wireless charging has been bumped up to 20W. Unfortunately, the wired charging is still capped at 45W for the Plus, while the base S26 is still languishing with 25W wired and 15W wireless charging.
Camera-wise, both models are carrying over the same triple setup from last year, featuring the 50MP main sensor, a 10MP telephoto, and a 12MP ultra-wide. You can grab either model in a choice of four colours: White, Sky Blue, Cobalt Violet, or Black.
Galaxy S26 Ultra
The real talking point this year is the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which introduces a rather clever feature called Privacy Display. This is exclusive to the Ultra and essentially dims parts of the screen when it is viewed from an angle.
By dimming specific pixels to black for anyone glancing from the side, it should stop nosey neighbours on the train from reading your messages. It even links up with the software to automatically hide notifications and passwords when you are out and about, though you can toggle it off manually if you prefer.
Under the bonnet, the Ultra sets itself apart with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (256GB model coming later). A 16GB+1TB model is also available.
The display is a massive 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED affair with a crisp QHD+ resolution and 2,600 nits of peak brightness. It is protected by the latest Gorilla Armor 2, and while the S Pen makes its return, it still lacks Bluetooth functionality. You also get the anti-reflective coating and the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.
When it comes to the cameras on the Ultra, the 200MP main sensor returns but with a much wider f/1.4 aperture. Samsung reckons this lets in 47 per cent more light, which should be a massive help for night-time photography. The telephoto lenses have seen some tweaks as well, with the 5x lens getting a brighter f/2.9 aperture, though the 3x sensor is actually a bit smaller than the one found on the S25 Ultra. The 50MP ultra-wide sensor remains the same as last year’s version.
In terms of endurance, the Ultra sticks with the 5,000mAh battery we have become accustomed to, but there is finally some movement on charging speeds. It has finally broken the 45W barrier, offering 60W wired charging that can get you from empty to 75% in about half an hour, provided you have a compatible plug. It also supports 25W wireless charging via Qi 2.2.
You can pick up the Ultra in Black, Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, and White, or head over to the Samsung website for the exclusive Silver and Pink Gold finishes.
On the software side, the entire range ships with One UI 8.5 based on Android 16.
Pricing and Availability
As for the damage to your wallet, the S26 starts at RM5,199, while the S26+ will set you back RM6,199. The S26 Ultra starts at RM6,799 for the 512GB model, climbing all the way to RM7,999 if you fancy the 16GB+1TB version.