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It's that time of year again, were Samsung announces its latest lineup of flagship Galaxy S devices.
As you might expect, AI is again a big focus of this year's lineup, but the real highlight of the show is the user-controlled privacy display.
Samsung is leaning heavily into "agentic AI" with the Galaxy S26 series, aiming to make mobile intelligence proactive rather than just reactive. New features like Now Nudge and Now Brief work in the background to suggest photos to friends or surface travel reminders based on your private context.
The integration of third-party agents like Gemini and Perplexity allows the device to handle complex, multi-step tasks, such as booking a taxi through a single voice prompt.
Samsung’s goal is for the technology to "fade into the background," handling the heavy lifting while users focus on the results.
Hardware that prioritises privacy
The standout hardware innovation this year is the Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Unlike a physical screen filter, this built-in technology controls light at the pixel level to limit viewing angles, protecting sensitive information in public spaces like cafes or on public transport.
Under the hood, the Ultra is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor. To keep things cool during intensive AI tasks or gaming, Samsung has redesigned the vapour chamber and introduced Super-Fast Charging 3.0 for quicker top-ups.
A refined camera and creative studio
The Galaxy S26 Ultra features the brand's widest aperture camera to date, significantly improving light intake for night photography and video.
A new Creative Studio space allows users to turn sketches or prompts into polished visuals, while the Photo Assist suite can now perform complex edits—like changing a user's outfit or restoring missing parts of an image—just by describing the desired change.
Eric Chou, Vice President of Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics Australia, noted the shift in strategy:
"These new devices seek to provide Australians with intuitive personalisation, as Samsung's AI strategy is built around three principles – reach, openness and confidence – designed to move AI from experimentation to everyday reliance."
Galaxy Buds4 and the New Galaxy Club
Alongside the phones, the Galaxy Buds4 and Buds4 Pro introduce a refreshed ergonomic design and intelligent adaptive controls.
The Pro model features a wider woofer for richer sound and improved Active Noise Cancellation that adapts to your environment in real-time. Both models support head gestures, allowing users to manage calls by simply nodding or shaking their head.
Samsung also launched the New Galaxy Club in Australia, a subscription-based loyalty program. It guarantees a future trade-in value of up to 50 per cent of the retail price and includes Samsung Care+ protection, simplifying the upgrade path to next year's model.
Pricing and availability
The Galaxy S26 series and Galaxy Buds4 series are available for pre-order in Australia starting today, with general availability from 11 March 2026.
Galaxy S26 series RRP
| Device | Configuration | RRP (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S26 | 256GB | $1,549 |
| Galaxy S26 | 512GB | $1,849 |
| Galaxy S26+ | 256GB | $1,849 |
| Galaxy S26+ | 512GB | $2,149 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | 256GB | $2,199 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | 512GB | $2,499 |
| Galaxy S26 Ultra | 1TB | $2,949 |
Galaxy Buds4 series RRP
- Galaxy Buds4: $299
- Galaxy Buds4 Pro: $399
Australian retailers
Available via Samsung.com.au, Samsung Experience Store, Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, and Officeworks.
