Samsung is kicking off 2026 with a bang. At its annual Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco today, the tech giant officially unveiled the much-anticipated Galaxy S26 Ultra, headlining its flagship smartphone lineup for the year. For fans in India, the event was livestreamed at 11:30 PM IST, putting them front and center for one of the most significant launches in the global mobile calendar.
Premium Features and AI-Powered Upgrades
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is packed with features aimed at power users and tech enthusiasts. While the battery and core camera hardware might not see a dramatic overhaul compared to last year’s S25 Ultra, Samsung is betting big on software intelligence and next-generation AI. The S26 Ultra debuts a never-before-seen “Privacy Display” technology, designed to keep sensitive information away from prying eyes—a move that’s likely to resonate in today’s privacy-focused world.
Under the hood, the Ultra model is rumored to run on Samsung’s own Exynos 2600 chipset in India, potentially ditching Qualcomm to manage rising component costs. The phone boasts a massive 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with QHD+ resolution and a buttery-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Camera specs are equally impressive: a 200MP main sensor headlines the quad-camera setup, joined by a 50MP periscope lens (5x optical zoom), 50MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom).
India Among First to Get S26 Ultra: Pricing & Availability
India, one of Samsung’s biggest markets, is part of the first wave of countries to get the new S26 lineup. The Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at Rs 1,29,999, with higher storage variants reaching nearly Rs 1.7 lakh, depending on RAM and storage. The standard Galaxy S26 is expected to retail between Rs 79,999 and Rs 82,999, while the S26 Plus comes in around Rs 99,999.
Pre-orders are slated to open within days, with the phones expected to hit shelves soon after. Alongside the S26 Ultra, Samsung also announced the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus, each bringing their own performance and display upgrades: the S26 features a 6.3-inch display, and the S26 Plus steps up to a 6.7-inch QHD+ panel with a 4,900 mAh battery.
This Galaxy Unpacked event arrives just ahead of the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, putting Samsung in prime position to set the tone for premium Android phones in 2026. With a focus on AI, privacy, and display excellence, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is poised to reinforce Samsung’s flagship legacy for another year.
