Last night I attended the Samsung Unpacked event for 2026 in Hyde Park, Sandton. The event was a bold step for the brand as they unleashed a new era for their mobile phone outlook for the future. As CEO of Samsung South Africa put it "We are moving away from the smartphone and welcoming the AI phone". The launch gave us the first look of the all-new Galaxy S26 series which consists of 3 devices, the S26, the S26+ and the S26 Ultra.
So before I dive into the AI bits of the device, lets look at the physical characteristics of the phone. Samsung have moved away from the titanium body and opted for the aluminium unibody design which not only keeps the device lighter but thanks to the new vapour chamber, also keeps the device cooler. The screen is protected by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass that is the strongest one yet. Inside the Galaxy S26 Ultra we have the latest Snapdragon 8 processor which enables the phones top performance whilst still being able to cope with all the AI background workings. The screen is a 6.9-inch AMOLED 2x Display that provides in depth performance for gaming an faster refresh rate but the biggest feature form the screen is the Privacy Mode, where one can activate it on demand or program it for certain applications or notifications to keep away prying eyes.
The camera remains mostly the same with the front facing camera gaining some extra AI features like auto editing to minimise glare and increase the details. The video is the biggest gainer from the AI features, with a better Nightography setting that allows you to video in the dark with a lot more detail and light with less of the grain that we are used to on devices of old. The video also has an increase stabilization with Super Steady feature and horizontal lock which means you dont have to make sure your phone is level when recording.
Lets look into the AI, along with Google Gemini the Samsung Galaxy S26 series becomes one of the most powerful AI phones on the market. With features such as "Now Brief" which gives you a summary of things for the start of your day that is in curated for your interests, like weather, news, traffic, health etc. Then you get "Now Nudge" which dives into your phone and assists when you need push info on request. For example, when you chatting on text and someone asks you if you free for dinner on Saturday, it will check your calender and notify that you are free or ask you to view calendar. Circle search can now search multiple things in a single pictures. Gemini can also run tasks in the background whilst you are busy doing other things on your phone, like read through your messages to curate and order to your favourite delivery app, when its done, it will ask you to confirm order and pay.
The Knox security has stepped up a notch giving you unparalleled layer of protection as its a physical barrier against hackers. Overall the device has exceeded expectations and we hoping we can get a hands on feel with the phone to review soon.
Pricing starts from:
Samsung Galaxy S26 - R20,999
Samsung Galaxy S26+ - R25,999
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra - R30,999
If pre-ordering the 256GB, Samsung will double your storage for the same price! So take advantage of this great offer.
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