Samsung Galaxy S26 series debuts in India with ‘agentic’ Galaxy AI push

Samsung has launched its flagship Galaxy S26 series in India at the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, introducing three new models, Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra, with upgraded performance, refined design and a strong push toward what the company calls an “agentic” AI future.

Marking the third year of Samsung’s AI-focused smartphones, the S26 lineup places Galaxy AI at the centre of the experience, adding new on-device agents and contextual features designed to anticipate user needs.

“With the Galaxy S26 series, we focused on making AI feel effortless, working quietly in the background so people can focus on what matters,” said TM Roh, CEO, President and Head of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics.

Galaxy S26 Ultra: Slimmer design, camera tweaks, faster charging

Leading the lineup, the Galaxy S26 Ultra features a slimmer 7.9mm profile while retaining a design language similar to its predecessor, with a slightly redesigned camera module.

The device sports a 6.9-inch AMOLED display and introduces a new privacy screen technology aimed at reducing shoulder-surfing and improving viewing security in public spaces.

Under the hood, the Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, delivering improved performance for AI tasks, gaming and multitasking. It houses a 5,000mAh battery and supports upgraded Super Fast Charging 3.0, which Samsung claims can reach up to 75% charge in 30 minutes.

Camera improvements include wider apertures on the 200MP primary sensor for better low-light photography, along with enhanced Nightography Video designed to produce brighter, clearer footage in dim conditions.

Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus: Performance upgrade with Exynos 2600

The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus retain familiar form factors, featuring 6.3-inch and 6.7-inch AMOLED 2X displays, respectively, both with a 120Hz refresh rate.

While outward changes are minimal, Samsung has upgraded performance with the new Exynos 2600 processor. The camera system remains largely unchanged, comprising a triple-lens setup with a 50MP main sensor, a 10MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultra-wide camera.

Galaxy AI takes centre stage with agent capabilities

The most significant upgrades across the S26 lineup come from new Galaxy AI features built around contextual assistance and cross-app intelligence.

Samsung introduced “Now Nudge,” a feature that suggests relevant actions based on on-screen content, such as saving images, creating calendar events or initiating tasks.

Bixby has also been revamped with deeper conversational abilities and device-level agent capabilities, enabling it to execute complex commands across apps and system settings.

Existing features such as Now Brief and Circle to Search have been expanded with agent integrations, including Bixby, Gemini and Perplexity, allowing users to interact with multiple AI services directly from the device interface.

Availability in India

The Galaxy S26 series will be available in four colourways: Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue. In addition, it comes with two Samsung.com exclusive colours: Pink Gold and Silver Shadow.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 series start from February 25, and sales in India begin on March 11, 2026.