Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is set to launch soon with leaked pricing, redesigned display, privacy screen feature, camera upgrades, battery boosts, and potential India pricing.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is set to launch soon with leaked pricing [Photo: X]
Samsung is speeding toward the launch of its Galaxy S26 series, with multiple leaks and teasers suggesting a late February 2026 unveiling, likely at a Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25, ahead of a March 11 sale start in global markets.
Industry insiders and tech leaks hint at pricing shifts, design refreshes, display innovations, camera upgrades and battery improvements across the lineup — especially for the flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Multiple reports suggest Samsung will reveal the new S26 lineup at an Unpacked event on February 25, 2026, with phones going on sale from March 11 in many markets, including India and Europe.
This timeline follows Samsung’s usual early-year cadence and aligns with strong leak trends pointing to shipping dates soon after the announcement.
Leaked pricing data shows mixed signals for costs across regions. Some reports suggest prices may edge higher compared to the S25 series due to rising component costs and memory price hikes, while other leaks claim Samsung may absorb costs to maintain competitive pricing akin to previous years.
In Europe, the Galaxy S26 Ultra base model could start slightly lower than its predecessor, around €1,369, while the top-end 1TB version could remain similar in price to last year. Meanwhile, Galaxy S26 and S26+ pricing might stay close to previous entry points to attract mainstream buyers.
According to industry tracking, brand markets like India could see competitive pricing to offset inflation and compete strongly with rivals.
Samsung is expected to bring magnetic wireless charging support to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, likely based on the Qi2 standard, allowing chargers and accessories to snap into place for better alignment and more efficient charging.
This would reduce overheating and inconsistent charging speeds seen with regular wireless pads, while also enabling a new ecosystem of magnetic accessories such as power banks, stands and car mounts.
Leaks suggest Samsung may rely on magnet-enabled official cases rather than built-in magnets to keep the phone slim, while still offering the convenience of magnetic charging alongside faster wired speeds and improved battery life, making daily charging simpler and more reliable.
Leaks and render images of the Galaxy S26 series show a refined design with a slimmer profile and updated camera layout compared with the S25 models. The base S26 and S26+ are expected to feature a continuation of Samsung’s flat display trend with a triple camera setup in a new camera island.
For the S26 Ultra, leaks point to an advanced M14 OLED panel that is brighter and more power-efficient. Samsung is also expected to integrate a built-in Privacy Display technology that protects on-screen content from side glances — a feature that may work at the pixel level and can be applied selectively to notifications or sensitive apps.
All models in the Galaxy S26 series are expected to continue using Snapdragon processors for primary variants, with the Ultra model likely powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, offering improved performance and power efficiency.
Certain markets may receive Exynos 2600 variants for the base S26 and S26 Plus, while the Ultra will rely on Snapdragon globally.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is poised for significant camera upgrades, with potential enhancements like wider apertures on the primary and telephoto lenses, allowing more light and better low-light photography.
Other leaks, including community labs and Reddit discussions, hint at flagship-level sensors with up to 200MP resolution, upgraded ultrawide and periscope lenses, and improved AI photography features.
These upgrades are expected to push the S26 Ultra ahead in mobile photography and video capture against competitors.
Battery performance has been a talking point, with leaks suggesting Samsung may finally move past the long-standing 5,000mAh threshold on the Ultra model to offer slightly larger capacities while improving charging speeds.
The S26 Ultra is tipped to support 60W wired fast charging and enhanced Qi2 wireless charging, which could significantly reduce charging times compared to older flagships.
The S26 lineup is expected to run One UI 8.5, which builds on Android 16 and integrates deeper generative AI enhancements and user-customisation tools — improving photography, predictive tasks and on-device intelligence.
Rumours also indicate possible inclusion of new software features like Scam Detection and smarter AI assistants, expanding Samsung’s software appeal beyond raw hardware upgrades.
One of the most talked-about upgrades expected on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a built-in Privacy Display feature, designed to protect sensitive on-screen information from side glances.
Unlike traditional privacy screen protectors that darken the display or reduce brightness, Samsung’s new technology is said to work at the OLED pixel level. This allows the screen to remain fully visible to the user while limiting visibility from off-angle views, making it harder for others nearby to read messages, emails, or banking apps.
Leaks suggest the privacy feature could be:
If introduced, this would mark a first-of-its-kind native privacy screen on a mainstream flagship, positioning the Galaxy S26 Ultra as a strong choice for professionals, journalists, and users concerned about data security in public spaces.
Samsung has not officially confirmed the feature yet, but multiple reports indicate it could be exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, at least in the initial launch phase.
As Samsung’s flagship series for 2026, the Galaxy S26 lineup is shaping up to deliver meaningful improvements in design, display privacy, performance, camera capabilities and charging, alongside refined software.
Whether fans are after gaming power, photography upgrades, or enhanced security and privacy on the go, the S26 series appears positioned to compete strongly with other premium Android rivals and Apple’s latest iPhones.
Watch for official announcements in late February, with sales likely to begin soon after the Unpacked event.
