"Galaxy Unpacked 2026" Held in San Francisco, United States
Proactive AI Agents Offer Help in Everyday Life
Prices Are Up...But Hardware Performance Is Optimized for AI
Samsung Electronics, which is ushering in the era of AI phones, has unveiled the next-level, innovative Galaxy S26 series. The Galaxy S26 comes packed with a host of new features that provide practical help in everyday life and turn imagination into reality. Even though the prices of each model have been raised by about 99,000 won to 295,900 won compared to the previous generation, the company has doubled this year’s sales target versus the predecessor.
At the "Galaxy Unpacked 2026" event held in San Francisco, USA, on the 25th (local time), Roh Taemoon, President and Head of the DX Division, is introducing the Galaxy S26 series. Provided by Samsung Electronics.
"AI That Understands Me"...Easy and Intuitive to Use
On the morning of the 25th (local time), Samsung Electronics held the "Galaxy Unpacked 2026" event in San Francisco, USA, and unveiled the Galaxy S26 series, which consists of the standard, Plus, and Ultra models. Roh Taemoon, President and Head of the DX Division, said, "The Galaxy S26 series is a product that allows anyone to use AI easily and intuitively, based on powerful hardware." The venue was packed with foreign media and invited influencers from around the world who came to see the next-generation Galaxy devices that embody the full technological capabilities of Samsung.
The area Samsung focused on most this time is "agentic AI." Through agentic AI, the company has presented a vision of allowing users to employ AI functions in their daily lives easily and conveniently. Agentic AI goes beyond chatbots that simply provide answers and instead performs requests and delivers information based on user data. In particular, Galaxy S26 users can now make intuitive use of AI technology without having to learn in advance how to use AI or think through it in their heads.
First, Gemini, Google’s AI model embedded in the Galaxy S26, has become even smarter. When the user presses the right-side button and gives a voice command such as "Call a taxi to Incheon Airport," the phone automatically launches taxi service applications like Uber or Kakao T and performs the requested task. Going forward, the company plans to apply this functionality to food delivery apps such as Baemin and to online shopping malls as well.
The image editing functions have also become more sophisticated and advanced thanks to AI technology. Previously, users could simply erase a specific subject or generate an object, but with the Galaxy S26, they can freely transform photos and realize images from their imagination. Even if you forget to take a food photo for your social media account and take a bite first, there is no need to worry. With a simple voice command such as "Restore the food to its original state," you can obtain an image that is seamlessly restored.
Another key feature is that users can now choose the AI model they want. From Samsung’s own model "Bixby" to Gemini and Perplexity, users can select whichever AI agent they prefer. They can easily launch an AI agent by pressing the side button or through voice commands.
In particular, the Bixby-based "Now Nudge" function has been newly added. For example, if a friend asks you via KakaoTalk Messenger to send photos from a recent trip to Australia, a "Photo sharing" icon appears below the message input window, and with just one tap you can select and share your Australia trip photos from your gallery. In addition to the photo gallery, apps such as Calendar, Contacts, Samsung Wallet, and Toss are also suggested through the Now Nudge function based on the conversation content. By using these proactively operating AI agents, users can avoid the hassle of switching between multiple apps or searching for materials one by one.
Despite Price Hikes...Confident Hardware, Targeting 800 Million Units in Sales
Due to rising component costs, including the application processor (AP), which serves as the "brain of the smartphone," Samsung has increased the factory price of the Galaxy S26 by 99,000 won to 295,900 won per model compared to the previous generation. However, the company has set this year’s cumulative sales target at the 800-million-unit level, revealing its confidence by aiming for double the 400-million-unit cumulative sales of Galaxy AI devices recorded through last year.
Samsung’s confidence stems from the significant upgrade in hardware performance that supports the AI features. In particular, the "Snapdragon 8 Elite 5th Gen" AP installed in the Galaxy S26 Ultra model has been optimized for AI tasks, with NPU performance improved by 39% and CPU and GPU performance enhanced by 19% and 24%, respectively, compared to the previous generation.
In addition, a brighter camera lens has improved the "Nightography" function, delivering clear results in low-light environments such as dark nights. The Ultra model is also the first mobile phone to feature a "Privacy Display" that limits screen visibility from the side, strengthening privacy protection.
The Galaxy S26 series will be rolled out sequentially in more than 120 countries worldwide, including Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and India, starting on March 11. In Korea, pre-orders will run for seven days from February 27 to March 5. The series will be available in four colors: white, black, "Cobalt Violet," and "Sky Blue." In addition, two exclusive colors that can only be purchased on Samsung.com and at Samsung Gangnam, "Pink Gold" and "Silver Shadow," will be released together. Prices start at 1,254,000 won for the standard model (256GB), 1,452,000 won for the Plus, and 1,797,400 won for the Ultra.
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