Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S26 family, which once again features three new phones: the Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all three devices are more expensive than last year's models, with Samsung increasing prices from as little as $50 to as much as $250.
Here is how Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S26 launch pricing compares:
| Galaxy Model | S25 RRP | S26 RRP | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (256GB) | $1,399 | $1,549 | $150 |
| Standard (512GB) | $1,599 | $1,849 | $250 |
| Plus (256GB) | $1,699 | $1,849 | $150 |
| Plus (512GB) | $1,899 | $2,149 | $250 |
| Ultra (256GB) | $2,149 | $2,199 | $50 |
| Ultra (512GB) | $2,349 | $2,499 | $250 |
| Ultra (1TB) | $2,749 | $2,949 | $200 |
The Galaxy S26 family is Samsung's first major phone launch set against the backdrop of the "component crisis", which has seen the cost of hardware like memory and storage skyrocket due to generative AI-led demand.
Samsung Australia's Head of Product for Smartphone, Nathan Rigger, told WhistleOut didn't provide a specific reason for the price increase but noted conditions are currently challenging.
"We appreciate the current macroeconomic conditions at the moment are challenging," said Rigger. "There is a lot of excess demand across memory, storage, and semiconductors, and that is putting pressure on prices."
"Our strategy to combat this is to have a Galaxy for everyone, so that means we'll continue to make sure we offer every crucial price point a Galaxy device. We'll have a Galaxy device from $300 all the way to $3,000 plus."
While the Galaxy S26 family is more expensive, Rigger noted that Samsung will continue to offer the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 FE. These phones won't get a discount with the launch of new hardware will continue to sell for their current recommended retail prices of $1,399 and $1,099, respectively.
When it comes to the phones themselves, the Galaxy S26 Ultra gets the lion's share of upgrades. It benefits from the latest high-end Qualcomm chipset, faster apertures on two of its cameras, faster charging speeds, and new privacy technology in the display.
Conversely, changes are more incremental for Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus. Both are powered by Samsung's latest in-house chipset and the Galaxy S26 in a touch larger (and as such, has a slightly larger battery), but otherwise, there isn't much new on the hardware front.
There are, of course, new Galaxy AI features across all three devices. The big new one is "Now Nudge", which can surface relevant information and actions based on what the user is doing, in a similar vein to Magic Cue on the Pixel 10.
Before we get stuck into the nitty-gritty, here are the important details. You'll be able to pre-order all three Galaxy S26 devices from today, ahead of a March 11 release date.
You can pre-order the phones on a mobile plan from Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, or outright from major retailers including Samsung, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, and Amazon. As usual, there are plenty of pre-order bonuses to go around - some of which help offset the increased price.
Customers who pre-order their Galaxy S26 from Telstra can get up to a $700 discount on the new phones, plus a bonus $300 in credit when they trade in a phone.
Optus is offering a $500 discount on the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, or a $700 discount on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, for customers who pre-order. Customers can also add a Galaxy Watch 8 for $0 per month when they take up a $10 per month Watch plan.
And those who pre-order through Vodafone can get a $400 discount on the Galaxy S26, $500 discount on the Galaxy S26 Plus, or $700 discount on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. As with Telstra, there's also $300 of bonus trade-in credit up for grabs.
Customers who pre-order directly through Samsung can get a $300 credit toward a storage upgrade. In most cases, this would allow one to buy a 512GB model for the same price as a 256GB variant. The 1TB Galaxy S26 Ultra is the one exception, where the credit brings it down to $2,649.
Here are the cheapest mobile plans for each Galaxy S26.
Samsung Galaxy S26 256GB Plans
|
#1
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$82.02/mth
Min. cost $1,587.72
|
|
#2
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$88.02/mth
Min. cost $1,593.72
|
|
#3
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$117.02/mth
Min. cost $1,622.72
Link not supplied
|
Samsung Galaxy S26+ 256GB Plans
|
#1
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$85.24/mth
Min. cost $1,893.96
|
|
#2
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$90.36/mth
Min. cost $1,887.96
|
|
#3
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$114.24/mth
Min. cost $1,922.96
Link not supplied
|
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB Plans
|
#1
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$83.40/mth
Min. cost $2,237.88
|
|
#2
|
Vodafone
Editor's Pick
$58 Small Plan
$92.19/mth
Min. cost $2,243.88
|
|
#3
|
Telstra
$84 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$135.08/mth
Min. cost $2,272.88
Link not supplied
|
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
As has been the case in recent years, Samsung has saved its biggest upgrades for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. These start with an aesthetic tweak; the Galaxy S26 Ultra now has the same curvature and camera bump style as the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus. While the designs are now in line, the Galaxy S26 Ultra still has an integrated S Pen.
Samsung has switched back to an aluminium frame after using titanium for the previous two models. This has resulted in a device that is 0.3mm slimmer and 4g lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra still has a 6.9-inch display, but it now has a "privacy mode" that uses a combination of software and hardware to obscure content to onlookers. When privacy mode is switched on, viewing angles are reduced for anyone not directly in front of the screen. This can be toggled via settings or automatically when using certain apps, such as a banking app. Privacy mode can also be used to hide parts of the screen, such as notifications.
@whistleout_au Samsung introduced the S26 Ultra with Privacy Display today. It is a nifty little feature that plays with the shape and brightness of pixels to keep prying eyes off your phone. We got hands on with it before the launch. Here's what we think. #innovation #techtips #wifi #smartliving #techdeals #technews #samsunggalaxy #s26ultra #samsungultra #privacydisplay #techreview ♬ original sound - WhistleOut Australia
On the camera front, Samsung has upgraded the Galaxy S26 Ultra's primary lens and 5x telephoto lens with faster apertures. The 200MP primary camera now has an aperture of f/1.4, and the 50MP 5x lens has an aperture of f/2.9. Faster apertures allow the lens to gather light faster, which can improve low-light photography and reduce motion blur. These two lenses are joined by a 10MP 3x telephoto lens and a 50MP ultra-wide lens.
On the front, Samsung says it has upgraded the Galaxy S26 Ultra's selfie camera imaging pipeline with AI. In addition to processing shots after they're taken, the software can now adjust them in real-time.
Samsung is powering the Galaxy S26 Ultra with a custom version of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen. The company says the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers 19% faster processing than the Galaxy S25 Ultra and 24% faster graphics.
In terms of battery, there's still a 5,000mAh cell inside. Samsung has increased charging speeds, however. A 30-minute charge should take the Galaxy S26 Ultra from flat to 75%. On the wireless charging front, the Galaxy S26 Ultra supports Qi2-style 25W charging speeds, but does not have integrated magnets like MagSafe or Pixelsnap. The majority of Samsung's first-party cases include magnets.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will receive seven years of operating system and security updates, as with last year's model. This is currently the best software support promise for Android devices, matching Google's seven-year commitment for recent Pixel devices, such as the Pixel 10 family.
Outright pricing for the Galaxy S26 Ultra is as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB): $2,199
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (512GB): $2,499
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (1TB): $2,949
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is available in a choice of cobalt violet, sky blue, black, or white. Samsung also has two colours exclusively available on its website: silver shadow and pink gold.
Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus
The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus don't get quite as many hardware changes as their Ultra sibling, with the new in-house Exynos 2600 chipset being the single change that impacts both devices.
The Galaxy S26 has also grown a little, now featuring a 6.3-inch display with a larger 4,300mAh battery. The Galaxy S26 Plus still has a 6.7-inch display with a 4,900mAh battery, like last year's model.
Nothing has changed in terms of rear-facing cameras, with both models featuring a 50MP primary lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP 3x zoom lens. This is the same camera setup Samsung has been using since the Galaxy S22. These are joined by a 12MP selfie camera on the front, which, like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, can now AI enhance photos as they're being taken, rather than just after.
The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus will also get seven years of software and security updates.
Outright pricing for the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus is as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB): $1,549
- Samsung Galaxy S26 (512GB): $1,849
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (256GB): $1,849
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (512GB): $2,149
You can grab both phones in a choice of cobalt violet, sky blue, black, or white. Samsung also has two colours exclusively available on its website: silver shadow and pink gold.
Here's how the three Galaxy S26 models compare:
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S26 Plus | Galaxy S26 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | Flat 6.3-inch | Flat 6.7-inch | Flat 6.9-inch with Privacy Mode |
| Resolution | 1080p+ | Quad HD+ | Quad HD+ |
| Refresh Rate | 1 - 120Hz | 1 - 120Hz | 1 - 120Hz |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 200MP + 50MP + 10MP + 50MP |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP |
| Processor | Exynos 2600 | Exynos 2600 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Storage | 256GB - 512GB | 256GB - 512GB | 256GB - 1TB |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB | 12GB - 16GB |
| Battery | 4,300mAh | 4,900mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Water-Resistance | IP68
|
IP68 | IP68 |
| Durability | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Gorilla Glass Armor 2 |
| 5G | Sub 6 | Sub 6 | Sub 6 |
| Material | Aluminium | Aluminium | Aluminium |
| S Pen | No | No | Yes |
| Price | From $1,449 | From $1,849 | From $2,199 |
Samsung Galaxy AI
The entire Galaxy S26 family features Galaxy AI, which was first introduced with the Galaxy S24 family. On top of existing Galaxy AI functionality, Samsung has a few additions.
"Now Nudge" is the big new feature, and is meant to bring up contextually useful information when performing tasks. For example, if someone texts to ask if you're free at a certain time, the Now Nudge will check your calendar.
Samsung is also upgrading Now Brief to have more personalised updates based on your usage, and Now Bar to be more proactive. For example, if you've got a meeting in your calendar and there's traffic, you might get a Now Bar prompt encouraging you to leave early.
Other new features include an AI document scanner that can remove crinkles from documents, generative editing that lets you add elements to photos in addition to subtracting, and call screening.
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Alex Choros
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