You'd think that with the number of leaks and early reveals of Samsung's new Galaxy S26 phone lineup, the actual Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event would be just a formality. But seeing official announcements is different from piecing and parsing rumors. Today's event had its share of big news and a few surprises.
Watch this: Samsung Unpacked 2026: The Future of AI Has Arrived (Highlights) 10:34 Galaxy S26 UltraOne expected announcement was the reveal of the flagship Galaxy phone, the S26 Ultra. In fact, Samsung barely mentioned the other two phones being rolled out today: the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus.
Samsung/Screenshot by CNETThe Galaxy S26 Ultra is slightly lighter and thinner than the S25 Ultra, features the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor for Galaxy, has an aluminum frame instead of titanium, and incorporates new display technology, including Privacy Display.
The S26 Ultra became the hook on which almost everything else announced at the event hung, from AI features to camera technology.
CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti wrote about her first hands-on experience with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and we'll follow up with full reviews of it and the other S26 phones as we have more time to test them out.
Phone display news typically centers on brightness and resolution, but Samsung Unpacked revealed a new technology that looks genuinely useful in everyday situations.
Snoopy coworkers? Privacy Display can thwart their nosy efforts.
"Look" is probably the wrong word, though, because the Privacy Display feature lets you hide sensitive information on your screen. It's like a sheet of privacy film that can be turned on or off and applied to specific apps and content.
When you turn on Privacy Display, people sneaking peeks at your phone from the sides will see just a darkened screen. Or you can choose to enable it when, for example, you're using your banking app or sending text messages. The technology isn't just a full-screen, all-on/all-off implementation: You can configure it so that only incoming notifications get the privacy treatment.
Narrow pixels focus light output to reduce the field of view.
This is all accomplished using a clever technology Samsung calls Black Matrix. Normally, display pixels are designed to cast light in the widest possible angle for better visibility. With the Black Matrix, some display pixels include physical rings that can narrow their light output and disrupt visibility from the sides.
CNET's Katie Collins thinks Privacy Display is the one feature that sets the S26 Ultra apart from every other phone right now, and Macy Meyer is looking forward to scrolling in peace away from "shoulder surfers."
The S26 phones most people will buy got only a few mentions, but a few things about them stand out, as CNET's Patrick Holland explains in his first-hand look.
Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus
The Galaxy S26 has a larger screen than the S25 it replaces, which means it's also slightly taller and wider. However, it keeps the same 7.8mm thickness, which Holland says makes it feel slimmer overall. That design also includes a larger, 4,300-mAh battery, which is welcome news; the S26 Plus includes the same 4,900-mAh battery as its predecessor.
Not as welcome? Both phones are now $100 more expensive than the ones they replace, at $900 and $1,100 for the 256GB models. (The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, keeps its $1,300 price tag.)
All New Samsung Browser, Including Perplexity
I know this comes as a shock, but AI featured heavily in Samsung's presentation. And while a lot of the language is still couched in the future-tense "you will be able to," Samsung did show off some practical applications of AI.
Samsung/Screenshot by CNETIt introduced a new Samsung Browser that, at heart, is tied to AI vendor Perplexity. Using an Ask AI tool, the browser can research queries across all the browser tabs, and even your search history, to bring up the answers you're looking for.
Patrick Holland got more details about Samsung's and Perplexity's relationship.
Another AI tool announced at the event is Now Nudge, a feature intended to feel like a low-key personal assistant but not one that tries to micromanage your life.
Now Nudge is envisioned as a less-intrusive personal assistant.
In the example Samsung gave, when a friend mentions photos you and they shared in a chat, Now Nudge could surface those photos so you have them ready to share, instead of digging through your photo library to find them.
Or, it can bring up calendar events related to a conversation: When a friend asks if you're free on a specific date to go out for dinner, Now Nudge can pop that day up without you leaving the chat app. According to Samsung, "it helps you stay in your flow."
It's certainly interesting to see at least a partial acknowledgment that not everyone wants AI to handle every task.
