Samsung announced new smartphones and earbuds today, including the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. The brand launches new phones and earbuds in February, having done so consistently for over five years now. All the new products are available for pre-order today, and launch officially on March 11th.
I’ve covered Samsung and its competitors for years as part of my phone, smartwatch and earbuds coverage — here’s everything you need to know about today’s launches.
Galaxy S26 phones
Samsung is launching a full lineup of S26 phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. All three models now start at 256GB of storage (up from 128GB on the S25 and S25 Plus), and have a new internal chip for faster performance in all tasks, including new AI software features.
The S26 and S26 Plus have a few minor hardware upgrades. The S26 has a slightly larger battery (4,300 mAh, up from 4,000), while the S26 Plus has slightly faster wireless charging.
Both models start at 256GB of storage, up from 128GB last year. But that storage increase means that they are $100 more expensive than before, with retail prices of $899 and $1,099, respectively.
The big new feature here is the built-in privacy screen. Traditional privacy screens make your screen look very dim and dark when viewed at an off-angle — think someone trying to see your screen sitting next to you. Samsung can do that too, but it’s highly customizable — you can choose what elements you want dimmed to onlookers, including notifications, password screens and more.
The S26 Ultra also has improved cameras and faster wired and wireless charging. It starts at $1,299, unchanged from last year’s S25 Ultra price.
Earbuds
Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Both share a new design with smoother, rounded eartips — very different from the Buds 3’s sharp, triangular stem shape.
The Buds 4 are the more budget-friendly of the two earbuds. They do not have rubber eartips, meaning they have a semi-open ear design, similar to Apple AirPods 4. The Buds 4 will get up to six hours of battery life, plus 30 more with the charging case.
The Buds 4 Pro are the more premium of the two earbuds. They have traditional rubber eartips, like most wireless earbuds, and get up to seven hours of battery life plus 30 more from the charging case.
What about the Samsung Galaxy S26 Edge?
Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge last year, a super-thin, super-light smartphone compared to its other models. The brand did not mention the Edge during its event, so we do not know whether there will be a Galaxy S26 Edge at this time.
What about the Samsung Galaxy Watch?
Samsung typically launches new Galaxy Watches, Z-Flip and Z-Fold phones in the summer. Expect a second Galaxy Unpacked event in the summer for the latest versions of these devices.
What about the Samsung Galaxy Ring?
The Samsung Galaxy Ring launched in the summer of 2024. Oura, maker of the Oura Ring, quickly filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung. This is in-character for the brand — it has filed similar patent suits against smart ring makers like Ultrahuman, RingConn, Zepp Health and others. Samsung, in turn, has filed a counter suit against Oura.
All that to say: the fate of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is more uncertain than some of the brand’s other products. I’m not sure when we might see the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 hitting store shelves.
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I am a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology and fitness including stories on fitness trackers, over-ear headphones, point-and-shoot cameras and more. I’ve been covering Samsung and its major competitors for years as part of my phone, wearables and headphone coverage. For this story, I confirmed details about the new Samsung products in press releases and product pages.
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