SEOUL, March 11, 2026, 17:55 KST
Samsung Electronics announced Wednesday that its Galaxy S26 Ultra, the flagship in its latest smartphone series, has hit shelves worldwide. According to the company, more than 70% of global pre-order customers picked the Ultra. The device is up for grabs through carriers, retailers, and Samsung.com. 1
That’s crucial right now—Samsung is leaning on the Ultra as the centerpiece of its high-end lineup, after ceding the global smartphone crown to Apple last year. With memory-chip prices climbing, the new launch also puts a spotlight on consumer appetite: Samsung raised prices for the base and Plus versions in major markets, but kept the Ultra steady. 2
Samsung is seeing a sharp bump in U.S. pre-orders for the S26 series—up almost 25% on the S25, the company said. Orders for the Ultra accounted for a hefty 80%. Early action is clustered at the high end. 3
Samsung has priced the Ultra at $1,299.99 in the U.S., offering storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The company’s product page details a 6.9-inch screen, a 200-megapixel main camera, and a 5,000 mAh battery. 4
Samsung’s Ultra puts its Privacy Display front and center, blurring the screen from side angles and making shoulder surfing a tough task. PP Foresight’s Paolo Pescatore called it “the sleeper hit, a standout feature in a sea of AI noise.” At launch, TM Roh, who heads up device experience, emphasized that AI needs to be “part of our infrastructure.” 5
Samsung is pushing what it dubs agentic AI—software agents designed to handle multi-step operations across different apps. According to Pescatore, the company is positioning Galaxy AI as “an orchestrator, not a single-assistant bet,” blending Google’s Gemini, Perplexity, and an updated Bixby. That approach, however, could complicate things, increasing fragmentation and bringing up thornier privacy issues. 6
This is a play for the high end. Phones over $600 now make up 29% of worldwide shipments, yet they command 67% of the market’s value, according to Omdia. It’s a space Apple dominates with a 65% share, while Samsung trails far behind at 17%. 7
Still, early sales can overstate the picture. IDC projects global smartphone shipments dropping 12.9% this year, with memory costs pushing device prices higher. Reuters has average selling prices up 14% to an all-time high of $523. So even if the Galaxy S26 Ultra gets off to a hot start, an easy run through the year isn’t guaranteed.
