Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26 series, including the base model Galaxy S26, at its Galaxy Unpacked event. The vanilla variant introduces meaningful upgrades over the Galaxy S25, making it a more compelling option for buyers seeking value. Some of the standout upgrades that are sure to lure users are a larger battery and a slightly bigger display compared to its predecessor, plus a higher base storage. However, the Galaxy S26 is pricier vis-à-vis the S25, reflecting the growing pressure on smartphone makers to increase prices due to rising RAM and component costs.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Key Upgrades And Specs
Battery life in the Galaxy S26 is now an improvement, with the capacity increasing to 4,300mAh (up from 4,000mAh in the S25) — paired with 25W wired and 15W wireless charging.
The same goes for the screen as well. The display on the Galaxy S26 has grown slightly to a 6.3-inch FHD+ Dynamic Amoled 2X panel (from 6.2 inches in the S25). It, however, retains the same peak brightness of 2,600 nits and a 120Hz maximum refresh rate.
The vanilla Galaxy S26 ships with the advanced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor in global markets like the U.S. Samsung has reserved the 2nm homegrown Exynos 2600 processor for select regions, including India. Both chips are widely expected to boost device performance and efficiency.
Galaxy AI receives further advancements, now including Perplexity integration. Users can access this additional assistant via the voice command “Hey Plex” or through shortcuts, such as a long press on the side button, providing more AI flexibility. Over Galaxy AI capabilities have expanded as well.
As far as design goes, the Galaxy S26 closely resembles the S25, with only subtle refinements such as a redesigned pill-shaped camera module, slimmer bezels, and more rounded corners.
On the optics front, the Galaxy S26 retains the same sensors as before — a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3x telephoto — but benefits from enhanced image processing and AI for overall better quality.
The base model of the Galaxy S26 comes with 12GB of RAM as standard. Samsung has eliminated the 128GB storage option that was available on the Galaxy S25, making 256GB the new entry-level storage tier to better match competitors like the iPhone 17.
Galaxy S26 Price Bump Was Inevitable
The rumours of a price increase for Samsung's flagship Galaxy S26 series — driven by rising costs for RAM and other components — have now become official. In the U.S., the standard Galaxy S26 starts at $899, which is a $100 increase compared to the base Galaxy S25. In India, the S26 begins at Rs 87,999 — roughly Rs 7,000 more than its predecessor.
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