Samsung has officially launched its latest flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S26, at the Galaxy Unpacked event, marking what the company terms the dawn of the "AI phone" era. The lineup includes the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra, all featuring enhanced AI capabilities and hardware improvements, but with increased prices in the UK compared to last year's models.
Galaxy S26 AI and Hardware Features
The Galaxy S26 family integrates Galaxy AI as a core component, designed to anticipate user needs rather than respond to commands. Key AI functions include automatic sorting and labelling of screenshots, conversational language searches through messages and documents, and smart appointment reminders based on calendar entries. The phones also offer advanced call handling with live captions and voice conversion of typed replies, along with background audio dampening in apps like YouTube and Netflix. Generative tools allow for photo editing via short prompts, enhancing user creativity.
In terms of hardware, the Galaxy S26 Ultra boasts a slimmer design at 7.9mm thick, yet incorporates a larger vapour cooling chamber. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and features a new 50MP ultra-wide lens, improved low-light processing, and 360-degree horizon stabilisation for steady video recording. A notable addition is a built-in privacy display to prevent visual eavesdropping in public settings. The S26 and S26 Plus receive more modest updates, including Samsung's Exynos 2600 chip, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage as standard.
UK Price Increases and Pre-Order Details
Despite previous stability in pricing for the S23, S24, and S25 series, Samsung has implemented price hikes across the entire S26 lineup in the UK. The Galaxy S26 starts at £879 for the 256GB model, with the 512GB version priced at £1,049, representing a £30 increase over the S25. The S26 Plus sees the most significant rise, starting at £1,099 for 256GB and £1,269 for 512GB, a £100 jump from its predecessor. The Galaxy S26 Ultra begins at £1,279 for 256GB, £1,449 for 512GB, and £1,699 for 1TB, costing £30 more than the S25 Ultra at launch. All models now offer 256GB as standard, which Samsung suggests mitigates the price impact.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 series are currently open in the UK, with shipping scheduled to commence on Wednesday, 11 March. The phones are available in black, white, cobalt violet, and sky blue, with exclusive pink gold and silver options for the S26 Ultra when ordered directly from Samsung. A key pre-order incentive is double storage at no extra cost, applicable across all retailers and carriers, meaning 256GB models upgrade to 512GB and 512GB models to 1TB.
Best Pre-Order Deals from UK Carriers
Several mobile carriers have announced pre-order deals for the Galaxy S26 series, offering various contract options with data plans.
- Sky Mobile: The Galaxy S26 starts from £30 per month, S26 Plus from £38, and S26 Ultra from £45, plus a £12 upfront fee. Data plans add to the cost, with 5GB plans priced at £6 per month for the first six months. Pre-orders include double storage and free Galaxy Watch8 models.
- Vodafone: Handset prices begin at £24.50 per month for the S26, £31 for the S26 Plus, and £35.50 for the S26 Ultra, with upfront fees of £40 or £50. Adding a 5GB data plan at £18 per month increases monthly costs. Pre-orders offer double storage and trade-in savings up to £914.
- Three: Device plans start at £24.50 per month for the S26, £31 for the S26 Plus, and £35.50 for the S26 Ultra, with £40 or £50 upfront. A 5GB data plan costs £16 per month. Pre-orders include double storage and roaming benefits.
- O2: The S26 is priced at £23.58 per month, S26 Plus at £29.69, and S26 Ultra at £34.69, with a £30 upfront fee. A 5GB data plan adds £23 per month. Perks include Priority rewards and EU roaming.
- EE: On a 36-month plan, the S26 costs £51.26 per month, S26 Plus £58.04, and S26 Ultra £63.59, with £30 upfront for a 5GB data plan. Pre-orders feature double storage and a £150 EE Tech Voucher for SIM-free purchases.
The Galaxy S26 series represents a significant step forward in smartphone technology with its AI-driven features, but UK consumers face higher costs, particularly for the S26 Plus. Pre-order deals provide some relief through storage upgrades and carrier incentives, making the launch a mixed bag of innovation and affordability challenges.
