It Does Everything with Just a Word... Galaxy S26 Takes Over Tasks for You [Review]

Samsung Electronics has led the way in popularizing artificial intelligence (AI) through its flagship Galaxy S smartphone series. The first on-device AI phone, the S24, introduced features such as call translation and Note Assist, while the S25 presented the vision of an "AI Container" that integrates AI platforms. In 2026, as we enter the era of agentic AI, Samsung has brought AI even closer to everyday life with the launch of the S26 series. I used the S26 Ultra, which surprised users with innovations in both hardware and software, for a week.

A Thinner, Sleeker Grip... Privacy Display Blocks Viewing from All Directions

Galaxy S26 Ultra exterior. Photo by Eunseo Lee.

The first thing I noticed was the thinner, smoother grip compared to the previous model. The curvature of the edges has increased, making it comfortable to hold for extended periods. The weight has decreased by 4g to 241g, and the thickness has been reduced by 0.3mm to 7.9mm, making it the thinnest Ultra series device to date. The rear now features a pill-shaped vertical camera island, a result of larger apertures for both the main and 5x telephoto cameras compared to the previous generation.

The burden of charging has been reduced thanks to ultra-fast charging support. Wired charging offers speeds of up to 60W, while wireless charging supports up to 25W. In practice, when I connected the device to the charger at 10% battery, an on-screen message indicated that it would be fully charged in 46 minutes; after 20 minutes, the battery was already at 67%.

Privacy display operating from all directions. Photo by Eunseo Lee.

The first feature I checked after turning on the phone was the privacy display. I could sense Samsung's commitment to protecting personal information down to the pixel level. The biggest difference from traditional privacy films is that the display blocks visibility from all four directions: top, bottom, left, and right.

This means that even when watching videos in landscape mode, you can block the gaze of people around you. When I compared the S26 Ultra with my previous phone using a privacy film, I found that the film started blocking visibility at a 45-degree angle, but the S26 Ultra's screen became invisible as early as a 20–30 degree angle. This feature is implemented through a hardware design called "Flex Magic Pixel," which uses barriers between pixels to direct light in specific directions. When the display feature is activated, the screen is composed around a "Narrow Pixel" that concentrates light, effectively blocking the view from the sides.

Personalized protection is also possible thanks to the "automatic activation condition," which lets you turn the privacy display on or off for individual apps. It can also be selectively applied in specific situations, such as password entry screens or notification pop-ups. When I enabled the feature only for Instagram, direct message (DM) notifications appeared blacked out at the top of the screen. For even stronger privacy, an "Enhanced Privacy Protection" mode is also available, although when activated, the front of the screen appeared somewhat cloudy.

A notable new camera feature is the "horizontal super steady" mode. This goes beyond the existing "Super Steady" function that prevents hand shake, making sure videos remain stable even if the phone is tilted horizontally. This is achieved by analyzing the shooting screen with gyro and accelerometer sensors to automatically keep the image level.

 Knows Without Being Told... Natural Language Editing with "Vibe Photoshop" Now Possible

With "AI anyone can use easily and intuitively" as its core value, the S26's main focus is on AI accessibility.

Bixby, Perplexity, and Gemini stood out on the app screen, and holding down the upper right button would instantly summon Gemini for voice commands. In addition, AI features are built directly into the cloud, calendar, and gallery, enabling a seamless AI experience at the operating system (OS) level, rather than being limited to individual apps.

AI agents were particularly convenient for handling certain tasks. When I told Bixby, "Get me a taxi to Gwanghwamun Station," an Uber screen with the departure point, destination, and estimated fare appeared instantly. All I had to do was tap "Pay" and the taxi would be called. Gemini, through its task automation beta version, can place orders on apps such as Uber, KakaoT, and Baemin (Baedal Minjok). On Baemin, it took into account specific dish names and restaurants, allowing the AI to order exactly what I wanted.

Instagram direct message window showing NowNudge recommending a reply. Photo by Eunseo Lee.

With the S26, AI has firmly established itself as an "everyday assistant" that manages users throughout screen time, even without running a separate app. This was most apparent with the "NowNudge" function. Each time I sent a message, a blue star-shaped icon would light up, automatically generating a reply. It offered suggestions tailored to the tone—active, flexible, or cautious—and automatically registered events in Google Calendar when a schedule was set. The "Now Brief" feature, which remembers and notifies you of registered events, was also useful. It analyzes emails, notifications, and more to inform you of appointments and reservations you haven't added yourself.

An image where the contents of the cup have been changed using AI, and the person in the background has been removed. Photo by Eunseo Lee.

The Galaxy S26's AI even acts as a photo editor. When you give an editing command in text, the so-called "Vibe Photoshop" produces results in under 10 seconds. In a real test, I instructed it to "change the Americano in the cup to a latte," and the AI naturally edited the image, preserving the texture of the ice and the cup. The AI also automatically removed people from the background without the need for manual selection, as is required in Photoshop.

The creative studio allows you to create your own emoticons. For example, after selecting a photo of a pet and choosing a style such as animation, cute, or pixel, a set of adorable emoji was generated. Saving them as emoticons made them freely usable from the keyboard, adding color to my messages. You can also create templates for cards, invitations, and more.

Camera Bump Still Bothersome... Good Features Need More Customization

From a hardware perspective, the so-called "camera bump" (the protruding camera) is a drawback. When placed on a flat surface like a cafe table, the phone wobbled, making it inconvenient to use. This is an unavoidable trade-off due to the newly added camera island compared to previous series.

The features that demonstrated potential in this device would benefit from further expansion. Since the AI agent's automatic task handling for taxi calls and food delivery is still in beta, there is potential for it to be extended to a wider range of apps in the future.

The AI agent currently cannot perform tasks such as searching for airline tickets, which require checking frequently due to price volatility. For the privacy display, it would be better if it could be activated or deactivated based on environmental factors such as crowd density or location, or controlled separately for individual contacts. Since there is no reason to use this feature at home compared to public spaces, users have to manage it manually.

Summary: AI Smartphone as a Personal Assistant in Daily Life... High Price Remains a Burden

The S26 Ultra represents a turning point by establishing AI as an "agent" in everyday life, offering a vision of how AI can enhance daily experiences. However, as the phone's features have improved, the higher price has become a significant burden. In particular, due to rising memory semiconductor prices, high-capacity models of the S26 Ultra have surpassed 2 million won for the first time. The S26 Ultra starts at 1,797,400 won, up 99,000 won from the previous generation; the 512GB model is 2,050,400 won, and the 1TB model is 2,545,400 won.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.