"Samsung didn't swing for the fences this time around, producing phones with a few cosmetic tweaks and upgraded internals. Meanwhile, Samsung is investing even more in AI, saying the S26 series includes the first "Agentic AI phones." Despite limited hardware upgrades, the realities of component prices in the age of AI mean the prices of the two cheaper models have gone up by $100 this year."
"The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is a 3 nm chip with third-gen Oryon CPU cores, an Adreno 840 GPU, and a powerful Hexagon NPU for on-device AI processing. Samsung promises double-digit performance gains across the board, which is what we hear every year."
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26 series with preorders beginning today and shipping on March 11. The lineup includes the S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor with enhanced AI capabilities. Samsung positions these as the first "Agentic AI phones" with significant on-device processing power. Design changes are minimal, with cosmetic tweaks and the Ultra reverting from titanium to aluminum. Prices increased $100 for the base and plus models due to AI component costs, while the Ultra maintains its $1,300 price point. The phones deliver double-digit performance improvements and enhanced privacy features through on-device processing.
Read at Ars Technica
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