Samsung's Galaxy S26 family is now available, and as expected, there are three new devices: the Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra. In this guide, we'll focus on the standard Galaxy S26, Samsung's new base model.
Samsung Galaxy S26 plans
The Galaxy S26 is available on mobile plans from Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. All three providers offer the choice of 24-month and 36-month repayments. A 24-month term means you own your Galaxy S26 faster, while a 36-month term brings down your monthly cost.
36-month Galaxy S26 plans
24-month Galaxy S26 plans
Follow these links to compare plans for the rest of the Galaxy S26 family:
If you're looking to get your Galaxy S26 on a plan, there are a couple of offers to consider.
Vodafone: If you grab your Galaxy S26 from Vodafone, you'll get a $400 discount divided across the length of your repayment. This works out to be a saving of $11.11 per month on a 36-month term. Vodafone also has a $14 per month discount on its plans, which runs until March 19.
On top of this, you can get $300 in extra credit if you trade in your old phone toward your Galaxy S26. This is on top of the phone's existing value, and is available until April 14.
Optus: If you go through Optus, you'll save $500 across the length of your term. That's a discount of $13.89 per month on a 36-month repayment. You can also score a free Galaxy Watch 8 if you add a $10 per month Watch plan to your phone. This deal runs until April 4.
Telstra: If you pick a Telstra plan to go with your Galaxy S26, you'll save $400 on the device. This is divided by the repayment term, and works out to be a saving of $11.11 per month if you go with a 36-month option. This deal is available until April 7.
How much does the Samsung Galaxy S26 cost in Australia?
Galaxy S26 devices all got more expensive this year, with prices increasing between $50 and $250 depending on the model. The standard Galaxy S26 starts at $1,549 this time around, which is a $150 increase compared to the Galaxy S25's launch price.
Here's full pricing for the Galaxy S26 family:
| Phone | RRP | See price on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB) | $1,549 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 (512GB) | $1,849 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (256GB) | $1,849 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (512GB) | $2,149 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB) | $2,199 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (512GB) | $2,499 | Samsung | Amazon |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (1TB) | $2,949 | Samsung | Amazon |
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Samsung Galaxy S26 features

The Galaxy S26 family aren't a huge upgrade from a hardware perspective. All three have a chipset: the Exynos 2600 in the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 in the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The standard Galaxy S26 is now slightly larger with a bigger battery, while the Galaxy S26 Plus is otherwise unchanged. The Galaxy S26 Ultra benefits from a few new upgrades like a "privacy mode" on the display and faster cameras.
There are a few new Galaxy AI features across the board, however. "Now Nudge" is the big new addition, and is meant to bring up contextually useful information when performing tasks. For example, if someone texts to ask if you're free at a certain time, the Now Nudge will check your calendar.
Samsung is also upgrading Now Brief to have more personalised updates based on your usage, and Now Bar to be more proactive. For example, if you've got a meeting in your calendar and there's traffic, you might get a Now Bar prompt encouraging you to leave early.
Samsung Galaxy S26 design
All three Galaxy S26 devices all look pretty similar to last year's models. The standard Galaxy S26 is a little bigger, however, featuring a 6.3-inch display. That's a 0.1-inch increase on last year's phone.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the same size as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but has rounded corners to make it look more like its siblings, and in the same vein, a new camera bump. There's also a "privacy mode" on the Galaxy S26 Ultra that uses a combination of software and hardware to obscure content to onlookers.
Samsung Galaxy S26 camera
The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus cameras are unchanged from last year: there's a 50MP primary lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens, 10MP 3x zoom lens, and a 12MP selfie camera.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a similar configuration to last year's model too: a 200MP primary lens, 50MP ultra-wide lens, 10MP 3x zoom lens, 50MP 5x zoom lens, and a 12MP selfie camera. The 200MP lens and 50MP zoom lens both have faster apertures, however. This allows for more light capture, which results in better low-light photography and less motion.
Samsung Galaxy S26 battery
The standard Galaxy S26 has a small increase in battery capacity, taking it from 4,000mAh to 4,300mAh. The Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra have a 4,900mAh and 5,000mAh battery, respectively, just like last year's models.
Samsung Galaxy S26 processor
The Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus are powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos 2600 chipset. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Samsung Galaxy S26 5G
The Galaxy S26 family all naturally have 5G connectivity.
WhistleOut's coverage checker tool has 5G coverage maps, making it easy to see whether you can get 5G. All you need to do is pop in your address when searching for a new phone plan. After you've done so and hit Search, you can jump straight to the coverage map by tapping See Coverage Map and then tapping Click To Activate Interactive Map.
This map will show you what kind of coverage you have in your area. 5G coverage is highlighted using the darkest shade of purple, but unticking 4G and 3G can help make it clearer. The drop-down menu lets you choose between telcos.
Coverage maps are only approximate, only show outdoor coverage, and may be impacted by local conditions such as buildings.
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S26 Plus | Galaxy S26 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | Flat 6.3-inch | Flat 6.7-inch | Flat 6.9-inch with Privacy Mode |
| Resolution | 1080p+ | Quad HD+ | Quad HD+ |
| Refresh Rate | 1 - 120Hz | 1 - 120Hz | 1 - 120Hz |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | 200MP + 50MP + 10MP + 50MP |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP | 12MP |
| Processor | Exynos 2600 | Exynos 2600 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Storage | 256GB - 512GB | 256GB - 512GB | 256GB - 1TB |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB | 12GB - 16GB |
| Battery | 4,300mAh | 4,900mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Water-Resistance | IP68
|
IP68 | IP68 |
| Durability | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Gorilla Glass Armor 2 |
| 5G | Sub 6 | Sub 6 | Sub 6 |
| Material | Aluminium | Aluminium | Aluminium |
| S Pen | No | No | Yes |
| Price | From $1,449 | From $1,849 | From $2,199 |
Samsung Galaxy S26 plan providers
Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone are all ranging the Galaxy S26 family. Here's a breakdown of the major benefits you can expect each provider to offer.
Telstra Galaxy S26 plans
Telstra Galaxy plans are often the priciest on the Australian market, but they do come with a host of perks.
Telstra lets you pay your Galaxy off over 12, 24, or 36 months, and all plans are free from excess data charges. If you go over your cap, your data will simply be slowed to speeds of 1.5Mbps, which is still fast enough to stream video in SD. But speeds may be slower during peak times.
Optus Galaxy S26 plans
- Discounted access to streaming services through SubHub
- $5 for 5GB of roaming data when overseas
Optus Galaxy plans come with solid data inclusions.
Higher-end Optus plans also come with unlimited international calls to selected destinations included with the plan.
All Optus plans are contract-free, and devices can be paid off across 12, 24, or 36 months.
In addition, all Optus postpaid plans are free from excess data charges. If you go over your allowance, you'll be slowed to 1.5Mbps rather than being billed $10 per gigabyte.
Vodafone Galaxy S26 plans
Vodafone Galaxy plans may not come with the kinds of freebies and perks you can get from Optus or Telstra, but they have bonuses when it comes to bundling.
If you have a Vodafone mobile plan, you can get most of the telco's internet plans - NBN, 5G home internet, and 4G home internet - at a discounted rate.
Vodafone customers also save 5% on their total mobile bill for each postpaid mobile plan on their account after the first. This discount maxes out at 20% and doesn't include handset repayments.
Vodafone postpaid plans are all free from excess data charges. When you go over your plan allowance, you'll be capped at 2Mbps.
You'll also get access to Vodafone's $5 roaming, which is still easily the best way to travel with your Australian phone number.
How to choose the best Samsung Galaxy S26 plan for you
There are a few key factors to keep in mind when picking a Samsung Galaxy S26 plan:
- Answering "how much mobile data do I use" can help you avoid overspending. Don't pay for more data than you need
- Decide whether you want to pay off your phone shorter on a 24-month plan or get a smaller bill over a longer period of time on a 36-month plan
- If you're a frequent overseas traveller consider any international roaming inclusions
- You may also want to make international phone calls so check if the destinations you may be calling are included in your plan
For a breakdown of the best Samsung plans - from unlimited data plans to plans with international calls - check out our guide.
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Alex Choros