Samsung Rolls Out Galaxy S26, Buds 4 with Gesture Controls and Top Android Game Deals

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 arrives on pre‑order with a $899.99 starting price, a modest $100 bump over the S25, and a handful of refinements that keep the line’s core identity intact. The handset retains the compact silhouette, 120 Hz AMOLED panel and the triple‑camera module first seen on the S25, but it ships with a slightly larger 4,800 mAh battery and ships with Android 15 plus Samsung’s latest One UI 7 out of the box, according to Engadget. Those incremental upgrades are meant to extend daily use and smooth the transition to the AI‑heavy features Samsung has been layering across its ecosystem.

The S26’s performance heart is the new Exynos 2600, Samsung’s first 2 nm GAA silicon, which the company unveiled alongside the phone. Early benchmark data from Wccftech shows the Exynos 2600 lagging Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 by up to 18 % in single‑core Geekbench 6 scores, but it edges the Snapdragon in GPU‑focused OpenCL tests, delivering a faster graphics pipeline for gaming and AR workloads. Samsung’s decision to continue offering both chipsets—Exynos in most markets and Snapdragon in the U.S. and China—means consumers will see divergent performance profiles depending on region, a point highlighted in the same Wccftech analysis.

Complementing the flagship, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds Pro 4 at the same Unpacked event. The Pro 4 model adds a flat metal stem and, crucially, head‑gesture support that lets users snap a photo by nodding or shaking their head, effectively acting as a remote shutter button in the camera app, as reported by Wccftech. The earbuds also retain active‑noise cancellation and a silicone fit, positioning them as premium accessories that dovetail with the S26’s AI‑centric camera suite. Pricing details were not disclosed, but the launch coincides with a wave of pre‑order incentives that bundle the Buds with the phones.

Samsung is using the launch to drive a robust promotional push. 9To5Toys catalogued a slate of Android game discounts tied to S26 pre‑orders, including titles such as Agent A and Down in Bermuda slashed to $2 from $6, and free offerings like Empire Defender Offline and Monster Killer Pro. The deals, which also feature up to $900 off the phone itself and $150 off accessories, are designed to showcase the device’s larger battery and GPU advantage for extended gaming sessions. The Verge confirmed that pre‑order bundles can include up to $200 in gift cards or free Buds, further sweetening the proposition for early adopters.

Overall, the Galaxy S26 represents an evolutionary step rather than a revolutionary one. By keeping the design language and camera hardware familiar while modestly expanding battery capacity and updating software, Samsung aims to preserve the S‑series’ premium feel without alienating existing users. The mixed chipset strategy and the addition of head‑gesture‑enabled earbuds illustrate Samsung’s broader bet on incremental hardware gains paired with software‑driven differentiation. As competition from Apple’s iPhone 16 and Google’s Pixel 9 intensifies, Samsung’s strategy hinges on leveraging its ecosystem—phones, wearables, and AI services—to maintain its lead in the high‑end Android market.