We have established a new design direction that packs advanced technology into Galaxy products while adding a comfortable, soft sensibility to accompany consumers in their daily lives.
Lee Il-hwan, vice president and head of the MX (Mobile eXperience) Design Team at Samsung Electronics, said this at a media briefing on the 9th at Taepyeongno Building in Jung-gu, Seoul. On this day, the vice president said the redesigned Galaxy S26 would make the Galaxy S series feel like one "family." In other words, the Galaxy S series has achieved design uniformity.
Samsung Electronics on the day introduced the design and development process of the Galaxy S26 series and Galaxy Buds4 series, which were released last month. Earlier, on the 11th of last month, Samsung Electronics officially released the Galaxy S26 series and Buds4.
◇ Galaxy S26 series applies the same curvature across three models
Lee Ji-young, a senior vice president in the MX Division's Design Team who presented the Galaxy S26 design, said, "I want to give the product design a perfect score." Lee said it is "a design refined so that, rather than overtly flaunting technology, advanced technology is delivered to users as a more natural and polished experience."
Lee explained that the biggest change was in the Galaxy S26 Ultra's design. The three models in the series were styled with similar exteriors to create uniformity. Up to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung Electronics applied a different corner curvature than on the S25 and S25 Plus, but on the Galaxy S26 Ultra it applied the same curvature as on the S26 and S26 Plus.
Lee said, "We derived the optimal corner curvature, '7R (radius),' by considering the Galaxy-like impression, a comfortable grip, and the overall balance of form," adding, "We completed 7R by matching the curvature asymmetrically not only on the corners but also on the S Pen tip." 7R means that when you draw a circle that fits exactly on the corner, the circle's radius is 7 mm.
Lee also said the team focused on reducing the visual burden of the camera. While making the product thinner, they adopted a camera island design—raising the area around the camera—to reduce the visual step between the body and the high-performance camera. Lee also said the three cameras arranged vertically are a core part of Galaxy's identity.
Lee also addressed the change to aluminum for the product material, saying, "We deliberated on whether it could express a sense of unity between the back and the sides while also having durability worthy of a premium product."
◇ "Buds4 nails both comfort and high-quality sound"
Song Jun-yong, a group leader in the MX Division's Design Team, said the Galaxy Buds4 focused on a "people-centered design." Song said, "We redesigned the product with technology and data to provide the optimal fit for the greatest number of users," adding, "By applying a vertical form that considers even the angle that touches the ear and the position that rests in the hand, we designed it to adhere more naturally and be grasped more intuitively."
The charging case and materials also changed. The Buds4 charging case was switched from a vertical to a horizontal layout. Song said, "We designed it so that the position and orientation of the initial grip on the Buds stays the same until they settle into the ear," adding, "By securing interior space so the Buds naturally sit in the hand when picked up from the charging case, they can be taken out more easily and stably."
At the briefing, some noted that because of the Buds4's blade (a vertical component attached to the earbud), the design had become similar to competitors'. In response, Song said, "In the process of designing a product that consumers can use well, we selected the current blade," adding, "It is a blade we developed after internal deliberation on usability and touch feel."
There were also comments that Samsung Electronics' Galaxy series lacks design consistency. Lee said, "We are continuously thinking about design consistency and identity for what makes a Galaxy a Galaxy. We believe consumers are currently receiving the Galaxy identity as a single message. We will continue to make it more clearly imprinted on consumers."