Guest contributor: Today’s coverage comes from Dwight Frejoles at the Samsung S26 Series launch in Manila.
I’m an artist. My work revolves around creating characters — sometimes in 2D, where I draw, sketch, ink, and color them either digitally or on paper. Other times, I build them in 3D, sculpting, modeling, shading, and texturing until they feel fully formed. And once they exist, I animate them, giving them movement, timing, and personality.
Most of my work happens in front of a computer screen: designing characters, refining details, and animating scenes frame by frame. But there’s more to the process than just sitting at a desk.
When I can’t find the exact reference I need, whether it’s a specific pose or a hand-to-hand combat sequence, I film it myself. I take photos, record movements, and act out scenes to study timing and expression.
That’s where the limitations start to show. Fast movements like running or quick hand gestures often come out grainy or blurred. Action shots can turn shaky. And when you’re relying on that footage to animate accurately, those small imperfections start to matter.
As creative demands continue to evolve, the tools artists rely on have to evolve with them. That’s what Samsung aims to address with the new Galaxy S26 Series.
Samsung recently held an exclusive press event in Manila, inviting creatives to experience and test the latest features firsthand.
The setup struck a balance between sophisticated minimalism and warm, homey touches. Designated areas were built to showcase specific features including a “dark room” designed to demonstrate the camera’s low-light capabilities. Representatives walked us through the technical updates and gave live demonstrations.
The phone itself feels light and sleek, especially in the new colorways, Cobalt Violet, which immediately caught my eye. As I sat there listening, I found myself thinking about everything from an artist’s perspective. I was still figuring out my footing in a room full of creatives who seemed confident in their craft. But instead of feeling intimidated, I felt welcomed. Everyone was simply excited to be there.
As the presentation went on, I began forming my own perspective on the S26, not just as a phone, but as a tool. For digital artists in particular, many of these features feel like practical additions to an already growing creative toolkit.
By the time the demonstrations began, a few features immediately stood out to me, not just as impressive tech upgrades, but as genuinely useful tools for artists.
My Favorite Features:
Brighter, clearer low-light footage with Nightography
Automatic video stabilization through the Super Steady feature
A Great Upgrade for Shooting Reference Footage for Animation
For those unfamiliar with the animation process, there’s a stage where, after reviewing the storyboard, animators film themselves acting out scenes. This helps with pre-visualizing key poses, expressions, and timing before final rendering. It’s common to shoot multiple takes of the same scene to have options when refining performance and movement.
Most people don’t have access to a professional camera, or even a proper setup, so the next best option is a phone. The problem is that not all phone cameras are built for this kind of work. Even after adjusting settings, footage can still come out grainy or blurry, especially when filming wide shots, angled shots, or fast-moving sequences. That’s not ideal when you need to clearly study body mechanics and facial expressions.
The S26 Series makes this part of the creative process easier.
With its 200MP camera producing sharper wide shots, and Nightography improving low-light clarity, even a dimly lit studio, office, or bedroom becomes a workable filming space. You can capture cleaner footage with minimal visual noise, even when the environment isn’t perfect.
Putting Nightography to the Test
One of the most interesting parts of the event was getting to test the camera inside a dark room. The space was divided into three sections, each lit primarily by projected visuals, not exactly the kind of lighting you’d call ideal.
I had one of the other attendees take photos of me while I moved around the space. Shooting in low light usually means sacrificing clarity or dealing with heavy noise, but that wasn’t the case here. The images came out sharp, vibrant, and surprisingly detailed, even in areas where the light felt minimal.
It was one thing to hear about Nightography during the presentation, it was another to see the results firsthand. In that setting, it became easier to imagine using the phone for actual creative work, especially in environments that aren’t perfectly lit.
A Smoother Way to Capture Movement
When filming action-heavy scenes, running, quick gestures, or hand-to-hand combat, shaky footage is almost inevitable. And while a bit of camera movement can add energy to a scene, excessive shake makes it harder to properly study motion when animating. Sometimes you end up doing multiple takes just to get something usable.
Filming reference footage can already be tiring. Ideally, you’d have someone with a steady hand behind the camera but not everyone is a professional cameraman.
This is where the Super Steady feature stood out to me. It automatically detects how much the camera is shaking and smooths the footage in real time. That means I don’t have to be overly picky about every take or worry if the person filming for me isn’t perfectly stable.
For my workflow, that makes a real difference. It saves time, reduces frustration, and lets me focus more on performance and movement rather than fixing avoidable camera issues later.
Cleaning Up the Noise
Another feature I found useful was the Audio Eraser. When filming in busy or noisy environments, background sounds can easily distract from what you’re actually trying to study, especially when reviewing footage frame by frame.
Audio Eraser, you can reduce or isolate unwanted background noise, making it easier to focus on dialogue, movement cues, or specific sound details. It’s a small feature, but when you’re constantly replaying clips during the animation process, cleaner audio makes the workflow smoother and less distracting.
Built for Working on the Go
One thing I appreciated about the S26 Series is how practical it feels for everyday use. Fast Charging 3.0 means I don’t have to wait around for hours before heading out again. A quick charge between shoots or meetings makes a difference when your schedule isn’t fixed.
Heat management is another detail that often gets overlooked. Long filming sessions or extended camera use can cause some devices to overheat, but the redesigned vapor chamber helps keep performance stable. It’s reassuring to know the phone can handle longer creative sessions without slowing down.
It’s small details like these that make the device feel reliable, not just impressive during a demo, but usable in real-world situations.
Also read: Fold, Flip, and Feel: My Day with Samsung’s New Galaxy Z Lineup
Why I Think It’s a Worthwhile Investment for Artists
So far, I’ve mostly talked about how animators can benefit from the S26 Series, but it’s not limited to that niche. Hobbyists and other creatives can also find value in it.
While I still prefer working on a PC for most of my projects, the S Pen is useful for quick sketches when inspiration strikes, whether I’m commuting or running errands. Being able to capture an idea immediately, without noticeable lag or interruption, is something I genuinely appreciate.
For content creators, the S26 also works well for filming process videos, documenting artwork, and editing both long-form and short-form content on the go. And when you’re working with high-resolution photos and video files, storage quickly becomes a real concern. Raw footage, layered sketches, and reference clips take up more space than you expect. With storage options going up to 1TB on the S26 Ultra — and 512GB and 256GB variants available across the lineup — there’s flexibility depending on how heavy your workflow is. Not having to constantly delete files or rely immediately on cloud storage makes the creative process feel less restricted.
Pricing also feels tiered enough to give artists options. The S26 starts at PHP 58,990 (256GB), the S26+ at PHP 74,990 (256GB), and the S26 Ultra at PHP 86,990 (256GB), with the 1TB Ultra reaching PHP 121,990. Depending on how much storage and power you need, there’s room to choose what fits your setup and budget.
A phone alone won’t replace a full professional studio. But as an additional tool especially one that fits in your pocket, it’s a practical investment. For artists who regularly film, sketch, or create outside their desks, having something reliable, portable, and capable can make a real difference.
If you’re curious how the S26 Series might fit into your own creative workflow, you can explore the different models below:
Disclosure: This post is based on my personal experience at a Samsung media event showcasing the new Galaxy S26 Series. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and Samsung had no input on the content.
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