Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S26 Ultra, Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator, and Odyssey G8 gaming monitor were selected for TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2026” list.
On the 15th (local time), TIME named the Galaxy S26 Ultra in the consumer electronics category, the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator in the home appliances category, and the Odyssey G8 gaming monitor in the entertainment and gaming category.
Each year, TIME selects products and ideas that change daily life as its best inventions, evaluating them based on criteria such as originality, effectiveness, challenge, and impact, informed by recommendations from editors and correspondents around the world.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra was recognized for its “Privacy Display” feature, which blocks side viewing of the screen. The product is assessed as providing a more flexible personal data protection experience than existing privacy films, as users can set when to activate the feature or apply it selectively to specific content such as pop-up notifications.
This top-tier model in the Galaxy S26 series, launched last March, features the Privacy Display, Galaxy AI, and a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera. It also supports the “Now Nudge” function, which suggests necessary information by understanding the user’s situation and intent, as well as low-light shooting performance through an aperture wider than that of its predecessor.
The Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator made the home appliances category list thanks to its “AI Vision” technology, which automatically recognizes and manages food ingredients using an internal camera. With the AI Vision technology first introduced in 2024, users can check a list of ingredients inside the refrigerator via the SmartThings app. They can also manage ingredient expiration dates and receive customized recipe recommendations through the “AI Food Manager.” The large 32-inch screen on the front allows users to access a calendar, weather information, web browser, photo gallery, music, and more.
The Odyssey G8 was recognized for its technological achievement as the first gaming monitor to support 6K resolution. This 32-inch product features “Dual Mode,” which switches between a 6K/165Hz high-resolution mode and a 3K/330Hz high-refresh-rate mode. It delivers three-dimensional image quality by analyzing game scenes and frames using “HDR10+ Gaming” technology.
Samsung Electronics previously had the Galaxy Z Flip3 in 2021, the Galaxy S22 Ultra in 2022, and the Galaxy Z Flip5 in 2023, along with the Neo QLED 8K and The Frame in 2024, and the Micro RGB TV, The Frame Pro, and The Premiere 5 in 2025, named to TIME’s Best Inventions list.
in TECH
