Samsung is betting that classical music can differentiate its latest flagship in an increasingly crowded smartphone market. The company just unveiled two new ringtones for the Galaxy S26 series, featuring works by Bach and Handel recorded at Abbey Road Studios with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The move revives melodies from Samsung's Anycall era while doubling down on the company's 'Inspired by Nature' sound design philosophy that now spans its entire product ecosystem.
Samsung is making an unusual play for attention in the smartphone wars - not with camera specs or chip speeds, but with centuries-old classical music. The company revealed today that its Galaxy S26 series will ship with two new ringtones built around works by Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London.
The announcement, shared through Samsung's newsroom, positions the ringtones as an extension of the company's 'Inspired by Nature' design philosophy - a concept Samsung has been pushing across its Galaxy lineup to create a cohesive audio identity. But there's also a nostalgic angle at play. Both classical pieces appeared as ringtones during Samsung's Anycall era in the 1990s and 2000s, when the company was building its mobile business in markets like South Korea and Europe.
The first ringtone features Bach's 'Prélude' from Cello Suite No. 1, performed by Jonathan Ayling, co-principal cellist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Samsung says the piece's symmetry and repetition evoke natural patterns like plant growth and ocean waves - fitting the nature-inspired theme. The second draws from Handel's 'Alla Hornpipe' from Water Music Suite No. 2, originally composed for a royal performance on the River Thames for King George I.
Behind the production sits a cross-continental collaboration that reads like a music industry dream team. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra recorded both pieces at Abbey Road Studios, where The Beatles famously laid down tracks in the 1960s. Jonathan Allan handled recording and mixing in London, while Seoul-based Tae Ho Lee of MiXNBLE managed mastering - a setup Samsung is highlighting as East-West creative partnership.
