Samsung Unpacked will take place on February 25 in San Francisco, California.
SamsungWe finally have a date for the reveal of the Galaxy S26, the company’s next series of flagship phones, and it turns out the rumors of a late February release were true. Samsung Unpacked will officially begin on February 25, 2026 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET).
Samsung has already made a splash this year by launching the Galaxy Z Trifold in the US at the end of January for $2,899, the first dual-hinged foldable that immediately sold out after going on sale. The company hasn’t said which products will be showcased at Samsung Unpacked in San Francisco, although we expect to see the Galaxy S26 and possibly other devices.
Samsung’s event comes just a week before the biggest smartphone show of the year, Mobile World Congress, kicks off in Barcelona. It may be late for Samsung, but it’s early enough in 2026 to set the stage for other high-end Android phones this year.
The stakes are high for S26 phones. People want the absolute top of the line if they’re paying top dollar for high-end phones, especially in today’s financial woes. Samsung is under pressure to introduce enough new features to keep its premium phones at the top of the charts, especially after the iPhone 17 series launched several perks that raised the bar.
When it comes to generative AI, which is prevalent in other gadget categories, Samsung has the task of finding new and exclusive uses to continue differentiating its phones amid fierce competition at the premium level.
We expect the Galaxy S26 lineup to match that of previous years: a standard S26, a larger S26 Plus, and a premium Galaxy S26 Ultra. While the rumors don’t suggest any radical overhauls, there will likely be some external tweaks and upgrades to the hardware, including the processor and cameras.
Let’s dive into the details of everything we know about the Galaxy S26 series launch.
Galaxy S26 lineup overview
The Samsung Galaxy S25.
James Martin/CNETGalaxy S26
Despite early rumors from Android Authority suggesting that Samsung could ditch its base phone for a more expensive and higher-performance Pro model, the latest leaks suggest that Samsung will stick with its standard Galaxy S26 model. We don’t expect many changes to the model’s design, although there could be a return of a raised camera bump after the Galaxy S25 kept them flush with the back cover. Other rumors suggest it could have a slightly larger 6.3-inch screen and a thinner build. The Galaxy S25 has a 6.2-inch screen, for comparison.
Rumors differ on whether the phone’s cameras will be upgraded, with some suggesting it will get an improved 50-megapixel ultrawide and others saying it will retain the 12-megapixel shooter of its predecessor. The phone is expected to run either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip in the US and China, or Samsung’s Exynos 2600 processor elsewhere. Otherwise, rumors suggest that the S26 will pack 12GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a 4,300mAh battery, according to leaker @UniverseIce.
The Galaxy S25 (left), next to the S25 Plus (middle) and S25 Edge (right).
Jesse Orrall/CNETGalaxy S26 Plus and S26 Edge
Samsung is also reportedly debating whether to replace its larger S26 Plus outright with the ultra-thin S26 Edge, but apparently weaker sales of last year’s Galaxy S25 Edge suggest the pendulum could swing the other way: We might just get an S26 Plus this year, as 9to5Google suggests.
The Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to have a 6.7-inch screen like its predecessor and a thickness of 7.35mm, but there will be no physical changes. Like other S26 phones, it is expected to receive the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the US and China or the Exynos 2600 elsewhere.
Last year’s S25 Edge was released in May, so it’s entirely possible that the S26 Edge will launch later. If we do, leaks reported by Android Authority suggest it would be 5.5mm thick, 0.3mm thinner than its predecessor – and, incidentally, 0.1mm thinner than the iPhone Air. Speculation also predicted that it would have the same 6.7-inch screen but a larger 4,200 mAh battery.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Jeffrey Hazelwood/CNETGalaxy S26 Ultra
Like other S26 models, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to feature the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the US and China, while Samsung will use its own Exynos 2600 chip in other markets. Otherwise, the phone is rumored to pack 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery, and improved charging – up to 60 watts wired and 25 watts wireless, as reported by SamMobile.
Another rumor from PhoneArena suggests that the phone will return to the aluminum frame of its titanium predecessors, much like Apple did with the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3.
David Carnoy/CNETNew Galaxy Buds 4
Rumors suggest that Samsung will launch new Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro models alongside its phones. Product images posted by Android Authority show redesigns for both models, which each feature what look like strips of burnished metal on the outside of the stems, which should make them look a little less like Apple’s AirPods and more like the Galaxy Buds 3. As in previous generations, the regular Buds 4 appear to be made entirely of plastic, while the Pro models will have silicone tips.
New AI Features and Bixby Updates
The latest Galaxy phones usually come with new AI features, and rumors suggest that the Galaxy S26 series will be no exception. Samsung itself has hinted at a new privacy shield coming in future phones (presumably the S26 series) that will block parts of the screen when viewed at an angle, shielding notifications or even entire apps from onlookers’ view.
The leaks suggest that the AI does the heavy lifting to selectively render images only for those looking directly at the phone. Presumably this will affect all S26 models, and the leaks haven’t suggested otherwise.
S26 phones may be able to use generative AI to render images faster than before. Samsung’s partnership with Nota AI was announced in November and aims to optimize genAI on the device. That means bringing its EdgeFusion (a version of Stable Diffusion) to accelerate text-to-image generation by running it only on Galaxy S26 handsets (rather than partially or entirely via the cloud), PhoneArena suggested, integrating Nota AI’s technology at the CPU level.
You can reserve Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S phones now
By Patrick Hollande
Samsung needs to upgrade the camera sensors to match the competition and the Galaxy S26 Ultra could finally deliver.
Prakhar Khanna/CNETAs is tradition with recent Galaxy device launches, you can reserve Samsung’s next phones even before they are announced. Although the company didn’t specify which devices would be unboxed during its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25, we expect it to be the Galaxy S26 rumorGalaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Reservations are now open to the latest Galaxy devices. If you reserve one, you get a $30 credit (it was $50 for the S25 series in 2025) to use when pre-orders go live and you can win a $5,000 Samsung gift card to use on Samsung’s website. You can also receive up to an additional $900 off when you trade in a device or a $150 credit without a trade-in. Don’t want to make a reservation through Samsung, well, go to AT&T Or Best buy and do it there.
What are the Easter eggs in Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked invitation?
By Patrick Hollande
Here’s a gif of a teaser video released by Samsung for its upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.
SamsungSamsung announced Tuesday that it will hold an event on February 25 in San Francisco. Although the company did not specify what would be announced, we assume that it will be the rumor about the Galaxy S26 range telephones, including one Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung has released a nifty animated video that might offer clues and Easter eggs about what we can expect.
The invitation video begins with a white square that “comes to life” and transforms into a frosted translucent cube with a glitter emoji, which has become the default symbol for AI. The cube starts jumping, then rolls over the word Galaxy, and when it reaches the end of the word, the letters AI appear behind the cube. This sends the cube into the air, where it opens and releases the AI’s sparkling emoji.
Then the burst of the AI emoji levitates and self-enlarges, rising above the remains of the cube. (If you watch the video version, you will hear the melody of Samsung’s signature Over the Horizon ringtone). Then it appears on a black screen with the text Galaxy Unpacked, the date, and a note that it will be live on Samsung’s website.
Obviously, we will probably see a redesign or new additions to Galaxy AIwhich debuted on Galaxy S24 series in January 2024. The frosty cube, however, is confusing. Could this be a new look for the AI interface of Galaxy phones? Is Samsung adopting Apple’s Liquid Glass? Or could Samsung announce a Human AI Pin-a cube-shaped device? Also, there was no mention of a phone in the invitation and that bothers me.
