The countdown has begun. Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event is happening on Wednesday, February 25, in San Francisco, where we’ll probably get our first glimpse at the company’s Galaxy S26 lineup. We’re here to make sure you get all the juicy details about them in our live blog, along with any other special surprises.
This year’s event is happening nearly a month later than in previous years, but it’ll no doubt set the tone for all other major phone releases this year. All eyes are on the flagship model, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which rumors indicate will have some notable hardware upgrades — like a new Privacy Display that’s unlike anything seen before.
Regardless of what happens, we’ll report all the latest news with our Galaxy Unpacked 2026 live blog.
When is Galaxy Unpacked?
It’s slated to kick off at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. GMT on February 25. That’s significantly later than the January 22 date of last year’s event.
After that date came and went without an announcement, Samsung shared the official date on February 10, 2026 — fitting the roughly two-week lead time the company typically leans on for its major reveals.
How to watch Galaxy Unpacked 2026
Galaxy Unpacked February 2026: Official Livestream – YouTube 
In addition to our live blog, you can tune into the official livestream to watch the event as it unfolds. Along with Samsung’s YouTube channel, the show will be available to stream on Samsung.com and the Samsung Newsroom.
Galaxy Unpacked 2026: What to expect
Samsung has consistently used its first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year to introduce its latest flagship phones, but we also expect to hear about the software they’ll be running, new AI features, and perhaps other devices.
At last year’s event, Samsung used the opportunity to tease two devices: the Galaxy S25 Edge and the Project Moohan headset (which subsequently became the Galaxy XR). Whether Samsung will have similar teasers this time around remains to be seen, but you never know what might be saved for the end.
Here’s everything we expect to learn more about at Galaxy Unpacked 2026:
- Galaxy S26: Samsung’s entry-level flagship is tipped to feature a larger and brighter 6.3-inch display.
- Galaxy S26 Plus: The “middle child” of the group should be similar to the standard S26, though it will likely pack a larger 6.7-inch AMOLED screen and a 4,900 mAh battery.
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Anticipation is high for this flagship model, especially with reports of a wider aperture for its main camera, a never-before-seen “Privacy Display,” and potentially exclusive software features.
- Galaxy S26 Edge: While this one may be a long shot, Samsung could surprise us with a teaser of some kind.
- One UI 8.5: Samsung’s latest software is expected to be packed with changes, including expanded generative AI capabilities and refreshed system animations.
- Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro: Samsung’s wireless earbuds are rumored for an announcement, with a significant redesign reportedly on tap for the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.
- Galaxy AI: Samsung has been teasing new AI-assisted tricks that bring big camera improvements, but we’re also hoping to see more robust productivity tools.
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A whole new kind of AI camera
Cameras and AI have been mixing for a long time now, but we’ve started seeing a lot more user-facing integration between the two — rather than just behind-the-scenes processing. Samsung has already announced plans for the future of this, and it sounds like the Galaxy S26 will be at the forefront.
Samsung’s newest Galaxy Camera app will supposedly bring the camera and editing aspects of photography together in a unified space. But, more importantly, it’s going to integrate conversational AI to make the whole process easier.
So instead of actually setting up your phone camera to take a specific shot, you should be able to ask the onboard AI to do all that hard work for you. Without the need to tinker with different settings. On top of that, Samsung sounds like it’ll be introducing a version of Google Pixel 10’s conversational editing. This lets you use voice and text prompts to edit your photos, and again saves you the hassle of doing it all manually.
Don’t expect a major hardware overhaul
Any of you hoping to see big changes to the Galaxy S26 series’ hardware are likely to be disappointed. Leaked marketing material has already revealed some of the potential specs, and it sounds like none of us should really get our hopes up.
The materials claim that the camera hardware is more or less unchanged from last year, with the same 200MP main lens, 50MP ultrawide and a pair of telephoto lenses sporting 50MP (5x optical) and 10MP (3x optical) resolution, respectively. Unsurprisingly, the design is more or less the same as the S25 series.
Likewise, the battery is tipped to stick at 5,000 mAh for another year. However, the promise that the phone will recharge to 75% in 30 minutes, compared to the S25 Ultra’s 65%, means we might be getting that long-awaited charging speed increase after all.
Of course, leaked specs and rumors don’t always paint a full picture. So maybe Samsung will be able to surprise us with something exciting later today.
When’s the release date?
Samsung obviously hasn’t given us any details about the Galaxy S26’s release date yet. But that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate about when we think the phones will land in our hands.
The Galaxy S25 was revealed on January 22, ahead of a February 7 release date. A year prior, the Galaxy S24 arrived on January 17, before being released on January 31. The Galaxy S23 debuted on February 1, and was released on February 17.
So we’re likely to see a wait of two to two-and-a-half weeks. If Samsung sticks to that pattern, the S26 may arrive between March 11 and 13.
What’s going to happen with Circle to Search?
Circle to Search is a general Android feature, but it’s been a while since we heard about any upgrades coming to Galaxy phones first. In fact, it’s been a good few years since we had an Unpacked that didn’t feature some kind of upgrade. It may be a Google feature, but the newest stuff tends to come to Samsung phones first.
The question is, what kind of additions could we see? Circle to Search has come a long way over the past couple of years, and I’m struggling to think of any ways it might be able to improve. But my lack of imagination isn’t a reason to let the feature stagnate – especially with how useful it can be. Hopefully, we’ll find out more at Galaxy Unpacked later today.
These photos show a huge hurdle for the Galaxy S26 to overcome
Among all the flagship models priced at $799, I still believe the Pixel 10 is the best of the bunch. In fact, I think it’s significantly better than both the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25. With that in mind, the Galaxy S26 certainly has a huge hurdle to overcome.
The side-by-side comparison photos above between the Pixel 10 and Galaxy S25 show just how much of an improvement Google made by arming its phone with a 5x optical telephoto camera. It easily captures more detail than the 3x optical zoom found on the Galaxy S25.
Rumors indicate that the Galaxy S26’s telephoto shooter will remain at 3x optical zoom, so I’m crossing my fingers that Galaxy AI can save the day by applying the processing enhancements needed to rival the Pixel 10’s performance.
Will the Galaxy S26 Edge be part of the announcement?
I know rumors paint a grim picture for the follow-up to the Galaxy S25 Edge. It was the one last thing the company teased at the end of its Unpacked event last year, but it’s now up in the air whether a Galaxy S26 Edge will ever see the light of day.
Whether the delays are due to speculations hinting at soft sales or internal pivots, there is clearly an opportunity for Samsung to make things right. If there’s one thing from my Galaxy S25 Edge review that felt like too much of a compromise, it was undoubtedly the battery.
While I’m not optimistic the Galaxy S26 Edge will appear at Unpacked later today, Samsung could be saving it for a more appropriate time. For starters, I’d love to see Samsung do its homework on the silicon-carbon battery tech that is currently revolutionizing the market.
Why release a thin phone with poor endurance? Samsung should use this time to refine its new battery tech and give the S26 Edge the longevity it deserves.
Orange injected life to the iPhone 17 Pros, but will Samsung follow suit?
I’ve seen several iPhone 17 Pros in the wild identifiable by their unique camera arrays, but they all tend to share one thing: Cosmic Orange. There’s no denying this new color was a hit with buyers, so it would stand to reason that Samsung might follow suit.
Early on, dummy units purportedly of the Galaxy S26 Ultra surfaced showing a very bright orange finish. However, subsequent leaks indicate that Samsung is moving away from that shade — a move I don’t necessarily blame them for. Instead, it seems Ultraviolet is being positioned as the hero color for the lineup.
What’s going on with the S Pen?
The S Pen has been a staple feature of the Ultra, but rumors have been swirling about Samsung’s intentions for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Early on, it was reported that the S Pen digitizer might be removed — a move that would have stripped the stylus of its pressure sensitivity and hover functions.
However, leaked specs later on suggest this is not the case. Despite this, there have been few indications of what new features, if any, the S26 Ultra’s stylus will actually offer.
Galaxy S26 could come out on top over the Pixel 10 as the AI phone to beat
With the arrival of the Pixel 10 last fall, Google proved yet again that it’s the AI phone to beat. However, Samsung has the opportunity to take over the throne.
Quite simply, it’s going to come down to which Galaxy AI features Samsung has in store for its base flagship model. The Pixel 10 already has access to several impressive tools, like one of the best call screening features around and a remarkable photo editor that makes complex manipulations a breeze with Ask Photos.
While hardware upgrades are tipped to be minimal, AI features are going to play a huge role in adding value to the Galaxy S26.
5,000 mAh tipped for Galaxy S26 Ultra, but is it enough?
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OnePlus 15 |
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OnePlus 13 |
19:45* |
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Unlike the OnePlus 15, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is tipped to retain the same 5,000 mAh battery as its predecessor — passing on the shift to a silicon-carbon battery.
This is noteworthy because, as I’ve detailed in my OnePlus 15 review, this new battery tech allows for higher capacities without increasing the cell’s physical footprint. As a result, the OnePlus 15 has set the record for the longest-lasting phone in Tom’s Guide’s battery drain test.
I suspect the Galaxy S26 Ultra will still outlast the Galaxy S25 Ultra, as it will likely benefit from the more power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. But imagine how much longer it could go with a silicon-carbon battery.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro
Based on what rumors and expected specs we’ve seen we were able to put together a comparison of the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro.
Largely, I believe it will come down to price. The 17 Pro is a bit cheaper than even the currently available S25 Ultra. The S26 Ultra could get more expensive thanks to RAM prices. The phones are comparable, so money will probably be the sticking point.
How to watch Galaxy Unpacked
Galaxy Unpacked February 2026: Official Livestream – YouTube
Galaxy Unpacked 2026 kicks off tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. GMT.
You can follow along via Samsung’s YouTube channel (seen above), Samsung.com, and the Samsung Newsroom.
Are you planning on buying an S26?
Let us know, will you be picking up an S26 Ultra once its available?
I’ll tell you I plan on it. I have an S22 that is showing its age including an useable charging port.
New Galaxy Buds headphones
Samsung hasn’t officially announced them but a Canadian landing page for Galaxy Unpacked revealed that we will see new Galaxy Buds.
We expect to see both the Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro debut alongside the Galaxy S26 lineup.
Perhaps another year of waiting for proper Qi2 magnets?
Samsung introduced Qi2 wireless charging support with last year’s Galaxy S25, along with phone cases that feature magnetic rings. Meaning, they lack the magnetic wireless charging aspect that iPhone users have access to with MagSafe.
With the Galaxy S26, it appears that we may have to wait yet another year before getting proper magnetic wireless charging after Dutch site Nieuwemobiel leaked details about various Galaxy S26 accessories, including a number of cases that appear to feature a built-in magnetic ring.
It’s a shame if this turns out to be true because the Pixel 10 lineup has proper Qi2 magnetic wireless charging support courtesy of PixelSnap.
Pro Res Zoom is the perfect example of AI-enhanced photos, but Galaxy AI could do better
One of the best AI features I’ve tested in the last year is Google’s Pro Res Zoom with the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. Essentially, it leans on generative AI to enhance photos taken at 30x zoom and beyond — and you can see the night and day difference in the photos above.
I captured the image at 100x zoom, and based on the result of the first shot, it certainly looks like it was captured at that range. With Pro Res Zoom, however, the software analyzes the photo and adds details that make it look way better.
I suspect Samsung is going to show off a similar feature at Unpacked tomorrow, especially considering how it has already shared teaser videos that seem to show off the zooming enhancements of its phones. It’s unclear if it’ll be accessible across all its new devices or simply exclusive to the S26 Ultra — but it would certainly make for a compelling addition.
Is Samsung wrong for pursuing the Galaxy S26 Plus?
After reviewing both the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Edge, it’s pretty evident that the middle child of the lineup is increasingly becoming a tough sell. This makes me question what Samsung may end up showing at Unpacked tomorrow.
Rumors hint at a strong likelihood that the Galaxy S26 Plus will make an appearance alongside the Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra, especially since the Galaxy S25 Edge didn’t have a significant impact on Samsung’s bottom line.
Still, it makes me wonder if the Galaxy S26 Plus is worth looking at. If Samsung does indeed move forward with a successor to the Galaxy S25 Edge, it would need several changes to make it a noteworthy option over the Galaxy S26 Plus. I just don’t want it to be in no man’s land again.
The Galaxy Z TriFold got this huge update, but will the Galaxy S26 Ultra get it too?
When the Galaxy Z TriFold launched late last month, one particular feature drew me in more than anything — and I’m not referring to how it folds out to reveal that massive 10-inch display. I’m talking about its dedicated Samsung DeX mode, which makes me wonder if Samsung is planning to bring this enhanced experience to the Galaxy S26 lineup.
There hasn’t been a dramatic change to Samsung DeX over the last few generations. I’ve used DeX on my Galaxy S25 Ultra, but the platform is definitely due for a major upgrade. What makes the TriFold’s version of DeX special is that it’s a dedicated mode offering up to four workspaces — with each one capable of running up to five apps simultaneously.
But there’s even more to this new version: it can run as a standalone, on-device experience without needing to connect to an external monitor. I’m crossing my fingers that the S26 Ultra gets access to this same powerful version of DeX tomorrow.
OneUI 8.5 will bring some changes as well
Alongside the S26 lineup, Samsung is supposed to release the full One UI 8.5 update.
We’re expecting a number of upgrades, including a Liquid Glass-esque redesign and a Bixby revamp, if you use that.
Here’s a full list of everything we expect to see in One UI 8.5.
Best Galaxy S26 preorder deal
Tom’s Guide deal expert Louis Ramirez discovered the best pre-order deals for the forthcoming Galaxy S26 phones.
For the deal, check out our guide here. Save $30 with a $900 trade-in.
S26 Ultra could be quite powerful
Recent alleged benchmark results from Geekbench leaked, purporting to show how the S26 Ultra and its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip perform.
If true, the S26 Ultra could finally be a true iPhone competitor with Qualcomm’s chips finally catching up to Apple’s A-series CPUs.
The score gave the phone a single-core score of 3,852 and a multicore score of 11,738. Both significantly beat the iPhone 17 Pro series.
Charge cycles
A new leak suggests that Samsung will offer fewer charge cycles with the Galaxy S26 series than it did with the S25. A leak from Ytechb says the phone will get 1,200 charge cycles, a notable drop from the 2,000 offered by previous models. This means the battery will drop to 80% health after 1,200 cycles.
The phones do offer A-class energy efficiency. This makes them one of the most energy-efficient smartphones to hit the market, assuming everything laid out in the leak is accurate.
Did you know Galaxy flagship phones have a hidden camera mode? It’s called Expert RAW, and it’s a separate download that you initiate within the camera app. I finally gave it a shot a few months ago and was astounded by the results.
First of all, it has a dedicated astrophotography mode that helped me capture the stunning shots above with the Galaxy Z Flip 7. With the Galaxy S26 reveal happening tomorrow, I’m hoping Samsung has some new tricks in store for Expert RAW — especially given the rumors that the S26 Ultra in particular might be getting a variable aperture.
Here’s how you can tune into the Galaxy Unpacked livestream
Samsung’s hosting its Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco tomorrow, where we’ll likely get our first new look at the Galaxy S26 lineup. But for everyone else, there are a number of ways on how to watch Galaxy Unpacked 2026 live.
The most obvious way is to tune into Samsung’s official YouTube channel, where there’s a countdown under way until the big event. Alternatively, you can watch all the action as they unfold through Samsung.com and the Samsung Newsroom.
Just as a reminder, the festivities promptly begin at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. GMT tomorrow, February 25.
These photos prove why Galaxy S26 Ultra wider camera aperture is a good thing
I’ve taken countless photos with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and while it shoots confidently in challenging conditions, the rumors about the Galaxy S26 Ultra receiving a wider aperture for its main camera are significant. The nighttime photos in the gallery above — which I shot with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max — are proof of why such an upgrade is necessary.
While the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s low-light photos look good, the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains the king of the night with its superior ability to draw out details in the shadows. I can consistently make out more fine detail in the iPhone’s shots, whereas the Galaxy S25 Ultra tends to hide them in the darkness.
By moving to a wider aperture (reportedly f/1.4), the Galaxy S26 Ultra would be able to gather significantly more light in the same amount of time, resulting in a brighter, cleaner image.
A bigger base model
It’s been rumored that the standard Galaxy S26 model will grow to 6.3 inches in size, and gain a larger battery as part of the deal. Whether that would be a good thing or not will depend on what kind of user you are.
If you’re after the most possible value from your phone, then getting more display space and longer battery life is absolutely worth this change. But some users like their phones on the small side, and seeing Samsung making its smallest flagship phone (excluding the Galaxy Z Flip series) larger seems like a bad direction to go in.
What’s happening with the S26 Edge?
After the Galaxy S25 Edge launched in the middle of 2025, we had expected Samsung to bring an updated version with the Galaxy S26 series. But the rumors have conflicted on what will happen to Samsung’s new slim flagship phone.
One side of the argument says that, after seeing the lackluster sales of the S25 Edge, Samsung has now abandoned the S26 Edge. But there is also apparent evidence that Samsung continues to work on the next Edge phone. Maybe it’ll debut late as its predecessor did, but it seems fairly conclusive that Samsung won’t have an Edge to show off in full at Wednesday’s event.
Aperture antics
There has been talk of Samsung bringing back a variable aperture to at least the Galaxy S26 Ultra this year. This is a camera feature that allows the phone to adjust the opening of a camera to let in more or less light, which can help with image quality depending on the scenario.
This is something Samsung did before, but we’ve not seen it on a Galaxy phone since the Galaxy S10. Bringing it back would be a big deal, and once again set Samsung’s smartphone cameras apart from those of its rivals in a meaningful way.
The Galaxy gets more spacious
Samsung is rumored to be following Apple’s example and offering 256GB of storage as the basic spec of all Galaxy S26 models. The 128GB baseline was removed from the Plus and Ultra Galaxy S models with the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra, but the basic Galaxy S model has retained the lower storage option up to the Galaxy S25.
More storage is generally a good thing, but this can sometimes be accompanied by a price increase. And if Samsung has indeed increased the price of the Galaxy S26 series as other tipsters have claimed, then the extra basic storage rumor may not be quite as generous as it appears on its face.
Samsung’s new display tech could be a game-changer
A long-running rumor has claimed that Samsung will add a privacy display to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, allowing it to make the screen harder to read from the side at will. Leaked options for this mode (shown above) show there will be automated options too. If this works as the leaks say it will, then this could be one of the most exciting smartphone hardware updates we’ve seen in a number of years.
Brace yourself for high pricing
A Korean pricing rumor suggests that Samsung may be increasing the cost of the Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly. Not something we ever want to hear when talking about new phones.
This is likely due to the ongoing RAM and storage shortage, as well as increasing costs of other parts like Snapdragon chipsets. We can hope that Samsung doesn’t bring this price increase to the U.S., U.K. or Australia though – something that we’ve seen in previous generations.
Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z TriFold: Which premium phone should you get?
Samsung has already made waves with the Galaxy Z TriFold, its triple-folding smartphone-tablet hybrid that costs a whopping $2,900. While that is undoubtedly a steep price to pay, the device offers unique perks you won’t find in any other phone on the market. Of course, it’s now squaring off against the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra. There are many rumors that make the new flagship a compelling choice — most notably the significant camera upgrades — so we’re breaking it all down in our Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy Z TriFold comparison.
Leaked renders reveal new color shades for S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra
Recently, renowned leaker Evan Blass shared high-resolution renders of the entire Galaxy S26 lineup in all of its new shades. What’s particularly interesting this year is that all models appear to be available in the exact same core colors: Black, White, Cobalt Violet, and Sky Blue. Furthermore, these renders seem to confirm that Samsung is ditching the titanium frame found on the S25 Ultra in favor of a refined Armor Aluminum frame, as the “Titanium” moniker is notably absent from the leaked color names.
The biggest upgrades to the Galaxy S26 Ultra could come down to AI
Teaser videos shared by Samsung hint at significant camera improvements coming to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The most eye-catching clip purportedly shows a hybrid zoom enhancement that allows the camera to capture high-quality shots even at extreme distances.
Camera | What’s next?: Closer | Samsung – YouTube 
We’ve seen a similar feature with Pro Res Zoom on the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 XL, but it will be interesting to see if Samsung’s version applies to video rather than just still photos.
To upgrade or not? That is the question
If you’re holding onto the Galaxy S23 Ultra or S24 Ultra, you might be wondering if it’s time to upgrade to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. There’s obviously going to be bigger hardware upgrades with Samsung’s upcoming flagship model, so we break down the biggest differences between the last few generation models compared to the rumored S26 Ultra. If a wider f/1.4 aperture with the main camera isn’t enough, the S26 Ultra is reportedly going to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and more Galaxy AI features.
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