Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 ๐ : The Galaxy S26 series โจ, AI ๐ค, and other products we expect on February 25 ๐๏ธ
Samsungโs 2025 was a busy year ๐ defined by new foldables ๐, an ultra-thin form factor ๐, and the debut of Googleโs XR platform ๐. Now, following some initial teasers at CES 2026 ๐, the company has officially confirmed that its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year is set for February 25 โ . While the event is expected to headline the Galaxy S26 lineup ๐ฑ, specific details remain under wraps ๐คซ despite official invites going out. However, as is tradition with major tech launches, the rumor mill ๐๏ธ has given us a fairly clear picture of what to expect.
#Galaxy S26 series
According to the invites sent out on February 10, the festivities will take place in San Francisco ๐ on February 25, 2026. The keynote is scheduled for 10AM PT (1PM ET) ๐๏ธ and will be livestreamed across Samsung.com, the companyโs newsroom, and its YouTube channel ๐บ. The invite teases that this launch marks โa new phase in the era of AI ๐ง as intelligence becomes truly personal and adaptive ๐ก.โ While that sounds like the same industry jargon weโve heard repeatedly over the last few years, we only have to wait two weeks to see if the company has any genuine surprises in store ๐ regarding AI.
It appears Samsung is sticking to a philosophy of refinement rather than reinvention ๐ for the Galaxy S26. Leaked images ๐ suggest the company isnโt planning a radical redesign for the Galaxy S26, S26+, or S26 Ultra, opting instead to maintain the aesthetic established by the Galaxy S25 โจ. We expect to see flat front screens ๐ฑ and frames with rounded corners, along with the familiar vertical pill-shaped camera housing on the rear ๐ธ. Unlike Appleโs distinct shift from the iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 17 Pro ๐, Samsungโs biggest upgrades will likely be found internally, specifically regarding the display technology, chipsets โก, and camera sensors.
Under the hood ๐๏ธ, Qualcommโs new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is expected to power the entire Galaxy S26 lineup ๐. However, a report from Korean outlet Yonhap News suggests Samsung may revisit its split-chip strategy, potentially using its own Exynos 2600 processor in certain regions ๐. Regardless of the silicon ๐, these new devices should offer a solid performance boost over the previous generation ๐. Models equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, in particular, are expected to excel at on-device AI processing ๐ง .
One distinct change for the standard Galaxy S26 could be its display size ๐. According to specs shared by leaker Ice Universe, the new phone will feature a 6.3-inch FHD+ screen, making it marginally larger than the 6.2-inch panel found on the Galaxy S25 ๐ฑ. The device is also expected to ship with 12GB of RAM ๐พ, storage options of 256GB or 512GB, and a slightly larger 4,300mAh battery ๐. The camera hardware ๐ธ, however, seems to be carrying over from last year: leaks point to the same 50-megapixel main sensor, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto, and 12-megapixel selfie camera ๐คณ. The Galaxy S26+ appears to be an even more iterative update. Aside from the new Snapdragon processor, it will reportedly retain the 6.7-inch FHD+ display, 4,900mAh battery, 12GB of RAM, and the same camera configuration as the base model ๐.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, may offer more tangible differences compared to the S25 Ultra ๐. Android Headlines reports that the new model will feature slightly more raised cameras accented by a new metallic finish ๐ฅ. Interestingly, Samsung might switch back to an aluminum frame for the S26 Ultra ๐๏ธ, moving away from the titanium used on the S24 and S25 Ultra models ๐ก๏ธ. The most significant internal shift may concern wireless charging; to fully support the Qi2 standard โกโrather than just technically working with it via a caseโrumors suggest Samsung will remove the S Pen digitizer layer. This would require a new method for stylus input ๐๏ธ, but it could finally allow the S26 Ultra to work seamlessly with magnetic Qi2 accessories ๐งฒ without the S Pen losing functionality.
Android Headlines also recently published what appear to be full image renders of the S26 series ๐ผ๏ธ. These images generally align with the rumors and leaks weโve seen so far ๐. If accurate, they provide a clearer look at the updated camera bump and showcase two of the color variants ๐ we can expect for the S26 Ultra.
Finally, fans of magnetic accessories might be let down yet again ๐. Despite the Qi2 wireless charging standard introducing convenient magnetic alignment years ago, Samsung has been slow to integrate the feature directly into its hardware ๐ข. While the S-series supports the faster charging speeds the spec allows, Nieuwemobiel.nl reports that the S26 series likely wonโt have built-in magnets ๐งฒ. This conclusion comes from leaked images of third-party cases featuring magnetic rings, suggesting Samsung will continue its strategy โ๏ธ of relying on accessories to add magnetic functionality rather than baking it into the phone itself.