Samsung’s next-gen Galaxy S26 series smartphones are expected to break cover at the first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year by the end of February 2026. Despite early rumors about a rejigged lineup with new names for the existing models, Samsung seems to have settled on the familiar naming scheme.
We’re expecting three models in the lineup — Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, Galaxy S26 Ultra — featuring One UI 8.5 based on Android 16. Besides the flagships, the Korean giant could also release two wireless earbuds: the Galaxy Buds 4 and the Buds 4 Pro. There’s plenty of ground to cover, so let’s dive right in.
Release Date And Price
Samsung’s first 2026 Galaxy Unpacked event is rumored to take place on February 25, 2026, in San Francisco. Expect the event to be livestreamed on the company’s official website and YouTube channel, and for the corresponding press releases to appear on Samsung Newsroom.
Following the announcement, the handsets should be available to purchase (globally) by the second week of March. If you were planning to pre-order a brand-new Galaxy S26, you might not get many benefits this year, as the company is striving to keep retail prices under control amid the ongoing memory crisis.
I believe Samsung could use this opportunity to increase its market share by keeping the pricing under control. One of the most recent leaks suggests the brand won’t raise prices for the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus variants. In fact, the source claims that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be €100 ($118) cheaper for the 256GB and 512GB variants.
However, we may not get a free storage bump either, because the company is already operating on slim margins.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Series: Latest News
We haven’t seen any official Galaxy Unpacked announcements or press releases with details, but the company has released three official teasers for its upcoming flagship lineup.
- Teasers on Samsung’s official YouTube channel indicate significant improvements in the phones’ low-light videography and photography, better zoom capabilities, and the integration of AI in the purported smartphones.
- Another new feature, “Privacy Display,” is also official. It prevents people in public places from viewing your phone’s screen from an angle, especially when you’re entering sensitive information such as passwords.
- Given that Samsung has already announced the Exynos 2600 chipset (based on 2nm manufacturing technology), I wouldn’t be surprised if the company uses it on the S26 and S26 Plus, at least in select regions, including South Korea, Europe, and Asia, while American buyers could get a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-based unit.
- Another strong rumor about the smartphone is that it won’t support native Qi2 wireless charging. Samsung will continue selling magnetic charging cases that let you use the handset with Qi2 accessories like a wireless power bank.
- The series should get a new EdgeFusion AI image generator that generates images locally in under one second.
Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus
The renders of the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are already out (via Android Headlines), suggesting a subtle change in the design, primarily on the back panel. Instead of individual floating lenses, we’ll most certainly get a unified camera island that houses the three backward-facing cameras.
There could be slight changes in the device’s dimensions as well. Instead of 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm, the Galaxy S26 could measure 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm, making it a tad taller and wider. Instead of 162 grams, the purported smartphone could weigh 137 grams, which would make it one of the lightest phones with a 6.3-inch screen.
The S26 Plus shares its dimensions and weight with the S25 Plus: 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm and 190 grams. So, no changes there.
Regarding materials, Samsung should use the same tried-and-tested Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, along with aluminum frames on the sides. The phones, like the others in the series, should carry an official IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating (1 meter for 30 minutes).
The additional length and width on the base Galaxy S26 may make room for a slightly larger 6.3-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x LTPO flat screen that supports 120Hz refresh rate (similar to the baseline iPhone 17), and possibly the same peak brightness as the Galaxy S26 (2,600 nits).
About the Galaxy S26 Plus, it should come with the familiar 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x LTPO screen with a similar refresh rate and peak brightness.
In January, we covered a rumor about the removal of the 128GB variant from the Galaxy S26, implying that the baseline variant will now ship with 256GB of storage (UFS 4.0 or newer). In other words, both the S26 and S26 Plus will be available in 256GB and 512GB storage variants.
Per Ice Universe, the phones should come with 12GB of RAM across all variants, and I’m not expecting any surprises there, given the ongoing memory crisis and its impact on the smartphone industry.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus might borrow their cameras from the outgoing models. You could get a triple-rear-facing camera setup, with a 50MP (f/1.8) primary camera, 10MP (f/2.4) secondary camera with 3x telephoto zoom, and a 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide camera. The 12MP (f/2.2) front camera could also remain the same.
However, where the Galaxy S26 could offer a significant upgrade is battery life. The handset is rumored to sport a 4,300 mAh battery (vs. 4,000 on the Galaxy S25), which, combined with the increased efficiency of the new chipset, should result in a noticeable improvement in the battery life. The S26 Plus, on the other hand, should sport the same 4,900 mAh battery.
Wired charging speeds might be bumped up to 45W on the base Galaxy S26 and wireless charging to 20W (from 15W on the Galaxy S25). Meanwhile, the S26 Plus should support 45W wired and 20W wireless charging. Connectivity options on the handsets may include 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4, and ultra-wideband (UWB).
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will also feature a unified camera island for the sensors on the left, but the fourth camera, the time-of-flight sensor, and the LED flash module are to its right. Dimensions of the smartphone appear to be a tad different at 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (instead of 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm), and the weight could also go down by four grams.
The S26 Ultra could feature noticeably more rounded corners than the S25 Ultra. Beyond that, the punch-hole camera, flat frames, and a tall-body design remain unchanged. And so does the presence of the S-Pen inside the phone’s chassis (with color-coded tips).
Despite the increase in the length and width, the phone is rumored to ship with the same 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x LTPO flat screen (120Hz, 2,600 nits) we’ve seen on the S25 Ultra, which could lead to slightly thicker bezels. It could be me being paranoid, but I see a larger punch-hole camera at the front in the recent renders.
The S26 Ultra, unlike the non-Ultra models, should be based on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC in all markets. Besides, it should get up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM (in most markets) and 1TB of storage (UFS 4.0 or newer). Samsung could also provide 16GB of RAM in select markets.
Although the S26 Ultra might not get a new primary camera, Samsung is rumored to pair the existing 200MP sensor with a bigger aperture (f/1.4 instead of f/1.7), which should result in better low-light pictures. Furthermore, the 3x optical zoom camera could also get a new 12MP sensor.
However, the 50MP (f/3.4) 5x optical zoom camera, the 50MP (f/1.9) ultrawide camera, and the 12MP selfie shooter could remain the same. The battery on the Ultra should remain unchanged at 5,000 mAh, but its wired charging speed should increase from 45W to 60W, while the wireless charging speed could increase to 25W.
Galaxy Buds 4 And Buds 4 Pro
Along with the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung should unveil the Galaxy Buds 4 lineup. It could include the regular Buds 4 with an open-ear design (inspired by the AirPods 4), a new charging case with a transparent lid, and active noise cancellation.
The Buds 4 Pro look a lot like the AirPods Pro. They feature silicon ear tips, a dangling stem, a new charging case, and new gesture controls. Naturally, noise cancellation should be better on the Buds 4 Pro.
