Alright, let's be real. Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked on February 25, 2026 is basically just a formality at this point. The internet has already leaked SO much about the Samsung Galaxy S26 series that we practically know what color socks the product manager was wearing when they signed off on the specs. 😂
Tipsters like Evan Blass (@evleaks) posted actual event invites on X. IceUniverse dropped full datasheets. There was even a hands-on video of the Galaxy S26 Ultra floating around before it got hastily taken down. Samsung's big "surprise" reveal? Yeah, not so surprising. So buckle up, because we're going through literally everything we know right now, before San Francisco gets to hear it officially.
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| Samsung S26 Leaks as seen on X.com |
Wait, So When Is This Actually Happening?
February 25, 2026. San Francisco. 10:00 AM PST / 1:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM GMT. That's when Samsung takes the stage for Galaxy Unpacked 2026. Pre-registrations are already open and if you signed up early, you're looking at perks worth up to $900 in trade-in credits. Not bad for just clicking a button.
The livestream goes up on Samsung's official YouTube, Newsroom, and website. So you can watch the whole thing in your pajamas at home. As for actually buying one, current leaks point to a public release around March 11, 2026. Mark your calendars and maybe start a savings fund while you're at it. 😬
So What Are We Actually Getting? The Full Lineup Breakdown
Samsung is bringing three phones: the Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26+, and the headline act, the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The leaks have been surprisingly detailed this time around, so here's the full spec breakdown.
| Spec | Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S26+ | Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3" FHD+ OLED | 6.7" FHD+ OLED | 6.9" QHD+ OLED |
| Refresh Rate | 1–120 Hz | 1–120 Hz | 1–120 Hz |
| Chip (US) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Chip (EU) | Exynos 2600 | Exynos 2600 | Snapdragon only |
| RAM | 12 GB | 12 GB | 12 GB / 16 GB |
| Storage | 256 / 512 GB | 256 / 512 GB | 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 4,900 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired Charging | 25W | 45W | 60W |
| Wireless Charging | Qi2 — 15W | Qi2 — 15W | Qi2 — 25W |
| Main Camera | 50MP | 50MP | 200MP (f/1.4) |
| Other Cameras | 12MP + 10MP | 12MP + 10MP | 50MP + 50MP + 10MP |
| S Pen | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Included |
| Base Storage | 256 GB min. | 256 GB min. | 256 GB min. |
The Design: A New Camera Island Has Entered the Chat
Samsung isn't going for a full redesign this year, but there is one change that's hard to miss. Leaked renders from Evan Blass and YTECHB show all three phones ditching the individual protruding lenses for a single unified camera island on the back. It looks a lot cleaner and more intentional. Basically every other flagship has been doing this for a while and Samsung has finally decided to join the club.
The S26 and S26+ look almost identical to each other. Flat display, slim bezels, flat back, nothing too flashy. The Galaxy S26 Ultra keeps its signature boxy shape because it still has the S Pen living inside it and that needs the space. One small win though: the Ultra is 0.3mm thinner than last year. Tiny difference, but still.
There's also a new feature called Privacy Display which uses the actual pixels to block side-angle viewing. So the person sitting next to you on the bus genuinely cannot read your screen anymore. About time honestly. 🙏
Cameras: Good News For Ultra Buyers, Not So Much For Everyone Else
Here's the part that has people talking. On the standard Galaxy S26 and S26+, the cameras are basically carrying over from last year. 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, same as the S25. Samsung didn't touch the hardware here and a lot of people on X are rightfully annoyed about that. When competitors are pushing seriously upgraded sensors, staying put is a noticeable decision.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is a different story though. The 200MP main camera now has an f/1.4 aperture which is a big deal for low-light shots. The 50MP ultrawide and 50MP periscope telephoto also got aperture upgrades. Video zoom is reportedly getting a boost too, though the exact numbers haven't been confirmed yet.
Short version: coming from an S23 or S24, the Ultra's camera upgrades will feel like a genuine step up. Coming from an S25, it's more of a "nice but not necessary" situation.
The Chipset Situation: Snapdragon vs. Exynos is Back, Unfortunately
If you're in the US, all three models run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and that's that. If you're in Europe or certain other regions, the S26 and S26+ will come with Samsung's own Exynos 2600, which is their first chip built on 2nm GAA technology. The S26 Ultra gets Snapdragon everywhere though, no Exynos version at all. The internet is very relieved about that.
The Exynos 2600 is actually a meaningful upgrade for Samsung on the chipmaking side. The 2nm process means better battery efficiency and stronger performance. Samsung also says this chip is what makes on-device AI image generation (EdgeFusion) possible without sending anything to the cloud. Faster results and better privacy in one go.
Galaxy AI + One UI 8.5: Okay This Part Is Actually Wild
This is honestly the most interesting part of the S26 story. Samsung is overhauling how Galaxy AI works and the big addition is Perplexity AI coming in as a second AI option sitting alongside Google Gemini.
What does that actually look like in practice? You say "Hey Plex" or hit the side button and Perplexity is right there. Not just for web searches either. It's built directly into Samsung's own apps like Notes, Clock, Gallery, Calendar, and Reminder. Samsung is calling this a multi-agent AI setup where Perplexity, Gemini, and Bixby all work together and you just use whichever one fits the job.
Think of Galaxy AI as the main system and Perplexity, Gemini, and Bixby as different tools running inside it. Each one handles what it's good at and you don't have to keep switching between apps to get things done.
And yes, Bixby is finally getting a proper upgrade. Samsung announced a rebuilt Bixby on February 20, 2026 and it now actually understands normal human sentences. You can say something like "stop my screen from timing out while I'm looking at it" and it just does it. No digging through settings menus. No remembering exact toggle names. It actually works the way you'd expect a voice assistant to work in 2026.
Bixby also pulls live web results directly inside its own interface now, powered by Perplexity behind the scenes. No browser opening up, no leaving the conversation. The One UI 8.5 beta is already rolling out to S25 users in the US, UK, Germany, India, Korea, and Poland so you can see it in action. The S26 ships with the full stable release from day one.
Storage and Battery: The Good Stuff
Samsung is killing off the 128GB storage option completely. Every S26 model now starts at 256GB minimum. Apple made this call with the iPhone 17 and Samsung is following. It's the right move. You're paying flagship prices, you shouldn't be worrying about storage within a year of buying the phone.
On battery, the Galaxy S26 gets a bump to 4,300 mAh from 4,000 mAh. The S26+ stays at 4,900 mAh and the S26 Ultra stays at 5,000 mAh. The 5,500 mAh Ultra rumours turned out to be off. Charging speeds did go up though. 25W on the S26, 45W on the S26+, and 60W on the Ultra. That 60W is a solid jump for the Ultra. Wireless charging runs on Qi2 across the board, 15W on the two smaller models and 25W on the Ultra.
Pricing: Yeah, It's Going Up
According to leaks from WinFuture, prices in Europe are climbing. The Galaxy S26 at €999, the S26+ at around €1,269, and the S26 Ultra at approximately €1,469. Those are VAT-inclusive European prices so the US numbers will look different, but the direction is clearly upward.
US pricing isn't confirmed yet but the S25 started at $799, so the S26 will probably land somewhere in the $799 to $850 range for the base model. The Ultra could push past $1,299. And since 128GB is gone, there's no budget entry point anymore. Everyone starts at 256GB now, which is great for storage but means the starting price is higher by default.
What Else Is Samsung Announcing?
The phones aren't the only thing showing up at Unpacked. Galaxy Buds 4 and possibly Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are expected to be announced alongside the S26 series. New design, better sound, and tighter Galaxy AI integration are the main talking points from the leaks so far.
The Galaxy S26 Edge that some people were hoping for? Looks like that's not happening at this event. Samsung seems to have stepped back from the ultra-thin phone idea after the S25 Edge didn't exactly fly off shelves, so the S26+ is still your middle-ground option for now.
So Should You Actually Upgrade?
Coming from a Galaxy S22 or older? Yeah, go for it. The new chip, the updated Galaxy AI system, 256GB base storage and all the camera improvements on the Ultra add up to a meaningful upgrade over a three year old phone.
Coming from an S24? It's a tougher sell. The camera hardware on the standard models didn't change and most of the AI features are coming to the S25 anyway through One UI 8.5. Unless you specifically want the Ultra's camera setup or the new chip matters to you, there's not a compelling reason to jump.
Coming from an S25? Just wait. Nothing here screams must-upgrade unless Samsung pulls out something nobody saw coming on February 25. Save your money for the S27.
TL;DR (Summary)
- Event: Galaxy Unpacked, February 25, 2026, 10 AM PST in San Francisco
- Release Date: Expected March 11, 2026
- Models: Galaxy S26 (6.3"), S26+ (6.7"), S26 Ultra (6.9")
- Chips: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the US and Ultra worldwide, Exynos 2600 in Europe for the base and Plus
- RAM and Storage: 12GB RAM, 256GB minimum storage across all models. 128GB is gone.
- Cameras: S26 and S26+ carry over from S25. Ultra gets 200MP at f/1.4 with upgraded apertures on all lenses.
- Battery and Charging: S26 bumped to 4,300 mAh. Ultra charges at 60W wired and 25W wireless via Qi2.
- Galaxy AI: Perplexity + Gemini + rebuilt Bixby all working together, built into core Samsung apps.
- Software: Ships with One UI 8.5.
- New Features: Privacy Display and EdgeFusion on-device AI image generation.
- Also at Unpacked: Galaxy Buds 4 and possibly Buds 4 Pro.
Whatever Samsung shows on February 25, it's clear that Galaxy AI is the main event this year. The hardware upgrades are real but not jaw-dropping. The software side with the new Bixby, Perplexity integration and the multi-agent setup is genuinely interesting though. We'll see if it actually delivers when people get their hands on one. 👀
Are you upgrading to the Galaxy S26 or sitting this one out? Drop a comment below and let us know which model you're eyeing. 📱
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