The tech world is buzzing as Samsung gears up for its first major event of 2026: Galaxy Unpacked. Following a dynamic 2025 that saw new foldables and the debut of Google’s XR platform, the South Korean giant is set to unveil its highly anticipated Galaxy S26 lineup. While official details remain under wraps, a flurry of leaks and industry whispers paint a compelling picture of what’s to come. Engadget will be providing live coverage, ensuring you don’t miss a beat.
Galaxy Unpacked 2026: Mark Your Calendars
Samsung officially announced on February 10 that Galaxy Unpacked 2026 will take place on February 25, 2026, in San Francisco. The keynote address is scheduled for 10 AM PT (1 PM ET) and will be livestreamed globally via Samsung.com, the company’s newsroom, and its YouTube channel.
The invitation itself hinted at a significant theme, declaring this launch will usher in “a new phase in the era of AI as intelligence becomes truly personal and adaptive.” While AI integration has been a recurring narrative across the industry, Samsung’s promise suggests a deeper, more personalized approach to artificial intelligence within its new devices.
The Galaxy S26 Series: Evolution, Not Revolution
Expect a refined aesthetic rather than a radical overhaul for the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. Leaked images suggest Samsung will largely maintain the design language established with the Galaxy S25. This means a familiar flat front screen and frame, gently rounded corners, and a distinctive vertical, pill-shaped camera plateau on the rear. Unlike Apple’s more pronounced design shifts between iPhone generations, Samsung appears to be focusing its innovation primarily on internal components.
Powering the Future: Chips and AI Prowess
At the heart of the Galaxy S26 series will likely be Qualcomm’s formidable Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip
, promising enhanced performance across the board. However, a familiar regional strategy may see some models, particularly in certain markets, powered by Samsung’s own
Exynos 2600 chip, as reported by Yonhap News. Regardless of the silicon, both chipsets are expected to deliver a significant performance boost over their predecessors, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 models particularly optimized for advanced on-device AI processing capabilities.
Galaxy S26 and S26+: Subtle Yet Significant Upgrades
The standard Galaxy S26 is rumored to feature a slightly larger 6.3-inch FHD+ display, a modest bump from the S25’s 6.2-inch screen, according to leaker Ice Universe. It’s also expected to pack 12GB of RAM, with storage options of 256GB or 512GB, and a marginally larger 4,300mAh battery. Curiously, the camera setup for the entry-level S26 appears unchanged from its predecessor: a 50-megapixel main, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto, and a 12-megapixel selfie camera.
The Galaxy S26+ is anticipated to follow a similar pattern of minor refinements. Beyond the new Snapdragon chip, it’s expected to retain the 6.7-inch FHD+ screen, a 4,900mAh battery, 12GB of RAM, and the same camera array as the base S26 model.
The S26 Ultra: Flagship Innovations
The Galaxy S26 Ultra, as always, is where the more substantial changes are expected to materialize. Android Headlines suggests its cameras will be more pronounced, potentially boasting a new metallic finish. Interestingly, Samsung might revert to an
aluminum frame for the S26 Ultra, moving away from the titanium used in the S24 and S25 Ultras.
Perhaps the most intriguing rumor for the Ultra concerns its S Pen and wireless charging. To fully support the Qi2 wireless charging standard, which offers magnetic alignment, Samsung may remove the S Pen digitizer layer. While the exact new method for stylus input remains unclear, this change could allow the S26 Ultra to seamlessly integrate with Qi2 accessories without sacrificing its signature S Pen functionality.
Recent renders shared by Android Headlines largely corroborate these rumors, offering a clearer glimpse at the camera bump and potential color variants for the S26 Ultra.
Still No Magnets for Wireless Charging?
Despite the advent of the Qi2 standard, which brings convenient magnetic alignment to wireless charging, persistent rumors suggest Samsung may once again skip this feature across the S26 lineup. This could be a point of disappointment for users hoping for a more robust and aligned wireless charging experience.
The Countdown Begins
With just weeks to go until Galaxy Unpacked 2026, anticipation is at an all-time high. While the S26 series appears to be an iterative update in design, the focus on enhanced AI, powerful new chipsets, and intriguing changes to the Ultra model promise a compelling evolution for Samsung’s flagship smartphones. Stay tuned to Engadget for comprehensive live coverage and our initial hands-on impressions.
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