{"id":1078,"date":"2026-01-31T01:49:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T17:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/31\/samsung-galaxy-unpacked-2026-the-galaxy-s26-lineup-and-everything-else-we-expect\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T01:49:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T17:49:21","slug":"samsung-galaxy-unpacked-2026-the-galaxy-s26-lineup-and-everything-else-we-expect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/31\/samsung-galaxy-unpacked-2026-the-galaxy-s26-lineup-and-everything-else-we-expect\/","title":{"rendered":"Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: The Galaxy S26 lineup and everything else we expect"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samsung\u2019s 2025 was filled with new foldables<\/a>, an ultra-thin new form factor<\/a> and the launch of Google’s XR platform<\/a>. After making some announcements at CES 2026<\/a>, the company is expected to host its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year in February to introduce the Galaxy S26 lineup.<\/p>\n

Engadget will be covering Galaxy Unpacked live, and we’ll most likely have hands-on coverage of Samsung’s new smartphones soon after they’re announced. While we wait for an official invite, here’s everything we expect Samsung will introduce at the first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026.<\/p>\n

What is Unpacked 2026 taking place?<\/h2>\n

But first, when is Unpacked going to happen? A recent image shared by leakster Evan Blass<\/a> indicated Unpacked should be taking place on \u201cFebruary 25 2026.\u201d Blass has a long history of credible leaks, which means this date is all but confirmed, and the main questions remaining would be \u2014 what time and in what timezone? We\u2019re still waiting on Samsung for the official details, which should include answers to those questions.<\/p>\n

Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra<\/h2>\n
\"Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on photo<\/figcaption>
Photo by Sam Rutherford\/Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Samsung’s restrained approach to updating its phones will likely continue with the Galaxy S26. Based on leaked<\/a> images<\/a> of the new lineup, the company is not expected to radically reinvent the look of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ or Galaxy S26 Ultra, and instead will stick with a similar design to what it used on the Galaxy S25. The phones will have a flat front screen and frame, with rounded corners and cameras housed in a vertical pill-shaped plateau on the back. Unlike Apple’s move from the iPhone 16 Pro<\/a> to the iPhone 17 Pro<\/a>, the biggest difference here will likely be internal components like the screens, chips and camera sensors Samsung uses.<\/p>\n

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip<\/a> is expected to be in all Samsung Galaxy S26 phones, though Korean news site Yonhap News<\/em> reports<\/a> Samsung’s relatively new Exynos 2600 chip<\/a> could be used in some phones in the lineup depending on the region, a strategy Samsung has deployed in the past. Either way the new phones should be more performant than the previous generation, and in the case of the models with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, particularly good at on-device AI processing.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

I have compiled the most accurate comprehensive parameter comparison of Galaxy S25, S25+ and Galaxy S26\u3001 S26+. Which one do you want to buy? pic.twitter.com\/aQpoSvYjOz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) November 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

One notable difference between the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S25 could be the phone’s screen. The new phone will reportedly feature a 6.3-inch FHD+ display according to specs shared by leaker Ice Universe<\/a>, which makes it ever so slightly larger than the 6.2-inch display used on the Galaxy S25. The S26 will also allegedly come with 12GB of RAM, either 256GB or 512GB of storage and a slightly larger 4,300mAh battery. Samsung isn’t changing the cameras on the entry-level phone, though: leaks suggest it’ll feature the same 50-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto and 12-megapixel selfie camera as the previous generation. Changes appear to be even more minor on the Galaxy S26+. Other than the new Snapdragon chip, the phone will reportedly feature the same 6.7-inch FHD+ screen, 4,900mAh battery, 12GB of RAM and the same camera array used on the base Galaxy S26.<\/p>\n

The difference between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra is reportedly a bit clearer. According to Android Headlines<\/em><\/a>, the new phone’s cameras will be slightly more raised, and stand out thanks to a new metallic finish. Samsung may also switch back to using an aluminum frame on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, after using titanium frames on both the Galaxy S24 and S25 Ultras. Most importantly, to make the phone actually support Qi2 rather than only technically work with the standard<\/a> when a case is attached, rumors suggest<\/a> Samsung will remove the S Pen digitizer layer in the phone and adopt a new method for accepting stylus input. It’s not clear what that new method will actually be, but it could let the Galaxy S26 Ultra more easily work with Qi2 accessories without losing its stylus.<\/p>\n

Galaxy Buds 4<\/h2>\n
\"Galaxy
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro in case.<\/figcaption>
Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Samsung released the Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro<\/a> in 2024, with a major redesign that brought them much more in line with Apple’s AirPods. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro Samsung is rumored to be announcing soon won’t necessarily change that, though they will feature a more compact case and less angular stems, according to leaked images<\/a> from the Samsung Tips app.<\/p>\n

Support for head gestures to accept and decline calls, a feature Apple includes on the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4, is also rumored<\/a> to work on both versions of the new Galaxy Buds. SamMobile <\/em>reports<\/a> the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro may also ship with a new Ultra Wideband chip that will make them easier to find with Google’s Find Hub<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Galaxy Z Trifold<\/h2>\n
\"Yes,
Yes, the TriFold has a crease, two in fact. But they still don’t ruin the experience. <\/figcaption>
Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Samsung announced the Galaxy Z TriFold<\/a> in late 2025 without firm details of when the new smartphone-that-folds-into-a-tablet would be available in North America. That info came on January 27, when the company announced the TriFold would be available in the US<\/a> on January 30, for a whopping $2,900. Considering we\u2019ve already seen the device in person at CES 2026<\/a> and people are most likely to have had a chance to look at, if not buy the foldable for themselves by the time Unpacked rolls around, we don\u2019t expect Samsung to spend too much time dwelling on it, if at all.<\/p>\n

Galaxy S26 Edge<\/h2>\n
\"At
At just 5.8mm thick, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is one of the thinnest smartphones ever made. <\/figcaption>
Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

When the Galaxy S25 Edge<\/a> was announced in 2025, it seemed possible that Samsung could replace its “Plus” smartphone with a unique form factor, just like Apple has opted to do with the iPhone Air<\/a>. There have been conflicting reports<\/a> on the matter, but it seems like Samsung will not be doing that with the Galaxy S26 Edge.<\/p>\n

Instead, the smartphone will reportedly remain another option, much like foldables are for customers not swayed by Samsung’s traditional smartphones. The Galaxy S26 Edge is rumored to feature a slightly different design than last year’s model, according to Android Headlines<\/em><\/a>, with a large rectangular camera plateau that’s reminiscent of Google’s Pixel phones, and the raised oval Apple used on the iPhone Air. Beyond that, the phone is also expected to be ever so slightly thinner at 5.5mm than the 5.8mm Galaxy S25 Edge.<\/p>\n

Bixby and other AI features<\/h2>\n
\"undefined\"
<\/figcaption>
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Samsung already acts as a first place Google can show off new AI features for Android, but the company is reportedly exploring other AI partnerships, too. In June 2025, Bloomberg<\/em> reported<\/a> that Samsung was nearing a deal with Perplexity to integrate its AI-powered search engine across OneUI and its homegrown mobile browser. Perplexity already has a deal with Motorola<\/a> on its Razr phones, so the only thing that would make a deal with Samsung unusual is the close relationship the company already has with Google.<\/p>\n

The company also accidentally announced a new version of its Bixby AI assistant<\/a>, which will likely also be integrated with Perplexity and could serve as an alternative to Google Gemini. Both a new Bixby and a deeper integration with Perplexity seem like natural new software features to show off at Galaxy Unpacked.<\/p>\n

Update, January 27 2026, 11:55AM ET:<\/strong> This story has been updated to reflect the latest news around the Galaxy Z TriFold\u2019s price and availability in the US.<\/p>\n

Update, January 30 2026, 12:45PM ET:<\/strong> This story has been updated to include the latest leaks on the possible dates for Unpacked 2026.<\/p>\n\n

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/mobile\/smartphones\/samsung-galaxy-unpacked-2026-the-galaxy-s26-lineup-and-everything-else-we-expect-130000999.html?src=rss<\/p>

Please credit: OBA Blog<\/a> » Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: The Galaxy S26 lineup and everything else we expect<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Samsung\u2019s 2025 was filled with new foldables, an ultra-thin new form factor and the launch of Google’s XR platform. After making some announcements at CES 2026, the company is expected to host its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year in February to introduce the Galaxy S26 lineup. Engadget will be covering Galaxy Unpacked live, and we’ll most likely have hands-on coverage of Samsung’s new smartphones soon after they’re announced. While we wait for an official invite, here’s everything we expect Samsung will introduce at the first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026. What is Unpacked 2026 taking place? But first, when is Unpacked going to happen? A recent image shared by leakster Evan Blass indicated Unpacked should be taking place on \u201cFebruary 25 2026.\u201d Blass has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-share"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1078\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/obagg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}