Samsung is preparing to launch its Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphones following a rescheduled Galaxy Unpacked event in late February.
The Galaxy Unpacked launch event will not occur in the traditional mid-to-late January slot. This change follows a reworking of the product mix, which pushed back manufacturing timelines. Initially, three models were anticipated: the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 Pro. However, weak sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge removed a new Edge model from contention. The retail success and consistent pricing of the vanilla iPhone 17 at $799 influenced Samsung to retain the $799 price for its entry-level model, resulting in the S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra lineup.
Evan Blass (@evleaks) and @IceUniversse have both confirmed the Galaxy Unpacked launch will take place in San Francisco on Wednesday, February 25. This event is expected to begin around 10 am Pacific Time. Last year, Samsung announced the Galaxy Unpacked date on January 6, coinciding with the first day of CES. The upcoming event is strategically timed less than a week before Mobile World Congress (MWC), which starts in Barcelona on March 2. Samsung aims to dominate pre-MWC industry conversation. Invitations for Galaxy Unpacked are expected to be issued during the week of Monday, February 9, maintaining a two-week lead time similar to 2025.
The date of 25 February is 100% correct. You can take it to the bank. https://t.co/YYe7P85Nwv
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 6, 2026
Samsung is also expected to launch a fourth Galaxy S26 smartphone, tentatively named the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. These Fan Edition models are mid-range variants, offering a similar experience at a lower cost. The Galaxy S25 FE launched in September 2025, eight months after the initial S25 lineup, and will remain available through the first half of 2026. The S26 FE will arrive later in its flagship cycle.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 family are expected to open on February 22, immediately after the keynote. Typical pre-order offers include discounts, specification upgrades, and increased trade-in values. Boosted trade-ins are expected to continue. However, the popular ‘double storage’ offer, which provides the next storage size up (e.g., 128 GB to 256 GB, 256 GB to 512 GB, 512 GB to 1 TB) at no additional cost, may be at risk due to rising RAM and storage prices. Samsung is not expected to raise the sticker price of its handsets. Given that Samsung drives sales through its own website, the storage offer might remain financially viable.
Hardware reviews for the Galaxy S26 family are anticipated to be published between the Galaxy Unpacked event and the general retail release. In previous years, reviews appeared a week after the launch. Releasing reviews on the first day of MWC would be a bold move, and a precedent exists from last year’s Unpacked invite timing conflicting with CES’s opening.
The industry standard for the gap between a smartphone’s launch and retail release is two weeks. Samsung typically favors Friday for retail releases. However, French website Dealabs reports that the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra will be available in Europe from March 11, 2026. This date implies a Wednesday launch for all key territories, including the UK, North America, and South Korea, marking exactly two weeks after Galaxy Unpacked. This timing allows Samsung 20 days of sales for the financial quarter, in addition to 14 days of pre-order. The Galaxy S26 family will be in stores less than a week after MWC concludes.
