Samsung’s 2025 was filled with new foldablesA new ultra-thin form factor and the launch of Google’s XR platform. After doing a few announcements at CES 2026the company is expected to host its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year in February to showcase the Galaxy S26 lineup.
Engadget will be covering Galaxy Unpacked live, and we’ll most likely get hands-on coverage of Samsung’s new smartphones soon after they’re announced. While we wait for an official invite, here’s everything we hope Samsung will showcase at the first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026.
What’s happening in Unpacked 2026?
But first, when will Unpacked take place? A recent image shared by leaker Evan Blass indicated Unpacked is expected to take place on “February 25, 2026”. Blass has a long history of credible leaks, which means this date is all but confirmed, and the main remaining questions would be: what time and in what time zone? We’re still waiting for official details from Samsung, which should include answers to these questions.
Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra
Hands-on photo of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)
Samsung’s restrained approach to updating its phones will likely continue with the Galaxy S26. Based on leak pictures 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 will instead stick with a design similar to the one 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 tray on the back. Contrary to Apple’s decision to iPhone 16 Pro At iPhone 17 ProThe biggest difference here will likely be the internal components like the displays, chips, and camera sensors that Samsung uses.
The new one from Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip expected to be present on all Samsung Galaxy S26 phones, via Korean news site Yonhap News reports Samsung is relatively new Exynos 2600 chip could be used in some phones in the lineup depending on region, a strategy Samsung has deployed in the past. Either way, the new phones are expected to perform better than the previous generation and, in the case of models equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, particularly good at on-device AI processing.
One notable difference between the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S25 could be the phone’s display. The new phone is said to feature a 6.3-inch FHD+ display as per specifications shared by leaker Ice Universemaking it slightly larger than the 6.2-inch screen used on the Galaxy S25. The S26 will also reportedly come with 12GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of storage, and a slightly larger 4,300mAh battery. However, Samsung isn’t changing the cameras on the entry-level phone: leaks suggest it will feature the same 50-megapixel main camera, the same 12-megapixel ultra-wide, the 10-megapixel 3x telephoto lens, and the same 12-megapixel selfie camera as the previous generation. The changes seem even more minor on the Galaxy S26+. Besides the new Snapdragon chip, the phone is said to feature the same 6.7-inch FHD+ display, 4,900mAh battery, 12GB of RAM, and the same camera array used on the base Galaxy S26.
The difference between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Galaxy S25 Ultra would be a little clearer. According to Android titlesthe new phone’s cameras will be slightly more raised and stand out thanks to a new metallic finish. Samsung could also return to using an aluminum frame on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, after using titanium frames on the Galaxy S24 and S25 Ultra. More importantly, for the phone to actually support Qi2 rather than technically only works with the standard when a file is attached, rumors suggest Samsung will remove the S Pen digitizer layer from the phone and adopt a new method to accept pen input. It’s unclear what this new method will actually be, but it could allow the Galaxy S26 Ultra to work more easily with Qi2 accessories without losing its stylus.
Galaxy Buds 4
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro just in case. (Engadget)
Samsung released the Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro in 2024, with a major redesign that made them much more in line with Apple’s AirPods. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro that Samsung is reportedly announcing soon won’t necessarily change that, although they will feature a more compact body and less angular stems, according to leaked images from the Samsung Tips app.
Support for head gestures to accept and decline calls, a feature Apple includes on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4, is also rumors to work on both versions of the new Galaxy Buds. SamMobile reports The Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro may also come with a new Ultra Wideband chip that will make them easier to find with Google Search Center network.
Galaxy Z tri-fold
Yes, the TriFold has one fold, two actually. But they still don’t ruin the experience. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
Samsung announced the Galaxy Z tri-fold at the end of 2025, without specific details on when the new smartphone that folds into a tablet would be available in North America. This information came on January 27, when the company announced the TriFold would be available in the United States on January 30, for the modest sum of $2,900. Considering that we already have saw the device in person at CES 2026 and people have probably had a chance to look at, or even purchase the foldable for themselves by the time Unpacked rolls around, we don’t expect Samsung to spend too much time dwelling on it, if at all.
Galaxy S26 Edge
At just 5.8mm thick, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is one of the thinnest smartphones ever made. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
When the Galaxy S25 Edge was announced in 2025, it seemed possible that Samsung would replace its “Plus” smartphone with a single form factor, just as Apple chose to do with the iPhoneAir. There was contradictory reports on the subject, but it looks like Samsung won’t do that with the Galaxy S26 Edge.
Instead, the smartphone would remain another option, just as foldables are for customers who aren’t 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 titleswith a large rectangular camera tray reminiscent of Google’s Pixel phones, and Apple’s raised oval used on the iPhone Air. Beyond that, the phone is also expected to be slightly thinner, at 5.5mm, than the 5.8mm Galaxy S25 Edge.
Bixby and other AI features
Samsung is already the first place Google can showcase new AI features for Android, but the company is also reportedly exploring other AI partnerships. In June 2025, Bloomberg reported that Samsung was close to striking a deal with Perplexity to integrate its AI-powered search engine into OneUI and its local mobile browser. Perplexity has already an agreement with Motorola 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.
The company also accidentally announced a new version of its Bixby AI assistantwhich will likely also be integrated into Perplexity and could serve as an alternative to Google Gemini. A new Bixby and deeper integration with Perplexity seem like natural new software features to show off on Galaxy Unpacked.
Updated, January 27, 2026, 11:55 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to reflect the latest news regarding Galaxy Z TriFold pricing and availability in the United States.
Updated, January 30, 2026, 12:45 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include the latest leaks on possible dates for Unpacked 2026.
