If you have been refreshing your news feed waiting for the new Samsung flagship to drop in January like clockwork, you might have noticed things are a bit quiet this year. Well, the silence has finally broken. According to reports from TechCrunch and confirmation from reliable leakers, the wait is almost over—but it is going to take a few weeks longer than we are used to.
Samsung has officially circled February 25, 2026, on the calendar for its next Galaxy Unpacked event. This is a significant shift from the company’s usual January strategy, and it raises a lot of interesting questions about what is happening behind the scenes at the South Korean tech giant.
When is the Galaxy S26 Unpacked event taking place?
Mark your calendars for February 25, 2026. The event is likely taking place in San Francisco, returning to a familiar stomping ground for major tech unveils. If you are looking to actually get your hands on a device, retail availability is expected to follow roughly two weeks later, around March 11.
This date has been corroborated by multiple sources, including noted leaker Evan Blass, who called the date "100 percent correct." It puts the launch right on the doorstep of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. By pushing the event to late February, Samsung ensures it dominates the news cycle leading into the biggest mobile trade show of the year, rather than launching weeks beforehand and risking the hype fading away.
Why is Samsung delaying the launch until late February?
You might be wondering why Samsung would surrender the early Q1 sales window, especially when Apple’s iPhone 17 series is currently dominating the market. The answer appears to be a mix of technical necessity and strategic timing.
Research indicates that Samsung needed extra time to optimize two critical components: the new 2nm Exynos 2600 chip and the One UI 8.5 software. Moving to a 2nm process is a massive technical leap, and yield issues—essentially, how many usable chips they can produce per wafer—have reportedly forced the timeline back.
Additionally, this move distances the S26 from the chaotic post-holiday season. It positions the phone as a direct answer to the "second wave" of 2026 flagships coming from Chinese competitors like Xiaomi and the recently launched OnePlus 15, which has already set a very high bar for performance this year.
What specs and AI features are coming to the S26 Ultra?
While the standard models are getting the new Exynos treatment, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to be a beast of a different nature. Reports confirm the Ultra model will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip globally. This is huge news for power users who prefer Qualcomm’s architecture over Samsung’s in-house silicon.
The Ultra is also expected to sport a massive 6.9-inch display and a 200MP main camera. But the hardware is only half the story. Samsung is doubling down on "Galaxy AI" with some genuinely useful-sounding features:
Privacy Display: According to leaker Ice Universe, this feature will prevent people sitting next to you from reading your screen—a digital privacy filter built right in.
AI Calendar Assistant: This tool, reportedly built in partnership with Google and potentially utilizing Gemini integration, will analyze your messages to automatically schedule appointments.
Interestingly, rumors suggest the "Galaxy S26 Edge" model has been cancelled due to poor sales of its predecessor. It looks like we are returning to the standard trio: the S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra.
Will the Galaxy S26 see a price increase?
This is the tricky part. If you are in the United States, you might be in luck; pricing is rumored to remain flat. However, European buyers might face price hikes ranging from €40 to €100. Why the discrepancy?
It comes down to what analysts call the "memory supercycle." Omdia notes that Samsung’s profits took a dip in Q4 2025 specifically because component costs for memory are rising. To offset this, Samsung has to make a choice: eat the cost or pass it on to the consumer.
One silver lining is the storage. It appears the entry-level 128GB model is finally dead. The lineup is expected to start at 256GB, which helps justify the price tag in a world where apps and 200MP photos eat up space fast.
Between the Lines
This delay is a high-stakes gamble for Samsung. By missing the January window, they have given Apple’s iPhone 17 a longer unchecked run at the market and allowed the OnePlus 15 to claim the early "performance king" title. However, the decision to delay suggests that Samsung prioritizes product polish over speed—a lesson likely learned from past hardware stumbles. If the 2nm Exynos chip delivers on its efficiency promises, the delay will be forgotten instantly; if it suffers from overheating or throttling, the extra month of waiting will only amplify the criticism.
