Samsung just set the date for its first Galaxy Unpacked of 2026 — and all signs point to the Galaxy S26 with plenty of Galaxy AI

• Samsung has set its next Galaxy Unpacked event for February 25, 2026
• The Galaxy S26 lineup is expected to be unveiled at the event
• Galaxy AI will once again be a major focus

After months of rumors and speculation, Samsung has finally locked in the date for its first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026 – and all signs point to the Galaxy S26 lineup.

It’ll be the first Galaxy Unpacked of 2026, taking place on February 25 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST (5 AM AEDT on the 26th), live-streamed from San Francisco, California. Samsung teases that the event will usher in “its latest Galaxy innovations,” which we’re almost certain points to the Galaxy S26 lineup.

Samsung is expected to lead with the ultra-premium Galaxy S26 Ultra, alongside the Galaxy S26 Plus and standard Galaxy S26. This early-year Unpacked event traditionally focuses on Samsung’s flagship, non-folding Galaxy S smartphone, though the company has occasionally slipped in a surprise, like the first formal tease of the Galaxy Ring back in 2024.

If you’re hoping for the next Galaxy Z Fold, Z Flip, or especially a new Z TriFold, don’t hold out hope. We likely won’t see new foldables until summer 2026, and Samsung only just began shipping the Z TriFold in the US last month, in January.

Get in early

Even so, if you’re after a fresh candybar smartphone, the Galaxy S26 lineup is shaping up to be a still-impressive – if more iterative – trio of devices. As in years past, Samsung is already letting fans pre-reserve whatever it announces on February 25, and it’s completely free to do so.

You can pre-reserve the “next Galaxy” on Samsung’s site to be entered to win a $5,000 Samsung gift card, while also securing an exclusive $30 credit toward the devices it unveils. That’s a smaller incentive than in years past, but it can be stacked with up to a $900 trade-in credit, depending on the device and Samsung’s valuation.

Interestingly, Samsung is also offering a $150 credit without a trade-in – seemingly on top of the $30 bonus – if you order directly from the company, which certainly sweetens the deal.

Considering pre-reserving costs nothing and doesn’t require a credit card, it’s most definitely worth doing, even if you’re only mildly interested in the Galaxy S26. Samsung has also teased that similar pre-reserve offers are coming from Best Buy and AT&T, though details haven’t been shared just yet.

Alongside the invite, Samsung released a short teaser video for Galaxy Unpacked – and it appears the brand is feeling lucky. The invite image shows Samsung’s Galaxy AI logo emerging from a clear cube that looks as if it has burst open, casting prismatic hues of blue, pink, and purple that could hint at new colorways for the S26 lineup.

Beyond the “Galaxy Unpacked” branding, date, time, and livestream URL, the image doesn’t reveal much. The video teaser adds a bit more flair, showing the glowing Galaxy AI cube rolling across the screen before opening up, with the four stars of the Galaxy AI logo taking center stage – reinforcing that Galaxy AI will play a major role in Samsung’s next flagship phones.

On the hardware side, the Galaxy S26 lineup is expected to deliver another performance bump thanks to a new processor – likely a Qualcomm Snapdragon for Galaxy – while sticking fairly close to the design language of the current Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra. One rumored feature that stands out, though, is a new privacy mode for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which would allow users to toggle display privacy on and off instantly. It’s a small touch, but one that could be especially useful when viewing sensitive information in public.

Either way, we’re only a few weeks out from Samsung’s February 25, 2026 Galaxy Unpacked event, and TechRadar will be on the ground, breaking down everything unveiled – err, unpacked – as it happens. Let us know if you’re planning to pick up the Galaxy S26, or what you think of the invite, in the comments below.

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