Samsung is preparing to launch the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra in late February, with the Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for February 25 in San Francisco.
The company shifted its traditional mid-to-late January launch timeline to accommodate a revised product mix. The Galaxy S26 and S26+ join the flagship S26 Ultra, following the discontinuation of the Galaxy S25 Edge due to reported weak sales and the company’s decision to maintain the $799 price point for its entry-level model, aligning with the vanilla iPhone 17’s pricing.
Analysts Evan Blass and IceUniversse confirmed the February 25 Galaxy Unpacked date. The event is expected to commence at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, consistent with last year’s event in New York. Samsung’s announcement of the Unpacked event is anticipated during the week of February 9, maintaining a two-week lead time similar to its 2025 strategy, which coincided with CES.
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
The rescheduled launch places Galaxy Unpacked less than a week before Mobile World Congress (MWC), which begins March 2 in Barcelona. This timing allows Samsung to capture industry attention ahead of the major smartphone trade show.
Samsung plans to offer pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 family immediately after the keynote presentations conclude on February 25. While boosted trade-in values are expected to continue, the company’s “double storage” offer, which upgrades purchased storage tiers (e.g., 128 GB to 256 GB), may be at risk due to rising RAM and storage prices. Despite this, Samsung is not expected to increase the sticker price of its new handsets and has reportedly hedged against future silicon production costs. The company also aims to direct sales through its website rather than third-party retailers.
Initial reviews for the Galaxy S26 family are expected to be published between the Unpacked event and the general sales launch. Last year, hardware reviews appeared a week after the March 4 launch. This year, the review embargo could potentially lift on the first day of MWC to maximize visibility.
Retail availability for the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra in Europe is set for March 11, 2026, according to French website Dealabs. This corresponds to a two-week interval between Galaxy Unpacked and in-store sales, aligning with industry standards and historical Samsung launch patterns across key markets including Europe, the UK, North America, and South Korea. This launch date allows for twenty days of sales within the financial quarter, in addition to fourteen days of pre-order availability.
Samsung is also expected to launch a fourth Galaxy S26 smartphone, tentatively named the Galaxy S26 FE (Fan Edition), later in 2026. This mid-range variant, similar to the Galaxy S25 FE launched in September 2025, will provide a more affordable Galaxy S option through the first half of the year.
