January is coming to an end, which means we're looking forward to Samsung's next flagship launch. The Galaxy S26 is expected to be unveiled soon, and we're looking forward to new flagship experiences.
This year, we were expecting to see a possible shuffle in the Galaxy S26 lineup with rumors about Samsung giving up the S26 Plus variant for a more premium Edge model. That may not pan out, but we expect to see some software and AI upgrades, new Galaxy earbuds, and possibly a glimpse at Samsung's Galaxy XR glasses.
How to watch the 2026 Galaxy Unpacked
This one seems simple and most predictable. While a lucky few journalists and influencers get to attend Samsung's Unpacked events in person, the rest of us have to make do with a live stream of the launch on its official website and YouTube platforms. Samsung will likely release its live stream link in the days leading up to the event, and you can click the "notify me" button to receive a heads-up before the live stream begins.
It's too early for us to know exactly when and where the event will take place, but based on rumors, Unpacked may happen on February 25.
So, what can we expect from the Galaxy Unpacked event, and will Samsung's new offerings level up this year? Let's "Unpack" it for you.
Samsung Galaxy S26, maybe with an Edge?
There were early suggestions that Samsung would change the S series lineup this year, swapping the Galaxy S26 Plus for the Galaxy S26 Edge. Rumors then suggested that Samsung had halted production of the S26 Edge while holding onto its basic trio — the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra — and ditching the once-rumored "Pro" moniker on the base model. More recently, leaks indicate that Samsung could keep both the Edge and Plus models, retaining a four-phone lineup, though it's unclear whether the Edge would launch alongside the other phones, if at all.
As for the main trio's design, Samsung doesn't seem to be making drastic changes to it, at least according to the latest leaks. The devices appear to resemble their predecessors; however, they might feature a thinner profile, similar to the recent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. If the Korean OEM is chasing thinness, it could end up using thinner camera modules integrated into the rear panel, making the frame sleeker. CAD renders of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup confirm that the base and Ultra models won't look different.
Samsung has already begun teasing its new privacy display, which is supposed to work like a privacy screen protector that hides your screen's content from prying eyes on either side.
Speaking of cameras, the Galaxy S26 would retain its predecessor's camera array. On the other hand, the Galaxy S26 Ultra might get a fresh set of lenses. Leaks suggest a larger 200MP primary sensor, while others suggest minimal hardware changes for the quad-camera setup with a new 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, and 50MP 5x periscope lens.
Rumors also indicate that the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip could power phones in some regions, while others could get the Exynos 2600 processor. All models are rumored to feature a base of at least 12GB of RAM, with a 16GB option. The series will launch with Android 16 and Samsung's One UI 8.5.
As for the battery, the base version could feature a larger 4,300mAh battery, the Plus variant might have the same 4,900mAh battery, and the Ultra is expected to retain a 5,000mAh battery. S Pen fans can also breathe a sigh of relief as the Ultra will likely keep the S Pen, adopt a slimmer build, and support faster 60W charging.
But it's important to note that these are still preliminary leaks, and not all of these features may make it onto the actual device. We'll know more about these flagship models in the coming months.
One UI 8.5
Samsung launched One UI 8 much earlier than scheduled with its foldables this year, a move that comes as the Korean OEM usually delays major UI upgrades for its flagships. That said, we've had a few One UI 8.5 betas for the Galaxy S25 series, revealing what we could get with the next major update.
On the UI front, users can expect an expanded dark theme, a forced icon theming option, lock screen widget support, and a universal cursor when using external displays. For media, Samsung is introducing improvements such as new Audio APIs, an HDR/SDR brightness slider, enhanced media router privacy, and personal audio sharing via the output switcher.
One UI 8.5 is also expected to heavily leverage AI, such as a "Notification Summaries" feature that provides quick recaps of lengthy messages and group conversations, which can be toggled on or off.
Now Bar and Now Brief are expected to receive new features for more proactive notifications and status updates. We could also get some Gemini-like Bixby updates, bringing features similar to Circle to Search and Gemini Live.
One UI 8.5 could also bring a game-changing feature, offering presets for Pro camera controls. This would allow users to quickly save and swap between preferred settings for ISO, aperture, white balance, shutter speed, etc., eliminating the need to manually adjust them every time. You will also be able to share these presets for collaborative projects or with family and friends.
Galaxy Buds 4 Pro
As for the next-gen Galaxy Buds, early leaks hinted at their existence, with one suggesting that the Korean OEM has started naming its next buds, the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, using what appear to be internal code names. The test server build supposedly holds clues in its code about the alleged earbuds, with hints to base and Pro model numbers SM-R540 and SM-R640, respectively.
There have been some leaks revealing what the earbuds might look like, and Samsung has also accidentally leaked its own earbuds via the Samsung Members app.
Samsung Turkey Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro leaked on Samsung Members feedback support line ‼️Both models have been confirmed to arrive on February 25‼️ pic.twitter.com/d3P57IBYPJJanuary 26, 2026
The Buds 4 appear to have an updated design compared to the Buds 3, although Samsung may also include new features such as Head Gestures that activate different functions based on the movement of your head and an upgraded Interpreter mode. There also may be a new case design for the earbuds.
Samsung Android XR glasses
Samsung has already launched its Galaxy XR headset, but the company is expected to launch smart AI glasses sometime in early 2026. These will compete with other smart glasses, such as the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, with a built-in camera and hands-free access to Google AI.
The company is partnering with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to create stylish and accessible glasses. These are expected to come in non-display and display variants, similar to the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses.
Google has shown off prototype smart glasses at I/O, which feature a built-in monocular display, so we have an idea of how these will work. However, we don't know exactly when they will show up, or even if Samsung plans to unveil them at the upcoming Unpacked event. However, we will keep our eyes peeled.
