Samsung Galaxy S26 launch live: S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra specs, Galaxy AI surprises, price, release date, and everything we expect

The next two teasers seem to be for the entire S26 series rather than just the Ultra and focus on low-light capabilities. But this isn’t the usual “let’s turn night into day” kind of nonsense low-light photography. Samsung actually seems to be attempting to make low-light photos look like they were taken in dimly lit conditions, proper mood and all. That also will apparently extend to video capture, as this teaser suggests. That’s a huge improvement over the established method of making nighttime photos look way too bright.

While we’re on the topic of Galaxy S26 Ultra camera upgrades, Samsung has been teasing the upcoming phone’s capabilities. The previous rumor about an enhanced telephoto camera experience seems to fit with the first teaser from the company, which shows someone zooming way in to a dog sitting inside a car from far away. But the hint here isn’t just that zoom is getting better, it’s that video zoom is also getting enhanced. Up until now, photo zoom has maintained the farthest distance, and while that likely won’t change this year, video zoom could be significantly enhanced beyond its current 25-30x limit on most Ultra-level phones.

Last summer, we saw credible rumors that Samsung was testing a new 200MP telephoto sensor for upcoming Ultra-branded phones. We’re not sure if that’ll make it to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but more than one of Samsung’s other competitors are using a similar sensor, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to see the company follow the likes of Honor and Vivo to integrate it. A higher resolution sensor behind a capable lens would allow the S26 Ultra to capture even better zoom detail, something the company has been good at for a while, and could help it remain atop the camera podium.

Last summer, we saw credible rumors that Samsung was testing a new 200MP telephoto sensor for upcoming Ultra-branded phones. We’re not sure if that’ll make it to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but more than one of Samsung’s other competitors are using a similar sensor, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to see the company follow the likes of Honor and Vivo to integrate it. A higher resolution sensor behind a capable lens would allow the S26 Ultra to capture even better zoom detail, something the company has been good at for a while, and could help it remain atop the camera podium.

We’ll begin taking a closer look at rumors for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, since the Ultra typically garners the most hype pre-launch. Samsung is apparently looking to revive variable aperture, a feature we haven’t seen since the Galaxy S9 series. If you’re unfamiliar with the trick, a variable aperture lens allows the camera to adjust the amount of light entering the sensor. This gives a camera more capabilities and tools to capture the perfect shot, especially when in extreme lighting conditions (either too dark or too light).

Variable aperture can also allow for a wide variety of focal depths. A lower aperture typically features a shallower depth of field, while a higher aperture does the opposite. Want a crisp focus on a single subject without using software portrait mode tricks? A low aperture might help. Likewise, sweeping scenes might benefit from higher aperture. The possibilities are endless.

If you’re even thinking about grabbing any of the new Galaxy S26 models or the rumored Galaxy Buds 4, do yourself a favor and reserve a unit right now through this link. Despite what that sounds like, you’re not obligated to actually buy anything from Samsung. The reservation will give you $30 off the purchase of any of the new Galaxy devices, as well as guaranteed trade-in credit promos worth up to $900. Per the fine print in the page, you’ll get $30 towards the credit of a Galaxy Smartphone, and another $30 towards the purchase of a Galaxy Wearable. There’s quite literally no reason not to unless you don’t care at all about Samsung’s new gadgets…and in that case, why are you reading this at all?

Now that you know what to look forward to, you need to know how to watch it! We’ll be bringing you live updates as the action happens, so you can just stay put here at the time of the show if you’re unable to watch the video (or want special insights from us). Samsung will begin the first Unpacked of 2026 on February 25, 2026, at 1 pm ET/10 am PT in San Francisco, California. Here’s the YouTube link to the livestream, so if you’re interested, click that, then tap the “Notify Me” button to have YouTube remind you right as it’s beginning.

So we know that we can expect at least three Samsung Galaxy S26 series devices, but will anything else appear at the show? Traditionally, Samsung’s first Unpacked event of the year focuses on the latest flagship phones, but this year, we’re expecting to see Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro at the show, both of which have been leaked in full ahead of Samsung’s event. Those buds are reported to feature a brand new design and improved audio quality.

Before we get into what Samsung will actually unveil at Unpacked, have you noticed the event is happening later than usual? Over the past few years, Samsung has typically launched its flagship Galaxy S series in January, but that did not happen this time, reportedly due to a late internal change.

There were earlier rumors that Samsung might drop the base Galaxy S26 in favor of a Pro model or replace the Plus variant with an Edge version called the Galaxy S26 Edge. However, following the reportedly weak sales of last year’s Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung appears to have scrapped those plans and is sticking with the familiar trio: the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra.