Samsung Unpacked 2026 live blog: Updates on Galaxy S26 Ultra, preorder deals, and pricing

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 25 at 12:30 p.m. ET

The San Francisco venue is filling up, and we’re formally minutes away from Unpacked to kick off. In case you’re tuning into the livestream early, Samsung is broadcasting real-world testimonials of its merchandise (titled “Voices of Galaxy”) and the way customers are leveraging Galaxy telephones to make a significant change. Count on to see extra examples throughout the keynote.

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 25 at 12:00 p.m. ET

Keep in mind Bixby? It is nonetheless a factor, and Samsung seems to be making it an even bigger deal than ever. Forward of Unpacked, the corporate introduced that with OneUI 8.5, Bixby will be capable of regulate your machine settings and supply the net for solutions to your queries. 

Most significantly, the in-house AI assistant will reply to pure language, so you possibly can talk with it identical to how you’d with Gemini. That begs the query of how seamless all of those rumored AI integrations, together with a partnership with Perplexity, will probably be. We’ll should see for ourselves when the telephones arrive for testing.

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 25 at 11:35 a.m. ET

We’re somewhat greater than an hour away from Unpacked, and business analyst Ice Universe is beginning to drip-feed doable info relating to the brand new S26 fashions. Their newest put up hints at sooner charging, with the S26 (seemingly the Extremely) with the ability to go from 1% to 80% in simply half-hour. 

That is a step sooner than the S25 Extremely’s 45W score, and compares nicely with the OnePlus 15, which presently leads the US market in charging pace. Notably, Ice Universe’s put up begins at 1% cost moderately than 0%, so anticipate the telephone to take longer to prime up if the battery is totally lifeless.

By Nina Raemont, Wearables and Well being Editor / Feb. 25 at 10:42 a.m. ET

Will Samsung’s new telephones be as fairly and pink as Nothing’s Telephone 4a? Forward of Nothing’s March 5 telephone launch, it unveiled a pastel pink colorway that I am unable to assist however be completely obsessive about.

It would not appear to be Samsung’s S26 lineup will embody such a colour, however rumors counsel we will anticipate Black, White, Cobalt Violet, and Sky Blue for the S26, and Silver Shadow and Pink Gold as S26 Extremely on-line unique colours.

By Nina Raemont, Wearables and Well being Editor / Feb. 25 at 9:45 a.m. ET

Considering of buying a Galaxy S26 right this moment? Listed below are some ideas and reminders to avoid wasting probably the most cash once you do.

1. Register on Samsung’s reservation web page to obtain a $30 accent credit score used at checkout. It additionally robotically enters you into Samsung’s $5,000 sweepstakes.
2. Test a number of retailers, since preorder credit range by retailer. For the primary time, Finest Purchase and AT&T are becoming a member of in on the preorder enjoyable. Proper now, by means of 1 p.m. ET, Finest Purchase is providing a good higher trade-in deal than Samsung’s. Its worth is as much as $1,100 ($200 greater than Samsung’s), and it comes with a free improve to bigger inner storage.
3. Make a Samsung account along with your work or college electronic mail, as the corporate affords reductions to college students and a few workplace staff.
4. Use websites like Rakuten for reductions or cashback throughout the occasion.

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m. ET

Whereas I am deeply invested within the new Privateness Show function on the Galaxy S26, a part of me needs Samsung would go the additional mile and at last combine magnets into the backs of its telephones for enhanced charging and accent help. Apple’s been a champion of that with MagSafe through the years, and Google only recently adopted go well with with the Pixel 10 sequence.

Here is to hoping Samsung affords one thing related. It is by no means too late.

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 25 at 8:20 a.m. ET

It is not loopy Galaxy AI options, or a tri-foldable telephone, however South Korean boy band member, Suga of BTS, who is predicted to make a visitor look at Unpacked later right this moment — and probably carry out a music or two.

That is each becoming for Samsung as BTS as been a model ambassador for years now, and goes hand-in-hand with the rumored launch of latest wi-fi earbuds.

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 24 at 8:40 p.m. ET

I am most likely spending an unhealthy period of time excited about this query, simply to be let down when the time comes, but it surely makes a lot sense for Samsung to simply exchange the Galaxy S Plus mannequin with the Edge as an alternative. They’re each comparatively the identical measurement, and it could make the center youngster of the preferred Galaxy telephone sequence greater than only a “cheaper Extremely.”

And if the worth enhance this 12 months is true, due partly to rising reminiscence prices, then the Plus mannequin could also be virtually too costly to contemplate now. Customers will seemingly select between the most affordable S26 and the S26 Extremely.

By Nina Raemont, Wearables and Well being Editor / Feb. 24 at 5:43 p.m. ET

Whereas the S26 lineup will seize probably the most consideration on Wednesday (and is probably the most anticipated product to be unveiled), I am keeping track of potential bulletins for Samsung’s sensible glasses, a second-gen Galaxy Ring, and every other wildcard merchandise Samsung has saved underneath wraps.

By Nina Raemont, Wearables and Well being Editor / Feb. 24 at 4:17 p.m. ET

Leaked pictures of what often is the Samsung Buds Professional 4 reveal a very new design, not like the third-generation Professional that we examined two years in the past. 

Like Apple’s AirPods Professional 3, the brand new Samsung Galaxy Buds Professional 4 will help head gestures, equivalent to shaking to say no calls or messages and nodding to just accept. As somebody who makes use of the AirPods Professional 3’s head-shaking gesture continually, this can be a welcome, hands-free addition for Samsung customers.

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 24 at 4:02 p.m. ET

Whereas my preliminary plan was to fly to San Francisco for the massive occasion this week, the northeastern snowstorm has cancelled and delayed so many flights that I am not even positive if I will be capable of take off for Cell World Congress in a number of extra days. I am speaking snow as excessive as two Galaxy S25 Ultras.

That stated, a number of ZDNET contributors, together with Prakhar Khanna and Adam Doud, will probably be in attendance at Samsung Unpacked, whereas the remainder of us will probably be masking the occasion remotely.

By Nina Raemont, Wearables and Well being Editor / Feb. 24 at 3:50 p.m. ET

Leaked benchmark scores counsel the Galaxy S26 is thrashing its iOS rival for the primary time. If Geekbench’s leaked outcomes are true, the Galaxy S26 Extremely is 17% extra highly effective than the iPhone 17 Professional sequence, with a single-core rating of three,852 and a multicore rating of 11,738. 

We’ll have to attend and get our palms on the Extremely telephone to seek out out if the efficiency hole actually is true.

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 24 at 3:40 p.m. ET

It is turn out to be an Unpacked custom now for Samsung to supply a “reservation to preorder” low cost to prospects. This 12 months, you successfully get a $30 off coupon by pledging your curiosity in preordering one of many units introduced at Unpacked, with no obligation to truly make the acquisition.

That is lower than the $50 provide that Samsung gave final 12 months, however nonetheless a freebie for anybody who finally ends up investing within the newest Galaxy units. Samsung says it’s going to additionally provide as much as $900 in trade-in credit this 12 months, relying on what telephone mannequin you flip in. The very best worth sometimes goes to newer Samsung telephones, just like the S25 Extremely.