Samsung Electronics is set to host its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event on February 25 in San Francisco.
The event will showcase the next-generation flagship Galaxy S26 series smartphones and new Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy Buds 4.
Samsung Electronics’ invitation teases, The Next AI Phone Makes Your Life Easier, hinting at enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in the new products.
After a two-year hiatus, Samsung Electronics’ in-house application processor (AP), the Exynos 2600, returns to the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus models.
The Exynos 2600, manufactured using Samsung Foundry’s cutting-edge 2-nanometer Gate-All-Around (GAA) process, will power both the standard Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Plus (+). The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, will feature Qualcomm Incorporated’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip.
Early benchmarks suggest the Exynos 2600 is a strong contender, outperforming rivals in AI computation and graphics processing.
In the MLPerf Inference Mobile v5.0 test, which evaluates AI and machine learning model processing speeds, the Exynos 2600 edged out Snapdragon chips in three key areas: Classification, Detection, and Language processing.
Geekbench graphic processing unit (GPU) tests also showed the Exynos 2600 delivering more consistent and stable performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Galaxy S26 Ultra Boasts Significant Upgrades, Including a Novel Privacy Display That Limits Visibility to Front-On Viewing
This innovative feature uses built-in display technology to adjust viewing angles without additional screen protectors.
The Ultra model also leaps forward in charging capabilities, supporting 60W fast charging – the fastest ever in a Galaxy smartphone – while maintaining its predecessor’s 5000mAh battery capacity.
Camera enhancements include a redesigned rear camera bump housing a quad-camera system: a 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 200-megapixel main wide-angle camera, a 50-megapixel telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 10-megapixel telephoto offering 3x optical zoom.
While the camera sensors remain unchanged, the main camera’s aperture has reportedly been widened from F1.7 to F1.4 for improved low-light performance.
Galaxy S26 Series to Feature Significantly Enhanced AI Capabilities
Samsung Electronics plans to introduce a new AI assistant called Perplexity, complementing Google’s Gemini AI already integrated into Galaxy devices.
Perplexity will work in tandem with Samsung Electronics’ Bixby, allowing users to perform tasks in apps like Samsung Notes, Gallery, and Reminders using voice commands without opening the apps.
It will also offer seamless information retrieval through real-time web searches when users pose questions to Bixby during conversations.
Unveil the Galaxy Buds 4 Lineup, Featuring Both Design and AI Enhancements
The new earbuds will sport a redesigned look, ditching the previous blade light light-emitting diode (LED)and adopting a flatter stem shape. They’ll be slightly more compact than their predecessors, with a case reverting to a square design reminiscent of earlier models.
AI capabilities will see significant improvements, including a more intuitive real-time translation feature. Users can now activate translations by simply holding both earbuds, eliminating the need to access their phone – a step up from the previous model that required an active translation app.
Galaxy S26 Series Expected First Price Hike, Reflecting Global Impact of Chipflation
Current reports suggest the 256GB models will be priced at approximately 1,254,000 KRW (about 868 USD) for the Galaxy S26, 1,452,000 KRW (about 1,005 USD) for the S26+, and 1,797,400 KRW (about 1,244 USD) for the S26 Ultra. This represents increases of about 99,000 KRW (about 69 USD) for the S26 and S26+, and 98,600 KRW (about 68 USD) for the Ultra model compared to their predecessors.
The 512GB variants will see even steeper increases. The Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB is set to retail at 2,050,400 KRW (about 1,420 USD), while the S26 and S26+ 512GB models will cost 1,507,000 KRW (about 1,043 USD) and 1,705,000 KRW (about 1,180 USD), respectively. These prices reflect a uniform 209,000 KRW (about 145 USD) increase over previous models.
Color options will include black, white, sky blue, and cobalt violet, with exclusive Silver Shadow and Pink Gold variants available only through Samsung.com.
In contrast, the Galaxy Buds 4 series is expected to maintain its pricing, with the standard model at 169,000 KRW (about 117 USD) and the Pro version at 259,000 KRW (about 179 USD), mirroring their predecessors’ price points.