Samsung’s next flagship phone lineup is on the clock. Industry sources confirmed that Samsung has set February 25 as the date for its early-2026 Unpacked event, where it will launch the much-anticipated Galaxy S26 series. The company will reportedly hold the conference in San Francisco, USA.
While Samsung usually kicks off the year with Unpacked events in late January or early February, the brand shifted its schedule this time. The late February date gives the tech giant extra time, reportedly due to strategic adjustments in the product lineup for the S26 series.
The choice of San Francisco, the global hub of artificial intelligence technology, is no coincidence. Sources familiar with the company’s plans note that the city’s status makes it the ideal place for Samsung to unveil its new AI strategy to the world. The company intends to use the upcoming S26 lineup to showcase its latest developments in the “AI smartphone” category.
This focus on AI has influenced some hardware decisions. Reports indicate Samsung is moving forward with the classic three-model structure — the Base, Plus, and Ultra Galaxy variants — rather than adopting the previously rumored “Pro” or “Edge” models. The decision follows market analysis, particularly after the predecessor S25 Edge reportedly did not meet performance expectations.
The S26 series is expected to integrate new internal components to power all its AI features. Rumors suggest the devices, including the Ultra, will use Samsung’s next-generation Exynos 2600 in-house chip. However, this is likely to be available only in select markets. The remaining units — probably the majority — will boast the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. In any case, it would be the first time since the Galaxy S22 that the top-tier Ultra features an Exynos brain.
Although recent benchmarks left some doubts about its performance, updated results indicate that the Exynos 2600 will be a true powerhouse. Its Neural Processing Unit (NPU) performance for on-device AI functions would be particularly noteworthy. This will be essential for all the plans the brand is considering regarding Galaxy AI features.
