Samsung Galaxy S26 rumored to be unveiled on February 25 in San Francisco
The company is expected to announce three new phones at the event
📱 Samsung is reportedly announcing the Galaxy S26 on February 25
🎪 The company’s event for the device is said to be hosted in San Francisco, the “center of AI technology”
📅 This comes after a report indicated Samsung would be releasing the S26 series later than usual
3️⃣ We’re expecting three different S26 models: the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra
Samsung is said to be releasing the Galaxy S26 series later than previous Galaxy S devices, and a new report is shedding light on the exact date we can expect to see the phones for the first time.
Samsung will announce the S26 on February 25, according to Korean media outlet Money Today. The launch will take place in San Francisco, the “center of AI technology” as Samsung reportedly sees it, in order to help emphasize the AI features on its next generation of phones. The lineup will reportedly consist of the regular Galaxy S26, the S26 Plus, and the higher-end Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The launch strategy for Samsung’s S26 series has been all over the place, according to rumors. The company was initially expected to announce the Galaxy S26 “Pro” with a similar design to the S25, the Galaxy S26 Edge with better cameras and a bigger battery, and the S26 Ultra. However, at some point in development (and likely due to disappointing S25 Edge sales), the company seemingly shifted gears and went for a more traditional route with a normal S26, a Plus model, and an Ultra.
That’s likely the reason why February 25 is the rumored launch date. Samsung has been releasing Galaxy S phones in the second week of January for years now, after previously using February as the launch window for its flagship phones. Whether the company sticks with February moving forward is unclear, but at least for the S26 series, don’t expect any major announcements in January.
Samsung has hosted events in San Francisco before, but this time, it seems to intentionally have chosen the city for the sheer amount of AI development that happens there. The company will reportedly take advantage of that fact to emphasize the AI features on its new phones, although it’s unclear how big a deal any of them will be. One UI’s AI pales in comparison to what you’ll find directly from Google Gemini, but perhaps that will change when the S26 comes to town.
We’ll be tracking more Galaxy S26 rumors as they emerge leading up to the rumored launch date.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.