9 things we learned from Samsung’s big Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event — from the S26 Ultra to the Buds4 Pro

Three new phones, two new earbuds, and a generous helping of Galaxy AI features

25 Feb 2026, 20:52 · TechRadar

News By Jacob Krol Contributions from Roland Moore-Colyer, Lance Ulanoff, Becky Scarrott published 25 February 2026

(Image credit: Future)

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Just like that, Samsung’s first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026 is over and done – and the first big smartphone launch of the year was a pretty substantial one for the classic candy-bar Galaxy S lineup. In fact, it's arguably now 'advantage, Samsung' in its great battle with Apple and Google.

As rumors and reports had predicted, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26. The star, as many guessed, was the S26 Ultra, featuring a new and unique Privacy Display that can intelligently block sections of — or the entire — display from off-angle viewing. I have a feeling this will make folks with an iPhone, and really any other phone, pretty jealous.

There’s a new Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, specially designed for Galaxy devices across the board, promising fast, snappy performance and plenty of runway for complex AI tasks. Galaxy AI was a big topic, with Samsung taking a broad approach as it continues partnering with Google for many features – for example, Circle to Search and new Gemini integrations – while also working more closely with Perplexity.

So, to catch you up on all the major news from Samsung’s February 25, 2026, Galaxy Unpacked, here are the top headlines from the event.

1. Samsung’s Privacy Display is very neat, but exclusive to the S26 Ultra

(Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)

Sure, you can add a privacy screen protector from the likes of Zagg, Belkin, or OtterBox to almost any popular smartphone, but Samsung has essentially eliminated the need for the accessory on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Baked into the AMOLED display is a new way to block off-angle viewing down to the individual pixel, effectively acting like an on-demand privacy screen when you need it — whether for the entire display or specific areas.

You can also set it to activate automatically for certain apps, like banking or messaging. What I really like, though, is how useful it is when you’re tightly packed on a train or in an elevator — you can get your privacy back in a really simple way.

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