Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Release Date: New Leaks Brings Disappointment

For the last few years, Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked events have been tentpole launches in the smartphone calendar. As well as its flagship Galaxy S handsets, it has seen the reveal of peripherals such as the Galaxy Ring, the fashionably thin Galaxy S25 Edge and the dominant Galaxy AI platform. While 2026's Unpacked event is expected to launch the Galaxy S26 Ultra, those looking for a quick update may be disappointed.

Galaxy Unpacked And The Galaxy S26 Ultra

Citing "Samsung officials,” South Korea’s MoneyToday reports on the date and location of the next Galaxy Unpacked event — Wednesday, 25 Feb, in San Francisco.

The date is almost a month later than Galaxy Unpacked events in previous years — Galaxy Unpacked 2025 took place on Jan 22, and Galaxy Unpacked 2024 on Jan 17.

This ties in with previous reports on a delay to the Galaxy S26 family. With the current trends of smartphone launches being quickly followed by retail releases, it’s unlikely that the South Korean company would consider an early launch. That would result in a wait of nearly a month for the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra to reach stores.

It's worth noting that this later release date, if confirmed, would still be ahead of the annual Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona. This is one of the biggest events in the smartphone calendar, with numerous manufacturers releasing new hardware, promoting updated services, and seeking to establish new partnerships. It starts on March 2 and will run for four days.

With a Feb 25 launch, Samsung would still be able to set the tone of MWC and have these new products and services drawn into a direct comparison with the Galaxy ecosystem.

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Galaxy UI And The Galaxy S26 Ultra

The choice of San Francisco as the launch city speaks to one of the key advances that Samsung aims to make. San Francisco is regarded as one of the incubators of artificial intelligence, with its rapid growth in flexibility, functionality, and use cases. The company has been a strong proponent of this technology through Samsung's Galaxy AI platform.

At previous events, Samsung has welcomed Google to the stage as a partner while introducing new AI services. It would not surprise me to see Samsung welcome several Silicon Valley-based CEOs to the Galaxy stage as they introduce new partnerships and services that will be exclusive to Samsung’s smartphones.

Which Phones Will Join The Galaxy S26 Ultra?

The advances in artificial intelligence will likely be the key storyline for the next Galaxy Unpacked event. While many have been expecting Samsung to shake up its portfolio with new models and targeting, recent sales figures suggest that the Galaxy S25 Edge will remain a “one-off” design. Meanwhile, the rumored Galaxy S26 Pro looks to be sitting in the space taken by the Galaxy S25.

From a portfolio that initially looked like the S26 Pro, S26 Edge, and S26 Ultra, the family is reverting a tried and true formula of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra.