(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Samsung has scheduled its first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026 for Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. ET in San Francisco, CA. We’ll be covering it live on-site, and you can livestream the event on Samsung.com and Samsung’s YouTube channel. As in previous years, details leak ahead of time and sometimes spoil the surprise. But we’re not here to verify rumors. Instead, this is what we want to see from Samsung this year.
1. True Galaxy S26 Parity—No More Feature Tiers
The Galaxy S series often shares the bulk of its hardware and software features across a trio of phones. It does not matter whether you buy the S, S+, or S Ultra; you get a fast processor, great cameras, a bright screen, and Galaxy AI. However, minor differences set them apart. For example, the S and S+ have fewer cameras, while the S Ultra has more. Although we like that Samsung keeps the experience mostly the same from phone to phone, we'd like to see features like the camera balance out a bit better, with the size and price, more than core features, differentiating the lineup.
2. A Camera Leap, Not Just a Spec Bump
The Galaxy S series takes beautiful photos—some of the best from a phone—but it’s been a while since we’ve seen a significant jump in camera hardware and performance. Apple upgraded the iPhone 17’s front-facing camera so it can take portrait and horizontal photos regardless of how you hold it. That’s a minor change, but it has a big impact.
Perhaps Samsung can make a similar change. For example, it could add a variable-aperture main camera to make the Ultra seem like a step up, or improve the optical zoom. Whatever path Samsung chooses, a dramatic change would be welcome.
3. Bring Back Truly Secure Face Unlock
iPhone and Pixel owners have enjoyed secure facial recognition for years. Samsung previously supported iris scanning, but later dropped the feature. Yes, its phones offer face unlock, but it is not secure enough for sensitive use cases such as authenticating financial apps.
Although the S25’s fingerprint sensor works well, adding a Face ID-style recognition feature would bring the S26 in line with its biggest competitors.
4. Future-Proof the Specs: More RAM, More Storage
The Galaxy S offers excellent performance generation after generation. However, Samsung has not aggressively updated key specs such as RAM and storage for some time. The Galaxy S25 line offers 12GB of RAM across all three models. We want to see a 16GB option. Competing phones pack up to double Samsung's current limit.
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RedMagic, for example, offers up to 24GB of RAM in its liquid-cooled gaming phone, the RedMagic 11 Pro. You’ll never hear, “That device has too much RAM and too much storage” in the PCMag offices. With Samsung’s seven-year upgrade commitment, its phones are used longer. The more RAM, the better for long-term use. The same goes for storage.
5. Do Something Bold With the Design
Samsung used to be more adventurous. It removed the microSD card and the user-replaceable battery from the Galaxy S6 and brought them back in the Galaxy S7 after backlash. The Galaxy S6 Edge featured a curved screen. Much more recently, the Ultra turned into a Galaxy Note replacement, complete with a removable S Pen.
To quote Michael Keaton from the 1989 classic, Batman, “Let’s get nuts!” Ditch the current Galaxy S+ form factor and rebadge the ultra-thin Galaxy Edge as the S26+. Or, add modularity like the old Moto Z, add magnets like the Pixel 10, or offer a super-sleek phone that's strong enough not to need a case. In short, it would be a breath of fresh air if Samsung did something truly unique (besides a TriFold phone).
6. Polish the Details That Matter
A few other things would also make the S26 line more compelling. Faster on-device AI features would definitely set the devices apart from the competition. Samsung should also formally clarify which Galaxy AI features will remain free and which will (eventually) require payment. It's been mum on the subject, so far.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s anti-reflective screen coating makes it much easier to use outdoors than other phones. Get this everywhere. What good is a screen if you can’t see it? The Galaxy S and S+ deserve the coating, too.
Lastly (and most selfishly?) keep and expand S Pen support. Samsung’s tablet S Pens are much more comfortable than the Ultra’s flat, golf-pencil-sized stylus. Why not support more S Pens?
We’ll be covering the announcement on Feb. 25, so check back soon for all the Galaxy Unpacked news and more.