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We’re counting down the hours until Samsung’s first Unpacked event of the year kicks off, and rounding up all the latest news, before, during, and after the keynote for you here.
What’s expected at Unpacked tomorrow? A new lineup of Galaxy S26 models, refreshed earbuds, and possibly a sneak peek of other gadgets and initiatives Samsung has planned for later this year.
Also: How to watch Samsung Unpacked 2026 tomorrow – and what to expect
ZDNET will be reporting from the ground in San Francisco — and remotely, around the clock — to get you the latest information on Samsung Unpacked 2026. Stay tuned for the latest updates.
How to watch Samsung Unpacked 2026
The event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25, at 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. EST. It will take place in San Francisco, California, where members of the media, industry analysts, and other guests have been invited for a live keynote presentation.
For those tuning in virtually, Samsung will livestream the event through Samsung Newsroom, Samsung.com, or Samsung’s YouTube channel, with on-demand replays available afterward.
Every product we’re expecting at Samsung Unpacked 2026
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Early rumors suggest that the S26 Ultra will feature a new Privacy Display this year, which applies a block-out tint when viewed at an angle, preventing strangers from snooping on you. Samsung may also give the S26 Ultra a charging speed bump, from 45W to 60W. Here’s to hoping the cameras get a meaningful improvement, too.
Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus: The most notable change in this year’s S-series models will be display sizes, with both phones expected to feature larger panels with thinner bezels. They’ll also be powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, like the Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro: Samsung’s premier earbuds will come in two forms: a non-Pro model without cushioned eartips and a Pro model with them. Other rumored changes include support for ultra-wideband, 24-bit Bluetooth audio recording, and some intuitive gesture controls.
OneUI 8.5: While this won’t be as big a software update as OneUI 8.0, the latest version should bring several refinements to the Galaxy phone experience, including how you interact with Bixby, receive notifications and alerts, and more.
Latest updates (refresh for changes)
Nina Raemont, Wearables and Health Editor / Feb. 24 at 4:17 p.m. ET
Leaked images of what may be the Samsung Buds Pro 4 reveal a completely new design, unlike the third-generation Pro that we tested two years ago.
Like Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, the new Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 4 will support head gestures, such as shaking to decline calls or messages and nodding to accept. As someone who uses the AirPods Pro 3’s head-shaking gesture constantly, this is a welcome, hands-free addition for Samsung users.
By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 24 at 4:02 p.m. ET
While my initial plan was to fly to San Francisco for the big event this week, the northeastern snowstorm has cancelled and delayed so many flights that I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to take off for Mobile World Congress in a few more days. I’m talking snow as high as two Galaxy S25 Ultras.
That said, several ZDNET contributors, including Prakhar Khanna and Adam Doud, will be in attendance at Samsung Unpacked, while the rest of us will be covering the event remotely.
Nina Raemont, Wearables and Health Editor / Feb. 24 at 3:50 p.m. ET
Leaked benchmark scores suggest the Galaxy S26 is beating its iOS rival for the first time. If Geekbench’s leaked results are true, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is 17% more powerful than the iPhone 17 Pro series, with a single-core score of 3,852 and a multicore score of 11,738.
We’ll have to wait and get our hands on the Ultra phone to find out if the performance gap really is true.
By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 24 at 3:40 p.m. ET
It’s become an Unpacked tradition now for Samsung to offer a “reservation to preorder” discount to interested customers. This year, you effectively get a $30 off coupon by pledging your interest in preordering one of the devices announced at Unpacked, with no obligation to actually make the purchase.
Also: Samsung unveils Galaxy S26 Ultra deal for $900 off ahead of Unpacked 2026 – how it works
That’s less than the $50 offer that Samsung gave last year, but still a freebie for anyone who ends up investing in the latest Galaxy devices. Samsung says it’ll also offer up to $900 in trade-in credits this year, depending on what phone model you turn in. The highest value typically goes to more recent Samsung phones, like the S25 Ultra.
