Everything Samsung announced at the Galaxy S26 launch event

Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2026: S26 Series, Buds 4, and AI Take Center Stage

San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts was transformed into a tech spectacle on February 25 as Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 lineup. The South Korean tech giant pulled out all the stops, revealing three new flagship smartphones, a refreshed pair of earbuds, and an array of AI-powered features that promise to redefine the mobile experience.

The Galaxy S26 Series: Familiar Names, Fresh Designs

Samsung’s flagship lineup returns with the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. This year, the company opted for continuity in naming while dramatically refining the physical design. The most notable change? All three models now share a rounder, more cohesive aesthetic that finally brings the Ultra in line with its siblings. Gone is the boxy, aggressive look that made the Ultra feel like a different product line entirely.

“The design evolution is subtle but significant,” notes tech analyst Maria Chen. “You can tell they’re aiming for a more unified family look across the entire S series.”

The ergonomic improvements are immediately noticeable. The phones feel more comfortable in hand and less conspicuous in pockets. Under the hood, all three models run on a slightly overclocked version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, specifically the “For Galaxy” variant that Samsung has customized for enhanced performance.

Storage upgrades come as welcome news: Samsung has eliminated the 128GB base model entirely, with all S26 variants now starting at 256GB. However, this improvement comes with a caveat—both the S26 and S26+ have seen price increases of $100 compared to their predecessors.

S26 Ultra: Privacy Screen Steals the Show

The Ultra model’s standout feature is undoubtedly its Privacy Display, which Samsung has been developing for years. This innovative technology darkens the screen from side angles and automatically blurs sensitive notifications when the phone detects someone nearby attempting to peek at your content.

“It’s one of those features that makes you wonder why it took so long to become mainstream,” says privacy advocate James Rodriguez. “In an age where screen snooping is rampant, this is genuinely useful technology.”

The camera system receives incremental improvements, with wider apertures on both the 200MP main sensor and the 5x telephoto lens. However, Samsung has curiously left the front-facing camera unchanged at 12MP—a decision that has raised eyebrows among photography enthusiasts.

Third-Generation Galaxy AI: Smarter Than Ever

Samsung’s AI ecosystem gets a significant upgrade with “Now Brief,” offering personalized morning snapshots that include weather updates, calendar events, and reminders before you even unlock your device. “Now Nudge” takes contextual awareness further by surfacing relevant actions based on whatever content is currently displayed on your screen.

Google’s integration brings additional AI firepower to the table. Gemini-powered Scam Detection now handles spam calls entirely in the background, while Circle to Search has evolved to identify multiple objects simultaneously—perfect for shopping scenarios where you want to analyze an entire outfit rather than a single item.

Galaxy Buds 4: Two Models, One Goal

Samsung unveiled two new earbud models: the standard Buds 4 and the premium Buds 4 Pro. The Pro variant delivers the full experience with adaptive active noise cancellation, enhanced spatial audio, and improved call clarity. The standard Buds 4 offer a more accessible entry point while maintaining core Galaxy AI features.

Pre-orders for all S26 models and the Buds 4 series are now open, with official availability beginning next month.

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“Privacy Display on the S26 Ultra is the innovation I didn’t know I needed”

“Samsung finally unified the S series design language”

“Starting at 256GB is the storage upgrade we’ve been waiting for”

“$100 price hike hurts, but the features might justify it”

“Now Brief is like having a personal assistant before breakfast”

“Circle to Search for multiple objects is a game-changer for shopping”

“Galaxy AI keeps getting smarter, but is it too much?”

“Buds 4 Pro vs standard Buds 4: which one’s right for you?”

“Samsung’s ‘For Galaxy’ processor tuning shows they’re not playing around”

“The Ultra’s camera upgrades are nice, but that selfie cam… really?”,