Samsung Galaxy S26 to launch tomorrow at Unpacked 2026: How to watch live and what to expect

The wait is almost over. In just a few hours, Samsung will lift the curtain on the Galaxy S26 series at its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event in San Francisco. Scheduled for 10AM PT (11:30 PM IST) on Wednesday, the launch is expected to bring us the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra, succeeding last year’s Galaxy S25 lineup.

With Apple already setting a tough benchmark through its iPhone 17 series, Samsung will need to show that it can still out-innovate the competition in both hardware and AI.

Unpacked 2026: How to watch livestream

The Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event starts at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) and will stream live on Samsung’s official YouTube channel.

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Samsung fans can also tune into the company's official social media handles to keep up with the updates.

This year’s launch also lands strategically just a week before Mobile World Congress, ensuring Samsung gets the spotlight before other Android makers announce their premium devices. While the company might be fashionably late with its first major reveal of the year, it’s early enough to set the tone for the months ahead.

Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup: What to expect

Samsung is expected to unveil three main models, the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra, continuing its familiar formula but with some meaningful refinements.

Galaxy S26: Despite earlier rumours suggesting Samsung might drop the base model for a “Pro” edition, leaks indicate the standard S26 is here to stay.

It’s expected to sport a 6.3-inch display, slightly larger than its predecessor, along with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor in the US and China and 12GB of RAM. The phone could see the return of a raised camera bump, housing an upgraded 50MP ultrawide sensor, and it’ll pack a 4,300mAh battery.

Galaxy S26 Plus: The middle child of the trio could feature a 6.7-inch screen and share the same processor and camera setup as the base model. Samsung was reportedly considering replacing it with a sleeker S26 Edge, but sluggish sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge have seemingly pushed that idea aside.

The S26 Plus is said to measure 7.35mm thick, maintaining a slim but premium feel.

Galaxy S26 Ultra: The flagship of the family is expected to deliver the biggest leap forward. Leaks suggest it will be powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and feature up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

A 5,000mAh battery, 60W wired, and 25W wireless charging round out its power specs. Interestingly, the Ultra may return to an aluminium frame, a move reminiscent of Apple’s shift with the iPhone 17 Pro, after using titanium in previous models.

Across all three phones, generative AI will likely take centre stage. Samsung needs to make its AI features feel essential, not gimmicky, especially with rivals like Google and Apple weaving artificial intelligence deeply into their user experiences.

Is there more to the event: Galaxy Buds 4 and AI features

Phones won’t be the only stars of the show. Samsung is also tipped to unveil the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, sporting a new design language. Images leaked by Android Authority reveal a sleeker look with metallic accents along the stems, giving them a more refined aesthetic compared to the all-plastic Galaxy Buds 3.

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro (Credit: Android Authority)

The Buds 4 will retain a simple build, while the Pro models will feature silicone eartips for better isolation and fit.

The company is also expected to showcase AI-driven enhancements that go beyond the camera and assistant. Among the standout features could be a new privacy shield, powered by AI, that automatically blurs sections of your display when viewed from an angle, keeping your notifications and apps safe from prying eyes.

Samsung’s AI ambitions don’t stop there. A partnership with Nota AI, revealed late last year, will bring EdgeFusion, a version of Stable Diffusion, directly to Galaxy devices. This move aims to speed up on-device generative AI such as text-to-image rendering, reducing reliance on cloud processing. It’s another step toward Samsung’s vision of fully localised AI performance, where speed and privacy go hand in hand.

Samsung is under pressure to prove that the Galaxy S26 series isn’t just an incremental upgrade. With soaring competition, economic headwinds, and AI now shaping the smartphone narrative, this launch will test whether the company can redefine “premium” in a world that demands both innovation and value.