Samsung has officially confirmed the next Galaxy Unpacked launch event and, with it, revealed the Galaxy S26 price rise, pre-order date and release date.
The event, as rumoured, will take place on 25 February in San Francisco, but Samsung gave us much more detail than just the usual teaser video for the event.
While there are a few titbits we can glean, the most significant is the feared price rise. However, the Unpacked page on Samsung’s official site offers various perks if you pre-register for the new Galaxy phone.
Price rise
As is traditional, you can get a higher storage capacity for the price of the one below if you pre-order – in this case, 512GB for the price of 256GB. However, Samsung has said this will save you £170 in 2026.
We think this will apply to the Galaxy S26 Ultra and, taking the Galaxy S25 Ultra as an example, the price difference between those storage sizes is only £100, effectively confirming price rises.
Oddly, this offer isn’t shown on the US pre-registration page, though the price rise is likely to be similar there, with a shortage of memory in the industry pushing prices up.
Pre-order date
While Samsung never mentions the Galaxy S26 by name, instead using phrases such as “our new AI phone”, it’s inevitable that is what will be announced, along with the Galaxy Buds 4.
An FAQ starts with the question “When is Galaxy Unpacked and launch for the new Galaxy phones and Galaxy Buds?” and the press release for the teaser says “The new Galaxy S series is coming”.
The answer reveals the devices will be up for pre-order on the same day as the event, 25 February. Specifically at 6pm UK time, which is when the Unpacked event starts.
Samsung
Samsung also says: “The new Galaxy smartphones are the next generation of our high-performing S Series smartphones, with hardware innovation and optimised software to be our most impressive smartphones yet.”
Elsewhere it says “a new phase in the era of AI as intelligence becomes truly personal and adaptive”.
Release date
Registration deals on both sites offer a £30/$30 discount on the Samsung ecosystem if you pre-order and the chance to win a voucher worth £500 or $5,000.
There could also be a release date hidden in the small print, too, with these deals available until 10 March. The tipped date for the phones going on sale is 11 March, so this would stack up nicely.