Get ready for 'The First Look' hosted by Samsung for its 2026 mobile, AI outlook

What you need to know

• Samsung announces that it will host "The First Look," an event where it plans to reveal its 2026 plans for its Device eXperience and AI for consumers.
• The event's keynote speaker will be its CEO and head of its mobile device eXperience, TM Roh.
• The First Look is set for January 4, 2026 at 7 PM PST (10 PM EST).

The holidays are upon us, but Samsung is already looking beyond that, as it starts inviting consumers to tune into its next big event appearance.

Announced today (Dec 4) via a Newsroom post, Samsung invites consumers to tune into its next event just before CES 2026: "The First Look." The company will have its CEO and Head of Device eXperience Division, TM Roh, as the keynote speaker. Flanking Roh will be the president and head of the visual display business, SW Yong, and the executive vice president and head of digital appliances, Cheolgi Kim.

Samsung's keeping The First Look's event details pretty brief (and, albeit, a little vague). All that's been stated is that we're to get an early look at its 2026 vision for its Device eXperience division, as well as "new AI-driven customer experiences."

The First Look will be held on January 4, 2026 at 7 PM PST (10 PM EST) at the Latour Ballroom at the Wynn Las Vegas luxury hotel. Samsung adds that its event will be held two days before CES 2026 is set to begin, serving as a little prelude to the festivities for what's new and coming in tech.

Those interested can tune into the event through its YouTube channel or via Samsung Newsroom directly. Additionally, Samsung TV Plus will also have the event live-streamed.

What are we to expect?

[The First Look 2026] Official Invitation | Samsung - YouTube

Watch On

It's anyone's guess as to what Samsung might have cooking up for The First Look. We have some guesses, such as the company's recent teaser for the Exynos 2600 chip. The short 30-second video hyped up the chip as a "refined" piece of hardware that boasts "optimizations" from top to bottom. Samsung, at the top of the clip, states that it listened to user grievances "in silence." Potentially, this means it's attempted to take strides toward improving performance issues, which often fall under the competition.

That teaser notably lacked hard numbers, but there are rumors about the chip. Some claim Samsung is improving the next-gen Exynos chip so greatly that it would be thrust into the limelight with Qualcomm and Apple. However, others claim that there are worries about its true power when placed in a phone.

Maybe we'll see something about the Galaxy S26 series, but then again, maybe we won't. The series is rumored to have a February release, so Samsung might hold off and make us wait another month. AI is a big thing for Samsung, and it'll continue to be, given the tease for The First Look. Galaxy AI and Bixby are some potential aspects to keep our eyes on moving forward, or perhaps, there's something entirely new on the horizon.