When does the Samsung Galaxy S26 launch?

Samsung Galaxy S26 Unpacked launch event

We're still quite early, so there's no official word yet on when Samsung will hold Galaxy Unpacked for the Galaxy S26 series. And while it's easy to guess when the launch might occur, reports indicate that Samsung may change its launch schedule for 2026.

The Galaxy S25 launch took place on January 22, 2025, in San Jose, CA. The Galaxy S24 launch occurred the previous year, roughly one week prior on January 17, 2024. Given this trend, we initially expected the Galaxy S26 to be revealed sometime in the latter half of January. Since the last launches occurred on Wednesdays, it seemed like a safe bet to expect the official reveal on January 21, 2026.

That said, recent rumors suggest that Samsung is pushing the Galaxy S26 launch to happen as late as March 2026. This would be much later than in previous years, and it's unclear why this change would be made, though it could be related to conflicting reports about the upcoming lineup.

Samsung Galaxy S26 release date

The Galaxy S26 release date is likely to occur weeks after the phones are revealed. This gives consumers time to preorder the phones and any accessories they may want, while providing Samsung with invaluable preliminary data on which devices are more popular and may require increased production, as well as those that may not.

For example, the Galaxy S25 was released on February 7, 2025, just over two weeks after the official announcement. Therefore, we can expect a similar timeline for the Galaxy S26, though shifted to align with the rumored March launch. Either way, we expect the phone to hit store shelves by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Samsung Galaxy S26 preorder deals

Ahead of the Galaxy S26 Unpacked launch event, Samsung will likely open reservations for its upcoming devices. Anyone interested can simply sign up to reserve a device, and doing so will provide them with a discount when preorders open.

There's no commitment to reserving a Galaxy S26, so you're not obligated to preorder the device. However, it's always more beneficial to do so in case you want to buy it and receive a credit that you can put towards the phone or accessories.

Samsung and participating carriers will likely offer additional preorder deals after the phone launches, such as a free storage upgrade or accessory bundles. Some of these offers may require trade-ins, new lines of service, or other prerequisites; however, we'll be sure to highlight the best Galaxy S26 preorder deals when they become available.