It’s that time of year again, ahead of MWC, where smartphone brands are making announcements left and right. Slightly ahead of the pack comes Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, which I was lucky enough to attend live and in person in San Francisco this year. 

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is where they reveal all there is to know about the latest devices, and this year it was the Samsung Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra smartphone line-up. 2026 has not brought many major changes to the lineup, but every phone in this series will be powered by the newest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which packs serious power.

This year, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series has made some slight changes to its design, mirroring a phone I loved last year, the Z Fold7. The camera bump on the S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra will see this design change, making it more prominent and highlighted. On the Galaxy S26 Ultra, two additional lenses are featured to the right, which aren’t present on the S26 or S26+. 

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series also features slightly more curved edges, and the S26 Ultra is 3mm thinner than the previous Galaxy S25 Ultra and four grams lighter. Samsung has stayed with very similar colours since last year’s Galaxy Unpacked, launching each phone in Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue and Black. There will be online exclusive colours, Silver Shadow and Pink Gold, across the lineup, along with the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro, which also come in Pink Gold.

Of course, I know you’re all eager to hear more about the internal components in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. I think a lot of people have been thinking (or hoping) that Samsung would be moving away from their 5000mAh battery that has been with the brand for years. I am here to report that, unfortunately, that is one miracle users will not be seeing from Samsung this year.

Though the S26 base model has seen a battery increase from 4000mAh to 4300, the S26+ remains unchanged from last year at 4900 mAh, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is still rocking that 5000 mAh battery. With that, though, comes some good news. The S26 Ultra has seen an upgrade to charging, now allowing for 60W Super Fast Charging 3.0 and 25W Fast Wireless Charging, up from 2025’s 45W and 15W.

As mentioned, the entire series is powered by the latest Snapdragon chip, which has already proven powerful in other devices since its launch. RAM and storage configurations remain mostly the same, with the base S26 and S26+ coming in 256GB or 512GB with 12GB of RAM (gone is the 128 GB option for the S26), and the S26 Ultra comes in 256GB/12GB, 512GB/12GB or 1TB/16GB. You can find a full list of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Series specifications below:

Samsung Galaxy S26 Smartphone Series Specs:

On first glance, it looks like Samsung didn’t do much with the cameras in the Galaxy S26 series, and though the MP look largely the same, the sensors have changed on the S26 Ultra. Last year saw a 200MP, f/1.7 wide lens, a 10MP, f/2.4 telephoto lens, a 50MP, f/3.4 periscope telephoto lens, and a 50MP, f/1.9 ultrawide lens. 2026 brings a 200MP, f/1.4 wide lens, a 50MP, f/1.9 ultrawide lens, a 50MP, f/2.9 periscope telephoto lens and the 10MP telephoto lens remains unchanged.

During a briefing, Samsung revealed that these new sensor sizes allow for 37% brighter photos with the telephoto lens and 47% brighter images with the 200MP wide lens. These sensor sizes support one of the new features Samsung is bringing this year: Nightography Video. Thanks to its wider aperture, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will capture more light in darker environments, resulting in brighter, clearer video. 

Samsung has also continued the push into AI image editing, taking their previous Sketch to Image feature a step further, allowing you to use text or voice commands to make changes to your photos. At a preview event before Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, I used my powers for good: I added cake to several photos and turned an S26 pink, and in practice, it was flawless. Samsung’s Photo Assist also sees an update with several new styles you can add to pictures, too.

Of course, AI is where every brand wants to focus its time, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 series is no different. Beyond just the photo capabilities mentioned above, 2026 is bringing a few updates to AI features we are already familiar with. Now Brief has received an update to allow fewer steps for users. Where you would have to create an event in the past for Now Brief to monitor, it can now pull that information, like reservations or a meeting, directly from your notifications.

Now, Nudge is a feature embedded in your keyboard, so apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, etc., can display prompts to streamline certain processes. For example, if someone suggests a meeting, it may prompt you to create an event, or if a friend asks you to find a photo from a specific event, your S26 will be able to find it for you instead of searching yourself.

Samsung is also rolling out new partnerships with third-party apps. Your AI Agent will be able to actually order an Uber for you. The device will recognize your location and where you need to go and take the steps to get you there. Right now, Uber is the only option, but they are hoping to move to more rideshare apps and even options like DoorDash or Uber Eats.

Ordering food isn’t an entirely out-there idea, either, as Circle to Search has made shopping for items you see online extremely easy already. This year’s update allows you to search for multiple items at once now, and you can even use a photo image to try the items on yourself.

One of the most interesting features coming to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the new Privacy Screen. Samsung boasts that this is the first of its kind in a smartphone. When turned on, the screen works much like a privacy screen protector you would buy separately, blocking visuals from the sides, top or bottom of your smartphone. There is also the option to toggle this feature on only under certain circumstances, like when text notifications pop up or when you open a specific app, like your banking. In practice, Privacy Screen is incredibly easy to use and works very well.

We will have a lot more to say once we go hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S26 series for an extended period, but for now, the hardware changes seem minimal. With rumours and hyper surounding the S26 series, I was expecting bigger surprises from the smartphone brand this year; however, Samsung consistantly makes solid devices, and has an extremely loyal following. The Samsung Galaxy S26 series will continue that trend, even if they aren’t making any major breakthroughs year over year.

Make sure to check out more of our Samsung coverage from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, including news about their latest laptops, earbuds and more.

At Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, the company revealed this year’s lineup, including the Samsung Buds4, Buds4 Pro and several Galaxy Book6 variants.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is where the company finally unveils the year’s newest devices. While smartphones are always a highlight, like last year’s S25 Edge, which was a surprise reveal, we also get a look at new products within the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem. This year, ahead of Unpacked, CGM got a look at the S26 series lineup, as well as the new Samsung Galaxy Buds4, Buds4 Pro and the entire Galaxy Book6 series.

Starting with the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 line, 2026 sees a complete redesign of the earbuds. VP of Technology and Head of Samsung MX Audio, Han-gil Moon, spoke to journalists at a roundtable ahead of Unpacked via a translator, and shared some of the reasons for this new redesign in response to a question from MobileSyrup’s Dean Daley: 

“There were several reasons behind changing the design. First, in order to provide a more enhanced and comfortable fit, and second, to provide better acoustics in a variety of environments, including outdoors, and even when it is windy around you.”

 Calling this their new “Premium Blade Design,” both models share the same sleek style, with the Buds4 Pro featuring silicone tips, whereas the Buds4 do not. Both pairs come in black or white, with the Galaxy Buds4 Pro also coming in an online-exclusive Pink Gold colourway.

The 2026 earbuds from Samsung feature a new 2-way speaker design, combining a woofer and dedicated tweeter. This means the buds are capable of producing both low and ultra-high frequencies at the same time, offering “real hi-fi audio”. The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro also features a wider woofer, which they boast will deliver ultimate hi-fi sound and maximize ANC capabilities.

Speaking on the 2-way speaker, when I asked Moon about features that were exclusive to the Samsung ecosystem, he had this to say, “There are some features that may not be available in non-Samsung devices, for example, 360 Audio. However, our Buds come with a new redesigned 2-way speaker architecture and also the call quality, which is enhanced and powered by AI, and these features run on-device. So the users of Samsung and non-Samsung devices can enjoy and appreciate the exceptional sound quality from our Buds.”

One of the more exciting features of the Galaxy Buds4 series is Adaptive Hearing and Adaptive Noise Control. The earbuds will adjust your sound experience based on the environment you’re in, whether that’s filtering out background noise or bringing voices forward so they’re easier to hear. Samsung did real-world testing in places like train stations, on motorbikes and in department stores to master these features.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 will cost $249.99 CAD, and the Buds4 Pro will cost $329.99 CAD. 

We also had the chance to learn more about the new Samsung Galaxy Book6 lineup, with five variants to choose from: a 14-inch and a 16-inch Book6, a 14-inch and a 16-inch Book6 Pro, and the 16-inch Book6 Ultra. The entire series will be powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, with the Book6 Ultra also coming in a Core Ultra 9 variant. The Book6 Ultra will also feature an NVIDIA RTX 5070 or 5060 GPU, shared with Intel Arc Graphics, while the base and Pro Book6 versions will feature Intel Graphics. 

Samsung also shared some numbers regarding the battery life for the Book6 lineup ahead of Unpacked, and they are impressive. While the base Book6 devices offer 16-18 hours of battery life, the Book6 Pro and Book6 Ultra models offer a whopping 22-26 hours. We have shared the full spec chart from Samsung below.

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 has come and gone. Stay tuned to CGMagazine for more Samsung news and reviews of these devices as they become available.

As excitement builds for the next season of Fallout on Prime Video, Samsung has partnered with Amazon, Bethesda Softworks and Xbox to create a centralized hub for fans ahead of the show’s second season.

The collaboration brings the TV series and the video games together on one platform, letting users watch the first season for free, stream the new season, and play the latest Fallout 76 expansion directly on Samsung devices. For fans of the franchise, this creates a central place to explore all things Fallout and experience it ahead of Season 2’s arrival on Prime Video later this month.

To launch the partnership, Samsung TV Plus will stream the entire first season of Prime Video’s Fallout without a subscription. From Dec. 3 to Dec. 25, owners of supported Samsung TVs, Galaxy devices and smart monitors can watch the Kilter Films production through the ad-supported service. This limited-time offer gives newcomers a chance to catch up on the post-apocalyptic drama before the second season arrives on Prime Video later this month.

The timing aligns with the December 17 premiere of Fallout Season Two. According to the release, this new chapter will pick up after the first season’s finale, moving the story from the California wasteland to the city of New Vegas. To support the launch, Samsung and Prime Video are rolling out a joint marketing campaign that includes digital billboards in Times Square.

“Prime Video is committed to finding creative and groundbreaking approaches to bring our content to audiences worldwide,” said Emily Aldis, Global Head of Distribution and Partnerships for Prime Video. She noted that the partnership helps enhance viewing through “seamless integration of the Prime Video app on Samsung Smart TVs.”

On the gaming side, the collaboration highlights the release of Fallout 76: Burning Springs. This expansion is available to play instantly through the Xbox app on the Samsung Gaming Hub, which does not require console hardware. The update introduces a crossover event featuring the Ghoul, the character made famous in the TV series by actor Walton Goggins. Goggins also provides the voice for the character in the game, bridging the gap between the live-action series and the interactive world.

Todd Howard, game director at Bethesda, emphasized the connection between the two mediums. “When Jonah and I first discussed bringing Fallout to the screen, it was always about portraying the world of the games accurately, while also bringing new stories to life in that world,” Howard said. “Now, with ‘the Ghoul’ coming to Fallout 76, it shows how connected all these stories are.”

There is no question that Season 2 of Fallout is shaping up to be an exciting release for fans, and from the look of things, everyone wants in on the action. If you have a supported Samsung TV, will you be diving in and giving Season 1 a second look? Either way, Fallout Season 2 will begin streaming on Dec. 17, so mark your calendars and get ready to return to the wasteland.

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