Just like pretty much every year and pretty much every new Galaxy S generation, we've heard many conflicting rumors on Samsung's Galaxy S26 series launch plans over the last few months.
Those varied wildly from speculation of a super-early announcement in December 2025 to an uncharacteristically late March 2026 unveiling, and you probably won't be surprised to hear that the most plausible date now sits somewhere in the middle... although significantly closer to the latter mark.
Make sure you're not busy on February 25
Technically, that's not etched in stone yet, but it might be as close as we'll ever get to an official launch date... in the absence of an actual official announcement from Samsung.
These dummy units are obviously not perfect, but they do give us a pretty good idea of how the S26 and S26 Ultra will look. | Image Credit -- @OnLeaks
That's because multiple Korean media reports put the February 25 date on the table last week, and now Evan Blass says that is "100% correct" and "you can take it to the bank." That's some staggering confidence from a guy who's proven right around 99 percent of the time about these types of things even when his confidence levels are much lower, so basically all that's left now is for Samsung to confirm the date.
That's probably not going to happen tomorrow, though, as February 25 is still a whopping seven weeks away. Exactly seven weeks, mind you, as Samsung unsurprisingly plans to unveil its next-gen Android powerhouses on a Wednesday (just like the Galaxy S25 family last year or the S24 roster back in 2024).
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Is a late Galaxy S26 launch a problem for you?
Yup, a big one
21.15%
Not exactly a problem, just a slight annoyance
31.9%
I don't care about dates... if the phones are great
39.07%
I'm willing to wait as long as it takes
7.89%
Speaking of those two, it has to be highlighted that both the S25 and S24 families were unveiled in the month of January, which allowed for a much earlier global sales start compared to what's now expected from the Galaxy S26 series. Even the Galaxy S23 trio was announced on February 1, 2023 and commercially released a couple of weeks later, so while Samsung did manage to avoid the lengthy S26 delay some insiders claimed was inevitable, it's hard to deny that the new phones will be a little late to stores around the world compared to their forerunners.
So when is the Galaxy S26 Ultra going on sale?
Most likely, at some point in early March. If I were to venture a more specific prediction based on recent history, I'd probably say March 13, but I guess March 6 is also a possibility. And none of those dates should be "taken to the bank", of course.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra design hasn't been a secret in a long time.
The reason why Samsung isn't ready to announce the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra by the end of this month remains unclear, but unless there's something seriously wrong with the three's hardware, I expect the company to do everything in its power to accelerate their commercial rollouts once the first highly anticipated Unpacked event of 2026 takes place.
So, no, you should definitely not rule out a sales start just 7 or 10 days after a February 25 announcement, although we should also probably remain patient and not try to figure out the entire timing equation already.
Instead, we should be thankful that an Unpacked date is all but etched in stone, as are most of the key Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra specs and characteristics.
Will a late launch make it impossible for Samsung to beat Apple this year?
I certainly wouldn't go that far, especially with the Galaxy S26 "delay" not looking as bad as it could have been and the new year still being so young.
What's pretty clear is that Samsung can't afford many other missteps and mistakes after releasing the S26 series a tad late compared to the expectations of many of its hardcore fans, so I sure hope (for the company's and the whole industry's sake) that those recent rumors about price hikes over the Galaxy S25 family will not ultimately pan out.
A tardy and overly costly Galaxy S26 Ultra would undoubtedly find it very difficult to outshine the iPhone 17 Pro Max, not to mention keep the looming threat of the iPhone 18 Pro Max and first-gen iPhone Fold at bay. It obviously can be done, but it won't be easy.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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