Galaxy S26 series: Samsung previews design and camera zoom in fresh teasers

Samsung has teased the Galaxy S26 series through new videos that highlight a refreshed camera design, improved zoom performance, and enhanced low-light video ahead of its expected February 26 launch

Samsung has shared three videos on Instagram offering a glimpse of what consumers can expect from its upcoming flagship smartphones, likely the Galaxy S26 series. While sharing the videos, the South Korean consumer electronics maker wrote, “The world is about to get more exciting with the all new Galaxy. #GalaxyUnpacked,” suggesting it is set to host its next Galaxy Unpacked event soon, where it typically unveils its new flagship S series smartphones. 

Notably, Samsung has not shared a date for the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event yet. It is possible the company may reveal that soon, as the Galaxy S26 series is reportedly set to launch in late February.

 

What Samsung revealed

All three teasers highlight a common element: the camera bump design. Samsung appears to be standardising a new camera island across its 2026 flagship lineup, offering a first look at the design through these previews. The teasers place a strong emphasis on camera performance, opening with the words “CLOSER,” “GROOVE,” and “GLOW,” which visually stretch into “CLOOOSER,” “GROOOVE,” and “GLOOOW,” suggesting the use of three cameras. 

As the visuals zoom in, the elongated lettering transitions into the rear camera layout of the upcoming devices. One teaser shows the third camera on the island capturing a dog sitting inside a car from a distance, suggesting the telephoto sensor’s improved clarity and detail when photographing far-off subjects.   

Another teaser focuses on low-light video recording, showing the device filming a woman at a dimly lit celebration, highlighting enhanced night videography performance. The third teaser appears to showcase camera presets designed to produce more cinematic-looking videos, with “GLOW” hinting at brighter, more detailed night footage compared to competing smartphones. 

These teasers come on the heels of Samsung previewing an upcoming built-in privacy display feature earlier on January 28. The feature reduces screen visibility from side angles, aiming to prevent shoulder surfing without the need for physical privacy screen protectors. Expected to debut with the Galaxy S26 series, likely starting with the S26 Ultra, the feature adds a configurable visibility control layer that selectively shields sensitive on-screen content in public settings while remaining adjustable or switchable by the user.

Samsung Galaxy S26 series: What to expect

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 series is expected to include three models — Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra — and recent regulatory filings have begun to reveal what the company has planned for its next flagship lineup. The documents, spotted by 9To5Google, point to a mix of incremental hardware upgrades and new connectivity features across the range.

 

According to the filings, the Galaxy S26 series will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset. However, Samsung is likely to continue its dual-chip strategy, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Exynos 2600 potentially powering the standard and Plus models, depending on the region. Alongside this, the lineup is expected to receive modest hardware improvements, without full Qi2 support, and higher base storage, starting at 256GB on at least one variant.   

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to retain the 5,000mAh battery seen in its predecessor but feature an upgraded 12MP 3x telephoto camera, replacing the 10MP sensor used on the S25 Ultra. One of the more significant additions hinted at in the FCC listings is satellite-based connectivity. All three Galaxy S26 models will reportedly support standards such as Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS), which could enable communication in areas without cellular coverage. If implemented, this would allow Samsung to match satellite messaging and emergency features already available on recent Google Pixel and Apple iPhone models. 

The filings suggest that Samsung may rely on Skylo as its satellite network partner, similar to Google’s implementation. However, availability is expected to be region-specific, with markets such as the US likely to be prioritised. Samsung has not yet revealed whether these satellite features will support messaging, calling, or remain limited to emergency services.