Samsung fans hoping for an early look at the Galaxy S26 Ultra might have to wait a bit longer than expected. According to new reports, the launch of Samsung's next flagship phone has been delayed, with the company's major Galaxy Unpacked event now said to be scheduled for February in San Francisco, rather than the initially rumored mid-January.

This shift appears to be the result of Samsung rethinking its entire S26 lineup strategy behind the scenes. Originally, the company was reportedly planning to launch three models: the top-tier Galaxy S26 Ultra, a sleek Galaxy S26 Edge, and a more powerful Galaxy S26 Pro to replace the base model.

However, market reactions have caused a change of plans. Following reportedly weak sales of the previous Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung is said to have scrapped the S26 Edge idea. At the same time, the plan for a 'Pro' model, which would have featured better specs at a higher price, was reconsidered. With Apple's iPhone 17 succeeding partly by holding its price steady, Samsung seems to have opted for a more competitive approach.

This has led to a return to a more traditional trio: the standard Galaxy S26, a Galaxy S26+, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Switching the lineup at this stage requires time, hence the reported delay from January to February.

Even with a February event, Samsung would still likely get the new phones on store shelves before the major Mobile World Congress trade show begins in early March. This timing would allow them to showcase new hardware alongside expected updates to their Galaxy AI features.

Amidst all the launch date shuffling, concrete specs for the phones have been slow to emerge. One key detail that seems locked in is the processor for the Ultra model. Recent FCC certification filings strongly suggest the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset globally, which should please many enthusiasts.

While the exact date remains unconfirmed, one thing is clear: "the new Samsung" is on its way, with the company carefully adjusting its strategy to compete in a challenging market.