According to Forbes, Samsung is planning a crucial strategic shift for its 2026 flagship launch, aiming to release the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra in late January. This would be a move to get ahead of the pivotal Mobile World Congress event, which runs from March 2 to March 4, where countless other manufacturers debut phones. Leaks from Samsung’s own OneUI 8.5 code, examined by Android Authority, confirm three models (codenamed M1, M2, M3) with a new triple-lens vertical camera island design. The strategy hinges on owning the “AI smartphone” narrative early, as it did with exclusive features like Circle to Search in 2024, and establishing its features as the industry yardstick before competitors at MWC can even speak.
Samsung’s Solo Advantage
Here’s the thing about launching at your own event, like Galaxy Unpacked, versus a giant trade show. You get 100% of the spotlight. No other tech news is competing for headlines that day because, frankly, everyone else schedules around Samsung to avoid being crushed. That’s a massive luxury. It means the complex story Samsung wants to tell—especially about all the “invisible” AI magic happening under the hood—gets explained properly by the press. There’s no noise. It’s just Samsung’s show, for days. In the attention economy, that clean runway is priceless.
The AI Race Is a Timing Game
This early launch isn’t just about avoiding a crowd. It’s about defining the terms of the yearly AI battle. Look at the pattern. Google technically announces AI features first on Pixel, but Samsung uses its massive marketing muscle at Unpacked to actually *define* the AI smartphone for most consumers. They did it with Galaxy AI and the exclusive window on Circle to Search. They’ll try to do it again. For 2026, Google’s big play is MagicCue, an agentic AI that proactively helps you. Samsung’s counter is likely an evolution of its Now Brief/Now Bar system. If Samsung announces its enhanced, smarter version in January, it becomes the feature to beat by March. Anyone else talking about proactive AI at MWC just sounds like they’re following Samsung’s lead.
Why The Ultra Can’t Wait
So what happens if Samsung launches *at* MWC instead of before it? Basically, they become part of the cacophony. Their message gets diluted. Journalists are split between a dozen booths. The narrative fractures. By going early, Samsung sets the agenda. They force every other company launching an “AI phone” two months later to answer a simple question: how is this different or better than what Samsung already showed? It’s a brutal but effective first-mover advantage. They get to plant their flag firmly in the ground and say, “This is what an AI flagship looks like in 2026.” The competition is then left reacting, not leading.
A Return to Form
It’s also interesting to see Samsung reportedly ditching the “Edge” model and going back to a straight Vanilla/Plus/Ultra trio. That suggests a focus on clarity and proven winners. The design leak pointing to a unified camera island across all models hints at a stronger, cleaner brand identity. Pair that with a confident, early launch timeline, and it feels like Samsung is trying to recapture that sense of inevitability it used to have. The January date isn’t just about beating Google or Xiaomi to the punch. It’s about telling the whole industry, and consumers, that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the phone the year will be measured against. And they want a two-month head start on that measurement.
