3 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Samsung

Founded in 1938, Samsung is the largest chaebol in South Korea. The myriad of companies under its brand are some of the biggest in their respective industries, but Samsung Electronics is the most notable. It makes some of the most popular phones in use today, and its flagship portfolio includes the Galaxy S-series and foldable Z-series devices. It also makes televisions, tablets, computers, headphones, and many of the displays, chips, and batteries found in devices from Apple, Sony, and others.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Samsung adds new sizes of Frame TVs, but is backing away from the One Connect Box.

CES saw only a very minor update to the Frame family, with the mainline adding 75-, 85-, and 98-inch models, and the Frame Pro now coming in a smaller 55-inch size. Oddly, only two of the seven mainline Frame models will support the One Connect Box — the 43- and 50-inch.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Samsung’s redesigned Mobile Gaming Hub is here.

In addition to the new look, available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets, the app has “personalized content suggestions, and video integrated directly into the application to help players explore and enjoy the gaming experiences that matter most to them,” according to a press release.

An image of Samsung’s redesigned Mobile Gaming Hub.
Image: Samsung
The best phone to buy right nowThe best phone to buy right now
Allison Johnson
Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Samsung profits surge on memory chip crisis.

The chip shortage created by our desire to watch AI-generated videos of Trump and Maduro dance in matching Nike sweatsuits, has nearly tripled Samsung’s profits for the quarter, as memory prices surged 40-50 percent.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Now there’s really no excuse for leaving the refrigerator door open.

As Jen Tuohy demonstrates, Samsung’s new Family Hub lineup can use voice control to close the refrigerator door, in addition to a slew of other AI-enabled features.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Hands-on with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Trifold.

Three folding panels, two sets of hinges, and a frame that’s just barely thinner than a USB-C port, what more could you want? Allison Johnson finally got some hands-on time with Samsung’s trifold at CES 2026, and she’s already thinking of ways to replace her laptop.

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Samsung CEO warns of higher phone, TV, and gadget prices.

The global shortage of memory chips is great news for Samsung’s semiconductor business, but bad news for its consumer electronics business. Co-CEO T M Roh speaking to Reuters:

“As this situation is unprecedented, no company is immune to its impact,” Roh said, adding that the crisis affects not only mobile phones but other consumer electronics, from TVs to home appliances. He did not rule out raising product prices, saying some impact was “inevitable.”

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Leak shows how the Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display will work.

Rumors that the S26 Ultra would have some anti-snooping tech built into the screen have been circulating for a while. Now we’ve got an animation showing how the feature will work inside of One UI 8.5. There will be a toggle in the display settings, but you’ll also be able to add a Quick Settings toggle, or even automate it based on which app you’re using or if you’re in a crowd.

Animation of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display toggle.
Privacy Display options in the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra menu.
Privacy Display options in the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra menu.
1/3Image: SammyGuru
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G will start at $199 when it launches in the US next month.

The budget-friendly smartphone is “slimmer and lighter” than its predecessor, and will be available on January 7th. It features a 6.7-inch display with an up to 90Hz refresh rate, along with 4GB of RAM and up to 2TB of expandable storage.

Samsung is also launching the Galaxy Tab A11+ in the US on January 8th, starting at $249.99.

Image: Samsung
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
JerryRigEverything bends the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold beyond its limits.

Samsung’s three-panel foldable phone won’t be officially available in the US until next year, but it’s already hit the YouTuber’s durability test table. Its thin frame (that’s different sizes across all three sections) doesn’t deal well with being bent the wrong way, even if Samsung’s hinge technology is pretty resilient, but... it didn’t explode.

Press play for a peek at the test results and a look at all three internal battery cells.

Nathan Edwards
Nathan Edwards
SmartThings is the first platform to support Matter cameras.

Samsung is rolling out the update this month, and it’s working with Aqara, Eve and Ulticam on Matter cameras. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy called it:

SmartThings will probably jump on adoption. Samsung abandoned its first-party camera hardware years ago, and Matter could provide the platform with the opportunity for broader camera support it desperately needs.

Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Samsung memory is nearly as big as Samsung Galaxy.

I knew Samsung made lots of money making chips, not just electronics. But Emma’s RAM report puts it in perspective: Last quarter, the company earned nearly twice as much from memory as from its entire TV and appliance business.

Samsung’s mobile biz was still bigger than memory ($22.8B vs. $18.2B), but not by much!

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Some new features for the Galaxy XR headset:
  • “PC Connect,” which lets you connect a Windows PC to your headset
  • “Likeness” avatars, which are similar to Apple’s Vision Pro personas
  • Travel mode

They’re available “starting today,” Google says. And system-level “autospatialization,” which turns 2D content into 3D, is coming next year, Google announced during its Android Show presentation.

<em>PC Connect, showing a user playing </em>Cities: Skylines II<em>.</em>
<em>A Likeness avatar on a Google Meet call.</em>
<em>Travel mode.</em>
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PC Connect, showing a user playing Cities: Skylines II.
Image: Google
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
So that’s what the third screen is for.

Wondering how to use the extra screen space in Samsung’s new Galaxy Z TriFold? Don’t worry, we’ve got it figured out.

airpower:

Finally, a device that lets me watch TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts all at the same time.

Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.

Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
TM Roh, co-CEO.

Samsung promoted its head of consumer hardware to co-CEO, joining Young Hyun Jun, head of the memory business. Roh led mobile since 2020, taking on TVs and appliances in an acting role this year, which is now permanent too.

The shuffle follows the death of former co-CEO Jong-Hee Han in March.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Samsung’s new compact wireless keyboard is lighter than Logitech’s.

At 218 grams the $109.99 Samsung Smart Keyboard is over 288 grams lighter than Logitech’s MX Keys Mini but can also connect and switch between three Bluetooth devices. It’s powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery and includes shortcuts for accessing Bixby, Gemini, or Copilot when connected to a PC.

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<em>Instead of a rechargeable battery like Logitech uses, Samsung has opted for a coin cell battery in its new compact wireless keyboard but it didn’t share details on battery life.</em>
<em>The keyboard includes three customizable function keys for launching apps and shortcuts for summoning AI assistants.</em>
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Instead of a rechargeable battery like Logitech uses, Samsung has opted for a coin cell battery in its new compact wireless keyboard but it didn’t share details on battery life.
Image: Samsung
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
A more refined ripoff.

Samsung took heavy inspiration from Apple’s AirPods when it reinvented the design of its Galaxy Buds 3, but is making some tweaks for the next set. Android Authority spotted the Buds 4 Pro in leaked One UI 8.5 animations, with a flatter stem and no light strip.

Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Samsung’s latest SmartThings hub arrives in the US.

Aeotec’s $119.99 Smart Home Hub 2 features faster hardware, USB expandability, and support for Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, and Thread. It works as a Matter Controller and prioritizes on-hub communications to keep your smart home up when the cloud is down. It doesn’t support Z-Wave.

Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Samsung brings iFit workouts into its Health app.

The new integration means you can access iFit’s workouts from the “fitness” tab on Samsung’s Health app, with videos spanning high-intensity interval training, Pilates, yoga, strength, recovery, and more. Samsung Health users can access one video per month for free, or pay $9.99 per month for a larger catalog of workout videos.