Samsung Electronics has officially set the stage for its annual technology showcase, announcing that its pivotal 'The First Look' event will take place on January 4. This pre-CES gathering is where the South Korean giant will lay out its strategic roadmap for the Device eXperience (DX) Division and introduce new artificial intelligence-powered experiences for consumers in 2026.
Event Details and Leadership Keynote
The announcement follows closely on the heels of the company revealing its groundbreaking tri-fold smartphone. The 'First Look' event is scheduled for 7:00 PM PST on January 4 (8:30 AM IST on January 5) at the Latour Ballroom in the Wynn Las Vegas. It will serve as a precursor to the official opening of CES 2026, the world's premier IT and consumer electronics exhibition.
Leading the presentation will be TM Roh, the CEO and Head of the DX Division. He will be accompanied on stage by two other top executives: SW Yong, President and Head of the Visual Display Business, and Cheolgi Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the Digital Appliances Business. Together, they will detail their respective business directions and innovations for the coming year.
How to Watch Live and Galaxy Z TriFold Deep Dive
For a global audience, Samsung will broadcast the 'First Look' presentation live across several official platforms. These include the Samsung Newsroom website, Samsung Electronics' YouTube channel, and the Samsung TV Plus service. The company's presence at CES will extend beyond the keynote, with additional exhibitions at the Wynn Las Vegas running through January 7.
This event gains significant context from Samsung's recent unveiling of the Galaxy Z TriFold, its first smartphone with a tri-folding design. This innovative device transforms from a compact phone into a expansive 10-inch tablet display. It features an inward-folding mechanism with two hinges, folding neatly into three sections while keeping the main screen fully protected.
When closed, users can interact with a practical 6.5-inch cover screen. Internally, it is powered by a customised Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-chip, coupled with 16GB of RAM and storage options of up to 1TB. The camera system is headlined by a formidable 200-megapixel main sensor, supported by a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. For selfies and video calls, both the cover and main internal screens house separate 10MP front-facing cameras.
Keeping the device running is a substantial 5,600mAh battery, intelligently distributed across the three panels for balanced power delivery and efficiency. It supports 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The Galaxy Z TriFold is set to make its market debut in South Korea on December 12, with a launch in the United States planned for the first quarter of 2026.
Strategic Implications for the Tech Landscape
The consecutive announcements of the TriFold and the AI-focused CES keynote signal Samsung's aggressive dual-front strategy for 2026. The company is pushing the physical boundaries of hardware with its foldable technology while simultaneously betting big on software and intelligence to create a more integrated and intuitive user ecosystem.
By showcasing these developments just before CES, Samsung aims to set the agenda for the entire tech industry conference, positioning its DX Division—which encompasses its mobile, display, and digital appliance businesses—as a central innovator in the age of connected, AI-driven experiences.
