SEOUL, Jan 27, 2026, 17:49 (KST)
- Samsung will hand a Galaxy Z Flip7 “Olympic Edition” to nearly 3,800 athletes for Milano Cortina 2026
- The handset will power “Victory Selfie” podium moments, expanding to team events for the first time
- Distribution starts Jan. 30 and includes a 100GB 5G eSIM and Games-related apps, Samsung said
Samsung Electronics on Tuesday unveiled a special “Olympic Edition” of its Galaxy Z Flip7 foldable smartphone, saying it will distribute the devices to almost 3,800 Olympians and Paralympians for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games in Italy. (Samsung Global Newsroom)
The Games open on Feb. 6, putting Samsung’s handset into athletes’ hands days before competition begins and as brands ramp up marketing around one of the year’s biggest global sports events, Yonhap reported. (Co)
Samsung said the phone is not for sale, underscoring that the device is a Games-time tool and a showcase, not a consumer launch. It will be distributed at Olympic Villages across six cities starting Jan. 30, with on-site support stations to help athletes activate devices and transfer data.
“Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Stephanie Choi, an executive vice president at Samsung’s mobile business, said, adding the device would help them “connect with fans and families.”
The company said the handset will be used for “Victory Selfie” moments on the podium at Milano Cortina, marking the feature’s Winter Olympics debut. Samsung also said it will extend the podium selfie format to team sport competitions for the first time, widening access beyond individual medal ceremonies.
Samsung is leaning on artificial intelligence features packaged as “Galaxy AI” — its suite of tools that can, among other tasks, edit photos and translate conversations. The company highlighted an on-device interpreter for real-time translation without a network connection, alongside photo-editing and daily briefing functions.
The Olympic Edition will come with a curated set of apps and services aimed at life inside the Olympic Village. Samsung said athletes will get a 100GB 5G eSIM — an embedded SIM that connects to mobile networks without a physical card — plus digital passes via Samsung Wallet and a “Galaxy Athlete Card” for exchanging profiles with other competitors.
Samsung also introduced “Victory Profile,” a portrait project shot on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, starting with about 490 athletes across nine national Olympic committees, including France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and the United States. Samsung said the program is based on athlete participation and is not an official collaboration with the IOC.
Samsung’s broader Milano Cortina push has also moved into storytelling about the people around medal moments, not just the athlete on the podium. A campaign overview published on Jan. 23 described films built around parents, coaches, siblings and teammates, framed by the line “Victory is a team sport.” (Lbbonline)
The move comes as phone makers jostle for attention in the premium market, where AI features and high-end cameras are now table stakes. Samsung’s foldables compete with flagship devices from rivals including Apple and Google, while Chinese brands push aggressively in higher-priced segments across parts of Asia and Europe.
There are risks. Olympic visibility does not always translate into sales, and a device that is not sold commercially can struggle to shift demand beyond the news cycle. Samsung is also betting that athletes will use the AI and social features as intended — and that the content they create will travel.
Samsung has been a Worldwide Olympic Partner since the Nagano 1998 Winter Games and said it has provided Olympic Edition devices since Sochi 2014. The company said its Olympics and Paralympics partnership extends through Los Angeles 2028.
