TIME

Plano – October 16, 2026 -- Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra phone, Bespoke AI Family HubTM Refrigerator with AI Vision and Odyssey G8 Gaming Monitor (G80HS) have all been named to TIME's Best Inventions 2026. It is the fourth time Samsung Galaxy devices have appeared on the annual list.

TIME's global network of expert contributors and editors picks the winners. They judge new products and ideas on originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.

Galaxy S26 Ultra brings a built-in Privacy Display to phones

Samsung calls the Galaxy S26 Ultra its most advanced Galaxy S series experience to date. It is billed as the world's first phone with a built-in Privacy Display, which limits the screen's viewing range to restrict peripheral vision. The feature must be enabled in settings. Depending on angle and brightness, some information may still be visible to others.

Boston – October 16, 2026 -- The Withings BodyScan 2, a $599.95 at-home scale that tracks more than 60 biomarkers, has been named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026.

Withings calls it the world's first at-home longevity station. It turns the daily weigh-in into a cardiometabolic check, meant to show whether everyday habits are adding years to a person's healthy life or taking them away.

The Daily Scan takes seconds each morning

Every morning, the Daily Scan captures weight, body composition, visceral fat, heart rate and vascular age in seconds.

New York – October 15, 2026 -- WeWard's Walking Mode, which locks distracting apps like social media and games until you hit your daily step goal, is available now on iOS after landing on TIME's Best Inventions of 2026 list in the Apps & Software category. Android is coming soon.

Walking Mode locks apps until you reach your step goal

The feature launched in July 2026 around one idea: walk first, scroll later. Users choose their own daily step goal and temporarily lock the apps they find distracting. Once the goal is met, the apps unlock automatically. Restrictions reset at midnight each day.

WeWard CEO and co-founder Yves Benchimol said the feature has resonated strongly with users and reflects a real need: people want to spend more time outside and moving.

Torrance – October 15, 2026 -- Vital Lyfe's Access, a push-button watermaker that filters water from any naturally occurring source, including seawater, is now available for pre-order and will begin shipping later this year. TIME has named it a Best Invention in the Outdoors category.

Access filters seawater and other natural sources with one button

The system is built for off-grid exploration and communities, short- or long-term sailing, maritime environments, rural living, disaster relief organizations and emergency response. Vital Lyfe describes it as user-friendly and cost-effective, with a simple, intuitive process that lets anyone make filtered water.