Leaked render of the Galaxy S26 Plus. | Image Credit - Android Headlines
What we know so far
The Galaxy S26 lineup is Samsung's upcoming flagship lineup. The changes rumored to the lineup earlier are likely not happening – so we're getting a Galaxy S26, a Galaxy S26 Plus, and an Ultra, as per Samsung's tradition. Apparently, Samsung is not going to include a Galaxy S26 Edge to the series.
Not a lot of huge changes are expected for the vanilla Galaxy S26 and the S26 Plus. For one, we're getting a redesign: the camera island is getting a new look. Recently, the Galaxy S26 Plus recently leaked in high-quality renders, confirming the new look.
Additionally, the South Korean giant may bring a battery upgrade to the Galaxy S26. The phone's battery cell may get an upgrade to 4,300mAh.Meanwhile, rumors indicate a wireless charging upgrade is getting prepped for the models, as well as (finally) real Qi2 charging and magnetic accessories.
Under the hood, we're likely seeing a chip-split strategy once again. With the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung offered only Snapdragon processors inside, but now, it seems the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are going to rock the Exynos 2600 in some regions, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in others, like previous years.
In the camera department, we don't expect huge changes. However, there may be a new telephoto sensor for both phones, which should offer improved details and less noise in low-light photos. Rumor has it that Samsung decided against a huge camera upgrade for the models to keep the costs down.
What's likely to get the most buzz, though, is Samsung's big focus on generative AI. Some reports even claim Samsung could partner with Perplexity AI for the S26. A revmap of Bixby is also rumored.
We expect Samsung to follow its tradition and unveil the new Galaxy S26 series in the beginning of 2026. A certain delay because of last-minute changes in plans (reportedly) is expected, and it's more likely that the trio is going to be unveiled in February.
Device lineup
Announcement
Market release
Galaxy S26
January or February 2026*
February, 2026*
Galaxy S25
January 22, 2025
February 7, 2025
Galaxy S24
January 17, 2024
January 31, 2024
Galaxy S23
February 1, 2023
February 17, 2023
* - probable dates
Judging by the last few years of Samsung Galaxy S Unpacked events, expect a Wednesday. In recent years, all the Galaxy S events were held on a Wednesday, including the Galaxy S25, S25 and S23 events, so it's highly likely that the S26 event will follow the same tradition.
Galaxy S26 price
At the moment, rumors are contradictory on the potential Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus prices. We heard some talk about a potential price hike because of rising prices of internal components. But we've also heard that Samsung has made sacrifices to keep things steady – the phones are reportedly not going to be as thin as Samsung planned, as this type of innovation may require more resources and raise prices.
Here are the potential prices for the Galaxy S26 series we expect:
Galaxy model
128GB of storage
256GB of storage
512GB of storage
1TB of storage
Galaxy S26
$799*
$859*
-
-
Galaxy S26 Plus
-
$999*
$1119*
Galaxy S25
$799
$859
-
-
Galaxy S25 Plus
-
$999
$1119
-
Galaxy S24
$799
$859
-
-
Galaxy S24 Plus
-
$999
$1119
-
*- anticipated prices
Galaxy S26 camera
Galaxy S26 camera setup (rumored):
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50 MP main camera
12 MP ultra-wide
10 MP telephoto (3x optical zoom)
12 MP selfie camera
Galaxy S26 Plus camera setup (rumored)
50MP main camera
12MP ultra-wide
10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom)
12MP selfie camera
At the moment, most rumors claim that the cameras on both the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are not getting upgraded this time around. There's been talk that we may see an upgraded telephoto camera on both models. If this rumor turns out to be true, we may have a 12MP telephoto camera instead of a 10MP one. Not a huge upgrade, but it's still something.
In the meantime, another rumor claims not to expect an upgrade in the selfie camera. Reportedly, the South Korean giant may have opted to use the same 12MP front camera on all models in the lineup. Unfortunately, if true, that would put the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus in a lagging position in comparison to Apple, which upgraded the selfie camera on the iPhone 17.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra may be getting a camera upgrade, but that change may end up being reserved only to the Ultra.
The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus didn't bring major changes to their camera hardware compared to the previous models, but they did pack in plenty of smart software upgrades. We got things like 10-bit HDR video for richer detail, better low-light shots, and handy editing tools such as Audio Eraser.
The S25's Expert RAW app even added a Virtual Aperture option and more advanced pro controls.
Galaxy S26 storage
At the moment, we’re not expecting any major changes to the storage options for either model. The Galaxy S26 Plus might get a 1TB version, but the regular S26 likely won’t. Samsung could also drop the 128GB base option if it decides to follow Apple’s move with the iPhone 17 – and recent leaks suggest that might actually happen.
Galaxy S26 potential storage capacity:
256 GB
512 GB
Galaxy S26 Plus potential storage capacity:
256 GB
512 GB
Galaxy S26 design
The Galaxy S25 on the left, Galaxy S24 on the right. | Image Credit - PhoneArena
The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are getting a slight redesign this time around, at least judging by leaked renders. The camera lenses, apparently, won't stand on their own anymore, and there's going to be a camera island surrounding them.
To some, this design may be controversial, but at least it has one potential upside: the lenses won't be that accessible to lint or dust. Potentially.
The Galaxy S26 has also leaked in high-quality renders, and you can see the same design change is applied to the 'vanilla' model of the lineup as well.
Previously, we've heard that a serious redesign is in the cards with a focus on thinness. Samsung was said to be working on a camera module that may be thinner with a new approach to lens assembly. However, the overall thickness of the phones may not get slimmed down, as rumors now claim Samsung has changed it's plans in the last moment.
Despite whether or not we see huge changes in how the S26 looks, you should be certain that it's going to feel premium and sturdy, and it will rock some fresh, gorgeous colors. I'm quite excited to see what these would be.
At the moment, rumors are yet to talk about the Galaxy S26 colors (the Ultra may sport an orange, silver, gold, and gray option), but you can safely expect them to be trendy and on point, as always.
Galaxy S26 display
Samsung's premium phones are known for their top-notch screens, and that's not expected to change. It's pretty safe to assume the Galaxy S26 and S26+ will come with excellent displays, even though leaks are not indicating an upgrade.
We expect the S26 to have a 6.1-inch AMOLED screen, and the S26 Edge a larger 6.7-inch one. Like the Galaxy S25, you can look forward to bright colors, great clarity, and wide viewing angles. Both should also have the smooth 120Hz refresh rate that's now standard.
There's also a good chance they'll come with anti-reflective coating, just like the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Meanwhile, there's a rumor that the Galaxy S26 Ultra may get a fancy display privacy feature, which may be called Flex Magic Pixel. It is said that this feature may act like a privacy screen, hiding the contents of your display from curious eyes. We don't know if this feature would make it to the Galaxy S26 or Plus, though.
Galaxy S26 battery
It's about time for Samsung to grace Galaxy fans with some more battery. Competitors from Chinese makers are betting on new battery tech, including silicon carbon batteries, to stick huge battery cells in their models without compromising on slimness or style (for example, the OnePlus 13, the Honor Magic 6 Pro, and others, and they'll become more in 2025)
Intially, we hoped to see 65W charging for the lineup, but now these rumors are looking less likely. Right now, rumor has it that both phones are getting 20W wireless charging, which is still an upgrade from the 15W speeds of their predecessors, while a bigger charging upgrade may get reserved for the Ultra.
For reference, the Galaxy S25 comes with a 4,000mAh battery, which is somewhat small compared to some of the aforementioned battery champions. The bigger sibling, the Galaxy S25+, comes with a 4,900mAh battery cell. As for charging, the S25 supports 25W wired and 15W wireless, while the Plus has 45W wired and again 15W wireless.
Galaxy S26 features and software
Samsung's Galaxy phones come with One UI, a custom skin on top of Android. The Galaxy S25 and S25+ come with the Android 15-based One UI 7.
Meanwhile, Android 16's stable version is now out. In the meantime, Samsung is reportedly considering partnering with Perplexity AI for the AI on the Galaxy S26.
Galaxy S26 hardware
The Galaxy S26 phones will come with either the Exynos 2600 or the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (and yep, that's the successor of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, blame Qualcomm for the strange naming schemes).
Samsung may really be pushing for Exynos. Major markets (North America, Korea, China, and Japan) are said to come with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while other markets may get the Samsung-made Exynos 2600.
When it comes to performance, since these are Samsung's flagship models, you can expect them to be smooth and fast. They'll likely handle everything with ease, be it simple tasks like browsing or social media or heavier ones like gaming and generative AI.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm announced the X85 modem during MWC that would potentially handle connectivity on the Galaxy S26 series. The new modem will be more power efficient but able to deliver higher 5G speeds.
Should I wait for the Galaxy S26?
You should wait for the Galaxy S26 if you're rocking an older model and you're due for an upgrade soon. Samsung is likely to introduce the S26 lineup in February.
You should not wait for the Galaxy S26 if you just got your new shiny Galaxy S25. The differences between the models may not be huge enough to warrant an upgrade.
Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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