The Galaxy S26 series is now just a month and a half away, potentially. Rumors and leaks about the phones have been consistently showing up online, and we know quite a lot about Samsung's upcoming flagship trio now.
The trio is going to consist of a base Galaxy S26, a Galaxy S26 Plus, and the maxed-out super-powerful Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung has reportedly prepped quite a lot of upgrades for the phones.
New design for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, camera island for S26 and Plus
Samsung is tweaking the looks for the series. First off, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is reportedly getting rounder corners and generally a more cohesive look to the rest of the series. Samsung is reportedly going to get rid of the boxy Note-inspired look for its ultimate flagship. This could make the Ultra more comfortable to hold, although many people find the rumored design change controversial.
The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are getting a slight tweak to the camera island, and now the lenses won't sit on their own, according to leaked renders.
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Galaxy S26 Ultra privacy display
One cool tweak that's rumored this year for the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a privacy display feature. That's a pretty impressive feature, actually – the phone's screen itself being able to hide the contents if it detects people around you may be peeking.
Reportedly, the South Korean giant is harnessing the powers of AI for this trick. The Ultra may be able to monitor your surroundings and hide select elements or apps from being seen from the side.
Previously, if you wanted this, you had to buy a specific screen protector, and those protectors usually made the screen less vibrant or bright as a result. If the screen itself can hide its contents from prying eyes, you will keep the benefit of enjoying its normal vividness and brightness.
The two smaller phones from Samsung may be getting a slight bump in display sizes. Rumor has it that the Galaxy S26 is going to rock a slightly bigger display – around 6.3 inches. The Galaxy S25 rocked a 6.2-inch screen. Some rumors indicate that the Plus is also getting a bigger screen – 6.9 inches, up from 6.7 inches.
Also, rumor has it that the Galaxy S26 is also getting improved brightness of up to 3,000 nits. That's 400 nits more than the Galaxy S25's max brightness. Reportedly, this is due to a new material being used for the OLED panels. However, reports on this are contradictory, so we'll have to wait and see if it's true.
For the Galaxy S26 Ultra, rumors are more unanimous that it's going to sport a new type of OLED, an M14 panel. The new tech should allow for a more power-efficient display that's also brighter.
Wider aperture on the Ultra
Rumor has it that the Galaxy S26 Ultra's main and 5x telephoto cameras are getting wider apertures. That would allow the sensor to collect more light. In consequence, this change should ensure you get better photos taken during low-light scenarios and less noise in these photos.
The wider aperture should also give you more pleasant portrait shots, technically.
Exynos/Snapdragon processor regional split
The Galaxy S26 series is getting Samsung's 2nm-built Exynos 2600 chip in some markets and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite chip in other markets. For a while, rumors claimed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is going to only be sold with the Snapdragon chip, but these rumors have been dispelled.
So, certain markets are getting the Exynos 2600, which is a pretty capable chip. Other markets like the U.S. are reportedly getting the Snapdragon, which is still, according to leaks, slightly better with some tasks in comparison to the Exynos. Nevertheless, both processors are expected to give enough power for a snappy and flagship-grade performance.
Battery upgrades and faster charging
The Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra are rumored to be getting a bump in battery size. Notably, the Galaxy S26's battery is said to grow to 4,300mAh (bumped from the 4,000mAh on the Galaxy S25), while the Galaxy S26 Ultra's battery is reportedly going to be around 5,200mAh.
Luckily, Sammy fans are also reportedly getting an upgrade in charging speeds. The Galaxy S26 Ultra's charging speeds are reportedly getting bumped to 60W wired and 25W wireless (from 45W and 15W, respectively). The 'vanilla' Galaxy S26 is also reportedly getting a charging speed bump – to 45W wired.
Improvements in thickness for Galaxy S26
Rumors claim that the Galaxy S26 is also going to lose some of its thickness. The Galaxy S25 at 7.2 mm of thickness is already quite a thin phone, but reportedly, Samsung's taking things up a notch with the S26, and the phone is said to measure only 6.9 mm in thickness.
The phone is said to be a few grams heavier than the S25, though, so maybe the difference won't be that noticeable.
February 25 launch
Reportedly, there's a delay from the usual Samsung schedule when it comes to the announcement date. Right now, most rumors are unanimous that the launch is going to happen on February 25, 2026. Of course, Samsung has yet to reveal the exact date, as it's still a month or so away, but most leaks agree that could be the date when we'll officially see the flagship trio.
Conflicting rumors on pricing
As for probably the most important aspect – pricing – there are quite a lot of contradictions online. The majority of rumors do seem to agree that a possible $50-$100 price hike may be in the cards, just because of seriously rising component prices and the general economy. However, Samsung may still decide to keep prices steady and could have made sacrifices (like serious camera upgrades) to keep Galaxy S prices the same another year.
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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