When is the Galaxy S26 coming? Here's what leaks suggest so far

Samsung's flagship trio – the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra – is now coming soon. All rumors suggest that the phones will be announced at the beginning of 2026. However, rumors on the exact date on which the phones will be officially shown to the world have been contradictory so far. 

At first, it seemed that Samsung was planning to replace the Plus model in the lineup with an ultra-slim Galaxy S26 Edge, but then the S25 Edge didn't perform as well, and Samsung reportedly canceled that idea. Some rumors claim that because of that last-minute change of direction, there's going to be a delay.

Here's what all the rumors are saying and when you could expect the 2026 Galaxy S trio to show up. 

When is the Galaxy S26 going to be announced? 

At the moment, Samsung has not announced the date of its upcoming Unpacked event just yet. In the rumors, we have a few possible dates when the phones may be unveiled. All in all, one is as certain as anything could be: the phones are coming in one of the first three months of 2026. 

And most likely, they are coming a bit later than tradition has it. 

Now, for the exact date, we have a few possibilities. Late January, mid-February, or late February. As per tradition, the event is likely to be held on a Wednesday, which was the case with previous Galaxy S releases. 

Wednesdays in late January are these dates:

• January 21, 2026
• January 28, 2026

A recent leak indicates that the Galaxy S26 launch may be in late February. If that's the case, here are the dates to watch out for:

• February 18, 2026
• February 25, 2026

The February 25 date, more specifically, has been mentioned in publications from South Korea. This date is getting more likely as we speak, but of course, nothing is etched in stone just yet. Or maybe it is, but we just don't know that yet. 

Galaxy S models release dates in previous years

Just for reference, you can take a look at how Samsung was announcing and releasing its Galaxy S flagships in recent years:

Which models will be in the Galaxy S26 lineup? 

If you've been following the tech world in recent months, you'll know that rumors indicated a different lineup for the Galaxy S flagships earlier this year. At first, it was reported that Samsung may launch a Galaxy S26 Edge instead of a Plus model, while the vanilla Galaxy S26 was said to become a Pro-branded model (with no real Pro-grade changes, though). 

Well, these rumors are no more, and now, Samsung is expected to launch the usual members of the flagship trio, just like every year:

• Galaxy S26
• Galaxy S26 Plus
• Galaxy S26 Ultra

The fate of the ultra-thin Galaxy S26 Edge is unknown at the moment. It's almost certain the slim-chic phone won't launch alongside the trio, though. If the Edge's not cancelled (some rumors are claiming it is), then it may come at a later time, just like its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Edge, did this year. 

The Galaxy S25 Edge launched in May, so a few months after the Galaxy S25 trio, so we may be looking at a similar thing this year. However, keep in mind that at this point, it seems more likely that the model isn't really coming. Both ultra-thin phones, the Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air, have reportedly performed underwhelmingly in sales, so there's that. 

Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and Ultra: no huge upgrades expected

It seems that Samsung is not planning anything huge for the lineup. We'll reportedly see a design tweak for the camera island of the three models, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra may get a less-boxy look with rounder edges. 

We may see the Exynos/Snapdragon chip-split strategy again, similarly to previous years. Recent rumors indicate, however, that the biggest and baddest of the trio, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, may sport the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in all regions. The processor is expected to offer improvements in speed and efficiency.

Apart from that, we expect a bit larger battery (4,300mAh) for the Galaxy S26, wireless charging upgrades, and Qi2 support. Of course, you should also expect lots of new generative AI features to be highlighted during the event, including a potential Bixby revamp.