Galaxy S26 release date: when are the new phones coming?

The Galaxy S25 Ultra. | Image Credit - PhoneArena

Samsung's next flagship trio, which is supposedly going to consist of a Galaxy S26 Pro, a super-slim Galaxy S26 Edge, and the ultimate Galaxy S26 Ultra, is still a couple of months away, but people have been talking. Usually, Samsung unveils its new Galaxy S phones at the beginning of the year. 

If Samsung sticks to tradition, we can expect the new phones to be unveiled in January 2026. There have been some interesting rumors about a potential December unveiling, but those are more unlikely than those of Samsung sticking with January.

Galaxy S26 launch timeline: important dates 

Usually, Galaxy events are held on a Wednesday. However, Samsung hasn't been entirely consistent with the exact week that things are happening, and in the last few years, the company has been pulling the event earlier and earlier at the beginning of the year. 

Potentially, we have January 14, 2026, and January 21, 2026, which are both Wednesdays in the middle of the month of January. Some rumors indicate that Samsung may attempt a December event, but we'll address these later. 

When the phones get announced, we usually have a couple of weeks of pre-orders and then an official market release.

Galaxy S26 potential dates compared to previous years 

Here's how the Galaxy S releases have happened in recent years, which should also give us an idea of when to expect the new Galaxy S26 series to come:
 

What about the December rumor? 

This December rumor came from leaker Digital Chat Station, who speculated earlier in the year that Samsung may move the Galaxy S26 release earlier so that the company can better compete with the iPhone 17 lineup. 

However, since that post by the leaker, no other reputable leakers have corroborated it, and that was back in April. So, the possibility of Samsung doing an even earlier release than usual is now almost off the table.

Of course, since Samsung has not officially given any dates just yet, there's always the chance of surprises, but at this point, a December release is highly doubtful. 

Will all the Galaxy S26 models launch at the same time? 

This year, Samsung released the super-slim Galaxy S25 Edge separately from the other phones of the trio, which were the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, rumor has it that Samsung is going to reshape its Galaxy S lineup entirely. 

Reportedly, the company would ditch the Plus model and replace it with an Edge model (somewhat similar to what Apple did with the iPhone Air). The 'vanilla' Galaxy S26 is said to turn into a Galaxy S26 Pro. The Ultra is the only model that is said to keep its original name. 

Based on that, it's likely that next year, Samsung will release the Edge model together with the Galaxy S26 Pro and Ultra. 

What does this mean for you? 

If you're thinking of upgrading to one of the models in the Galaxy S series, this pretty much means you'll have to wait for a few months before you can get your hands on one of them. A potential January announcement is still four months away, so it's not exactly just around the corner. 

Rumors indicate Samsung may redesign the Galaxy S series significantly next year, although lots of leaks also indicate some elements will remain the same (unfortunately, the hope about improved charging or battery sizes seems less likely now). 

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