Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Ultra: three possible release dates to watch for

The Galaxy S26 family will soon be here, but what does "soon" exactly mean?

Since we're talking about a January release of Samsung's upcoming flagships, the impatient among us won't see this as "soon". They should celebrate, though, as there were rumors claiming the Galaxy S26 would pop up shockingly late – in March 2026.

Time to clarify things.

When is the Galaxy S26 coming?

Right now, reputable leaks have it that the Galaxy S26 family will be announced in their homeland in late January 2026. Then, in mid-February 2026, the phones will begin shipping to stores and users who've preordered.

Overall, the consensus is that in 2026, Samsung's flagships will arrive a bit later than in 2025. The Galaxy S25 series was presented on January 22 and was made available on February 3.

Since January 22, 2026, is a Thursday, Samsung could very well skip the weekend altogether and aim for a release in the last week of the month. I'd personally watch out for these three dates:

• January 27, 2026 (Tuesday)
• January 28, 2026 (Wednesday)
• January 29, 2026 (Thursday)

This means the Galaxy S26 might hit the shelves as soon as February 10, 2026, not much earlier.

The above schedule is not official for the moment, but it's way better than what earlier reports claimed.

For example, there was a wild rumor back in October, which said we should expect the Galaxy S26 in March 2026 due to technical issues and manufacturing delays.

Then, in early November, another leak spoke of an eventual unveiling to be held in San Francisco on February 25, 2026.

The latest rumor, however, speaks of a "late January" announcement, so it appears that Samsung's schedule next year won't be that different from the usual.

Traditionally, Samsung unveils its Galaxy S flagship in January.

Which models will be released?

This was another point of confusion for Galaxy fans – a while ago, a rumor claimed the vanilla Galaxy S26 would be rebranded as "Galaxy S26 Pro". That possibility, however, was later scratched.

So, we'll most likely end up with these monikers:

• Galaxy S26
• Galaxy S26 Plus
• Galaxy S26 Ultra

Samsung probably won't launch the Galaxy S26 Edge with the rest of the S26 lineup in early 2026. Last year, the company delayed the ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, which only became available in stores in May 2025, months after the main lineup's release. This could happen again – if the Galaxy S26 Edge isn't cancelled in the meantime.

Rumors about Samsung's ultra-thin phone are contradicting: some say the phone is cancelled because of its predecessor's poor sales, others say it'll happen, but later in 2026.

No major upgrades

For the vanilla Galaxy S26, rumors suggest a bit larger 4,300mAh battery, some wireless charging upgrades, and Qi2 support. The S26 and S26 Plus are expected to feature refreshed designs, including a new camera island.

Samsung may return to a chip-split strategy, using the Exynos 2600 in some regions and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in others. Camera changes are expected to be minor, though a new telephoto sensor could improve low-light shots.

The lineup's biggest highlight may be Samsung's push into generative AI, with potential features and partnerships still unconfirmed.

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