Galaxy S26 Ultra: Samsung's next potential "Oops, I did it again" moment after the S25 Edge flop

We're deep in Samsung Galaxy S26 territory now – the flagship family is expected early in 2026, and now, in the weeks to come, a ton of leaks, rumors, spicy claims and hush-hush gossip will drop. This process has already begun.

One of the recent rumors got me thinking: is Samsung about to commit another grande mistake? Is the number one phone maker in the world going to risk it all with the Galaxy S26 Ultra? This potential tragedy comes in the light of the Galaxy S25 Edge flop – the company's most thin new phone.

It's like your drunk uncle at a wedding saying "Hold my beer!" before attempting to do some irrational thing that causes moral panic – only to do something even crazier five minutes later at the other end of the hall.

The Galaxy S25 Edge was a mistake

Remember this?

• My hopes for the Galaxy S25 Edge just crashed: this is shaping up to be a monumental failure

Yup, our very own Victor correctly pointed out (days before the unveiling) that the ultra-thin S25 Edge should cost less than a Galaxy S Plus ($999), not more.

And here we are: roughly five months after launching its first ultra-thin flagship, Samsung appears to be rethinking its strategy following weak sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge. The upcoming S26 Edge has reportedly been scrapped, marking a quiet end for the short-lived Edge line.

Despite heavy discounts, the S25 Edge has sold just 1.3 million units since release, far behind the S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra models.

Samsung had initially planned for the S26 Edge to replace the Plus model, but disappointing performance forced a change in direction. Although development of the S26 Edge was reportedly completed, its launch now seems unlikely, with only a limited regional release still possible (maybe in Korea?) – so don't act surprised next year.

Meanwhile, its arch-enemy, the iPhone Air by Apple, is doing just fine. Yes, it's not the revolutionary gadget that some dreamed it would be, and recent reports claimed that Apple is reducing production of the iPhone Air by about 1 million units following weaker-than-expected demand.

However, the iPhone Air – the sandwiched sibling, if you like – has apparently managed to outperform its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Plus, in overall popularity. That was the goal all along: the iPhone mini models weren't a hit, the Plus wasn't great in sales either. The $999 Air model is probably what Apple will stick to in the near future.

Maybe in the US and in Europe the iPhone Air is not getting much love, but in China, it's a hit – Apple's slimmest iPhone ever just sold out, as we told you the other day.

What about the Galaxy S26 Ultra?

The aforementioned side story about the Galaxy S25 Edge is pretty important: that's the situation Samsung's phone division finds itself in right now.

This situation calls for well-thought-out steps ahead, not bold chest-beating and taking risks. But, Samsung is about to do just that – try to defy the odds – and not with a novel gadget (like the Edge), but with the best of the best, the beloved and upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Once again, Rumorsville has it that Samsung is finally bringing back its in-house Exynos chip to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, marking a major turnaround after years of Snapdragon exclusivity.



The new Exynos 2600, built on Samsung Foundry's 2 nm process, reportedly outperforms Apple's A19 Pro and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in AI, graphics, and multi-core performance.

This is great news for Samsung fans and Samsung's chip division, which faced years of setbacks with heat issues, poor yields, and public skepticism. After struggling with the Exynos 2500's delays and low production rates, the company might have finally found its breakthrough.

If the Exynos 2600 delivers on its leaked benchmarks, Samsung could reestablish itself as a serious chipmaker, signaling a new era for both the Galaxy lineup and Samsung Foundry's reputation.

However, that's a big "if", but that's not the biggest problem. Don't get me wrong – I hope the Exynos 2600 is as good as foretold, but I think that even if it is, people won't know it right away. That's the risk. I think people won't automatically trust the Exynos 2600-equipped S26 Ultra, but would either skip it in favor of a Snapdragon-equipped flagship, or wait for reviews to drop. But this could easily take its toll on Samsung's pre-order phase.

I'm not speculating, I'm observing what many of you express in our own PhoneArena polls:



This is why I wonder:

Why not debut the Exynos 2600 in another device first?

Samsung could have easily tested the waters with the Exynos 2600 in a less critical phone – say, the upcoming Galaxy S26 or S26 Plus – before risking its crown jewel on an unproven chip. The Ultra is supposed to be the ultimate phone, the one that showcases the best Samsung has to offer, not a proving ground for a new processor.

The stakes are simply too high if early adopters find inconsistencies or performance gaps compared to Snapdragon models. But then again, there's a reason behind this bold move: the Exynos 2600 is probably much cheaper for Samsung than sourcing Snapdragon chips.

Cost efficiency, to put it diplomatically, might be the real driver here, and in a market where margins are getting thinner, that's a gamble Samsung seems willing to take.

So, are you getting the S26 Ultra with an Exynos 2600?

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