Samsung's Galaxy S26 Pro could bitterly disappoint everyone excited about that name
There's nothing exciting or groundbreaking about next year's Samsung Galaxy S26 Pro... apart from the handset's name, at least according to a typically reliable social media tipster.
Despite reportedly carrying a moniker that seemed to suggest some major upgrades over the "base" Galaxy S25 were in the pipeline, the Galaxy S26 Pro is slowly but surely shaping up to be a disappointment in many key departments. Several of those are actually mentioned in a new social media post by a generally trustworthy Samsung leaker, who goes so far as to predict that the handset's biggest upgrade will simply prove to be... its name.
No Pro-grade cameras, display, or anything "really new"
Just in case you missed one of the biggest Samsung-related news stories of the last few months, let me make it perfectly clear that the company is expected to replace this year's 6.2-inch Galaxy S25 with a Pro-branded device in next year's Galaxy S26 lineup.
The S26 Pro is likely to great resemble the S25, at least in terms of specs and components. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
But the S26 Pro is apparently likely to keep its non-Pro predecessor's screen size virtually unchanged while also retaining the 1080p display resolution and not doing enough (at least in PhoneArt's view) to improve the performance of the S25's rear-facing camera system.
In line with a report from a few months ago, the Galaxy S26 Pro (which was back then still referred to as the Galaxy S26) is tipped to use a "new model" for its main camera (read a different sensor than the S25's Isocell GN3), but apparently, the sensor size will not grow, which is not a good sign for the real-life skills of the 50MP snapper.
What name should Samsung choose for the S25's sequel?
I like Galaxy S26 Pro even if the phone is not that great
6.6%
Keep it simple - Galaxy S26
76.42%
I don't care about names anyway
16.98%
Perhaps more interestingly, the S26 Pro is today predicted to replace the S25's 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens with a mysterious second 50MP sensor... that's however described as "useless." Meanwhile, the 10MP telephoto camera used by Samsung "for ages" is reportedly set to not go anywhere or gain any notable improvements, and the same might be true for all of the phone's other key specs and components.
Could the Galaxy S26 Pro still fend off the iPhone 17?
No, it's probably not fair to compare what's likely to be the humblest member of Samsung's 2026 ultra-high-end handset family with the iPhone 17 Pro... even though the company is obviously going to walk right into that trap with this very confusing branding choice.
It's still early days, but the S26 Pro sounds inferior to the iPhone 17 in many crucial ways. | Image Credit -- Apple
Instead, the S26 Pro will almost certainly go up against the non-Pro iPhone 17, which looks all but guaranteed to win the screen resolution, camera performance, and possibly, even the charging speed battle.
That clearly spells trouble for the world's top smartphone vendor, which is unlikely to be able to hold on to that industry-leading position much longer. Of course, Samsung could well surpass Apple in global shipments once again after the initial wave of enthusiasm around the iPhone 17 series dies down, but not if the Galaxy S26 trio is a flop.
Can the Galaxy S26 be salvaged?
I (strongly) believe so. After all, no device can be doomed several months ahead of its launch. But in my opinion, Samsung needs to make a few crucial decisions soon, starting with... scrapping the Galaxy S26 Pro name.
No, the Galaxy S25's sequel is probably not doomed... yet. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
It's okay, we all get ideas sometimes that initially sound good, but ultimately prove to make no sense, and the most important thing when that happens is to admit that you were wrong, and if possible, revise your error before it's too late.
Well, it's definitely not too late for Samsung to decide to label the "vanilla" S25's sequel as simply the Galaxy S26 and leave the "Pro" tag for a later time when a true competitor to the likes of the iPhone 17 Pro and Google's Pixel 10 Pro is ready to see daylight.
Until then, Samsung should also work on making the S26's cameras better than the S25's (in easily noticeable ways), as well as bumping up the charging speeds to 45W and expanding the battery capacity to 4,200 or 4,300mAh. If all of that happens, I think the Galaxy S26 (Pro) can still be a hit, although possibly not one as big as the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is actually expected by many reliable tipsters and insiders to bring quite a few interesting upgrades to the table over the S25 Ultra.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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