Samsung's Galaxy S26 series might go in a new direction without the standard model
Galaxy S24 | Image credit – PhoneArena
Starting with the Galaxy S26 series, the standard model could become history
According to Ice Universe, a well-known tipster for Galaxy news, Samsung might drop the vanilla Galaxy S26 from its lineup. In a post on X, the tipster suggests that, much like the Galaxy Tab S10 series, Samsung could focus solely on the Plus and Ultra models. The reasoning? The base Galaxy S models just aren’t stacking up well against similarly priced smartphones from major Chinese brands.
When OPPO Find X8 is released, you will find that one of the characteristics of the new flagship in 2024 is that it is small and powerful. Chinese brands are much better at making small-sized mobile phones than Samsung and Apple. You will realize that Galaxy S25 is no longer…
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) October 1, 2024
Another Chinese brand, vivo, is gearing up to launch its next flagship series, the X200. According to several reports, this lineup will introduce not only the vanilla X200 and the X200 Pro but also a new mini model that promises to be more compact while still delivering the same powerhouse performance as the X200 Pro.
However, competition from China might not be the only thing to consider. Another factor at play could be the availability of the Galaxy S FE models, which provide many of the essential features found in the main Galaxy S devices but at a lower price point. I think it seems a bit redundant to have both a base Galaxy S and a Galaxy S FE, especially with the latest Galaxy S24 FE, where the specs are nearly identical and the price tags are getting alarmingly close.
However, it is still too soon to tell if Samsung will actually drop the standard Galaxy S26. The Galaxy S26 series isn’t set to launch until 2026, which means there is plenty of time for plans to shift before then.
Things that are NOT allowed: