Earlier this year, Samsung was rumored to finally upgrade the memory options of the Galaxy S26 phones, but that might not be the case. A new rumor claims that the company may continue the strategy it used for the Galaxy S25 series.
Galaxy S26 will stick to 12 GB RAM, with one exception
Samsung’s next line of flagship smartphones may feature 12 GB RAM across all models sold outside of China. According to a leak by Ice Universe on X, the company will offer a version of the Galaxy S26 Ultra with more RAM, but it’ll be only available in China.
The vanilla Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Plus may be offered in versions with 256 or 512 GB storage and 12 GB RAM in all countries. The Galaxy S26 Ultra may have a 1 TB storage option with 12 GB RAM, which will be available globally. Users in China will also be able to get a version of the ultra flagship with 1 TB storage and 16 GB RAM.
More of the same
The Galaxy S25 also featured 12GB RAM. | Image credit – PhoneArena
Samsung has offered better versions of its products in certain markets several times before. Snapdragon-powered versions of its flagship phones were previously sold in the US and a few other regions, while most of the world got Exynos variants, which often offered worse performance. The company has also sold the Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE exclusively in China.
This year’s Galaxy S25 series offers the same memory and storage configurations as the rumored variants for the Galaxy S26 family. On a brighter note, the company is rumored to equip next year’s flagships with faster RAM, which may reach up to 10.5 Gbps and offer various camera performance improvements.
Apple also offers slightly different versions of the iPhone 17 across different markets. The iPhone 17 devices sold in the US and some other markets only support eSIM, which allows them to pack larger batteries than the nano-SIM versions sold in most of the world. However, the rest of the specs are the same everywhere.
It’s not about the quantity
I think the faster RAM is the more important upgrade of the Galaxy S26 series, and I’m not that disappointed that Samsung isn’t giving us 16 GB RAM on all devices. What I don’t like is the difference between what the company offers in different markets. I know Chinese users are more sensitive to the numbers in the spec sheet, but the discrepancy is still annoying.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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