Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25: Expected differences
The Galaxy S26 is right around the corner. How does it compare to the previous generation?
Samsung is gearing up to announce its Galaxy S26 series, and despite some rumors pointing toward a Galaxy S26 Pro model, the latest information suggests that such model doesn't exist and we're getting a vanilla S26 once again.
The new phone will most likely come with a slightly updated design, a new chipset, a bigger battery, and probably a brighter screen. Today, we're trying to neatly arrange everything we know about the upcoming Galaxy S26 and put it next to all the information about the previous base flagship—the Galaxy S25.
What are the changes? Should you upgrade if you own the last model? Read on to find out!
Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25 expected differences:
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Similar design, slightly different camera housing | Small and compact, separate cutouts for the rear cameras |
| Faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset | Last generation Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, still plenty of power |
| Bigger 6.3-inch display | 6.2-inch screen, more compact phone |
| 16GB of RAM, 4GB more than the S25 | 12GB of RAM on all memory configurations |
| Improved 50MP ultrawide camera | The old 12MP ultrawide |
| Bigger 4,300 mAh battery | Slightly smaller 4,000 mAh battery |
| Qi2 support with magnets on the back | Regular wireless charging |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Back to oval one
Leaked renders of the Galaxy S26 | Image by OnLeaks
We already have some leaked renders of the Galaxy S26 and know what the phone will look like. The biggest change is Samsung changing the camera isle, or should we say introducing a pill-shaped one, after several generations with separate camera cutouts on the back.
Speaking of previous generations, the Galaxy S25 features the aforementioned design, and it's also a bit more compact, thanks to the smaller screen. Rumor has it that the Galaxy S26 will come equipped with a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.2 inches on the S25), which will make the phone larger and potentially heavier.
Speaking of previous generations, the Galaxy S25 features the aforementioned design, and it's also a bit more compact, thanks to the smaller screen. Rumor has it that the Galaxy S26 will come equipped with a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.2 inches on the S25), which will make the phone larger and potentially heavier.
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Thickness 6.96 mm | Thickness 7.2 mm |
| Dimensions 149.3 x 71.4 | Dimensions 146.9 x 70.5 |
| Weight - | Weight 162 grams |
In terms of materials, we don't expect huge changes. The Galaxy S26 will most likely rely on the same glass-metal sandwich as the previous generations, including the S25. We might see a different version of the Gorilla Glass protection on the front and back. In comparison, the S25 comes equipped with Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
We still don't have any information on the color palette of the Galaxy S26, other than the deep blue hue we saw on the renders. It looks quite similar to the Navy blue S25 color, but we have to wait and see. The S25, on the other hand, is available in a plethora of hues, including Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold, Coral Red, and Blue Black.
We still don't have any information on the color palette of the Galaxy S26, other than the deep blue hue we saw on the renders. It looks quite similar to the Navy blue S25 color, but we have to wait and see. The S25, on the other hand, is available in a plethora of hues, including Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold, Coral Red, and Blue Black.
Display Differences
Modern flagships are growing bigger and bigger each year, and the Galaxy S26 seems to be following the same trend. We expect the device to have a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display. There's no information on resolution, pixel density, or brightness yet, but we suspect the S26 will be very close to its predecessor in terms of display tech.
The Galaxy S25 features a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, resulting in around 416 PPI pixel density. Samsung cites 2600 nits of peak brightness, and in our display test we measured 2394 nits at 20% APL, which is an impressive result.
The Galaxy S25 features a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, resulting in around 416 PPI pixel density. Samsung cites 2600 nits of peak brightness, and in our display test we measured 2394 nits at 20% APL, which is an impressive result.
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Size 6.3" | Size 6.2" |
| Brightness 3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 2600 nits (peak) |
*rumored
The leaked renders of the Galaxy S26 show more or less the same bezel around the screen in terms of size, and we expect the same ultrasonic fingerprint reader from the S25 to make an appearance on the new model.
Performance and Software
Snapdragon for some, Exynos for others
The Samsung Galaxy S26 will serve as a testbed for the Exynos 2600 chipset but in some markets (such as China and the US), the phone will launch with the next-gen Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It's a real powerhouse and early benchmarks show Geekbench 6 single- and multicore scores around 3800 and 12400 respectively.
In comparison, the Galaxy S25 features the previous version of that silicon, the first "Elite" chip from Qualcomm. The phone managed 3031 and 9621 in the same Geekbench 6 single- and multicore tests. We'll run the tests on the S26 once it lands in our lab.
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Exynos 2600 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Process 3nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 16/128GB 16/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 12/128GB 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
In terms of RAM, the new model will expand the memory to 16GB from the 12GB on the S25. The on board storage configurations are expected to remain the same (although there are some rumors about Samsung dropping the 128GB version).
Given the Galaxy S26 is expected to launch late January 2026, the operating system on board will be Android 16 with Samsung's OneUI 8 on top. Both the S25 and the S26 are coming with a seven-year software support pledge, but the S26 will be supported one year longer, being the newer device.
Camera
Ultrawide upgrades
Samsung has been reluctant in bringing camera upgrades to the base model in the past couple of generations, but we expect a brand-new ultrawide camera to make an appearance on the Galaxy S26. According to the latest rumors, it features a 50MP sensor, but there's no further information at the moment. We suspect the other two cameras will be carried over from the S25.
Speaking of, the S25 features a triple camera system on its back, including one 50MP wide camera, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide. The front camera is a 12MP snapper, and we expect it on the S26 as well.
Speaking of, the S25 features a triple camera system on its back, including one 50MP wide camera, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide. The front camera is a 12MP snapper, and we expect it on the S26 as well.
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" | Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/1.7 13 mm | Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" |
| Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.94" | Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.94" |
The Galaxy S25 scored 147 (out of 158) in our composite camera benchmark, and given the new ultrawide camera on the S26, we expect this score to go a bit higher. We'll snap some side-by-side samples once the S26 lands in our lab.
Battery Life and Charging
300 mAh more
The Galaxy S26 is expected to come equipped with a 4,300 mAh battery. And while this is an upgrade compared to the 4,000 mAh cell inside the Galaxy S25, it's still on the lower side by modern flagship standards. The world is slowly adopting silicon-carbon tech (the OnePlus 15 is expected to feature a huge 7,300 mAh battery), and Samsung is lagging behind.
The Galaxy S25 managed a battery life estimate of 7h 6m, which put it at 66th place among phones tested in the past 2 years. We expect a slightly better result from the Galaxy S26, but don't hold your breath. 300 mAh can only do so much. Again, stay tuned for tests and some hard numbers here soon.
The Galaxy S25 managed a battery life estimate of 7h 6m, which put it at 66th place among phones tested in the past 2 years. We expect a slightly better result from the Galaxy S26, but don't hold your breath. 300 mAh can only do so much. Again, stay tuned for tests and some hard numbers here soon.
| Galaxy S26* | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Battery size 4,300 mAh | Battery size 4,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C 3.0 | Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C 2.0 |
Charging is expected to remain unchanged, at least based on the information we have at the moment, which is a bit disappointing. The Galaxy S25 supports 25W of wired charging power and fills its battery from zero to full in 1 hour and 22 minutes.
The Galaxy S26 is expected to jump on the Qi2 train, offering magnets on its back to help with wireless charging alignment, and we expect a slew of MagSafe-like accessories to begin showing up once the new phone goes official.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs overview of the two phones. For a detailed Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25 specs comparison follow the link.
|
|
| Samsung Galaxy S26 | Samsung Galaxy S25 |
Design
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm (~8.45 mm with camera bump) | |
| Weight | |
| 162.0 g | |
Display
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.2-inch | 6.2-inch |
| Type | |
| Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
Hardware
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite SM8750-AB (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/128GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB | 12GB (LPDDR5X)/128GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB |
| OS | |
| Android (16), up to 7 OS updates | Android (15), up to 7 OS updates |
Battery
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W | Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
Camera
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung GN3 Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm | 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung GN3 Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Sensor name: Sony IMX564 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm | 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Sensor name: Sony IMX564 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 10 MP (Telephoto) Sensor name: Samsung S5K3K1 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 67 mm Sensor size: 1/3.94" Pixel size: 1.0 μm | 10 MP (Telephoto) Sensor name: Samsung S5K3K1 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 67 mm Sensor size: 1/3.94" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
| Front | |
| 12 MP (HDR) | 12 MP (HDR) |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | |
|---|---|
| 5.4 | 5.4 |
| WLAN | |
| a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax | a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax |
| USB | |
| Type-C, USB 3.2 | Type-C, USB 3.2 |
| Sensors | |
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Hearing aid compatible | |
| M3/T4 | M3/T4 |
| Location | |
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Other | |
| NFC, Ultra Wideband (UWB) | NFC, Ultra Wideband (UWB) |
See the full
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
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Summary
Even at this early stage it seems that we're gearing up for the next incremental upgrade with the Galaxy S26. We're not sure if the new 50MP ultrawide camera and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 are enough to justify an upgrade, especially from the previous generation, but we'll have to wait and test the device ourselves before jumping to conclusions.
Next to the Galaxy S25, this phone looks like a minor step up, and you probably shouldn't upgrade if you already own the S25. On the other hand, if you're coming from an older Galaxy or switching from an iPhone, the S26 is shaping up to be an excellent choice.
We will update this comparison with tests, benchmarks, and samples once the Galaxy S26 arrives in our lab, so stay tuned for a final verdict soon.
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