Now that the 2025 foldables from Samsung have arrived, it is time to pivot our consideration onto the Samsung Galaxy S26. The S26 launch should still be a number of months out, however we’re nonetheless desperate to see what Samsung has in retailer for 2026 — and the way it should push its flagship units ahead.
It is nonetheless fairly early within the Galaxy S26 rumor cycle, so there are many issues we do not know in regards to the upcoming lineup. However we’ve began listening to some murmurs about what to anticipate, which is able to solely enhance as we get nearer to 2026. One noteworthy rumor suggests Samsung might revert again to releasing three telephones as an alternative of 4, because it did with the Galaxy S25 — however which three?
This is what we all know in regards to the Samsung Galaxy S26 to this point.
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Samsung Galaxy S26: Cheat Sheet
Samsung Galaxy S26: Potential launch date and worth
(Picture credit score: Future)
Whereas we do not have a particular launch date for the Galaxy S26, we do know that Samsung typically sticks to the identical launch window every year. As of late, Samsung’s new flagships sometimes arrive towards the tip of January and begin of February with a Galaxy Unpacked occasion going down across the begin of the yr. A wider launch sometimes follows two weeks later.
This transient window additionally means the discharge lands between January’s CES and MWC on the finish of February. In different phrases, Samsung schedules the Unpacked launch occasion at a time when it should dominate the limelight. It is also timed in order that Samsung can declare to have the primary telephones arriving at the beginning of the yr, although lately OnePlus has crushed it to the punch by just a few weeks, no less than in China.
For what it is price, the Unpacked 2025 occasion that gave us the Galaxy S25 launch befell on January 22. The 2024 version occurred on January 17. Each of these occasions befell in San Jose, Calif.
As for the Galaxy S26 worth, we won’t make certain proper now as that info tends to emerge nearer to the launch occasion itself. However one piece of fine information is that the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is reportedly going to be the identical worth as the unique Elite chipset. That provides Samsung one much less element to have to fret about paying extra for, and a greater likelihood that costs will keep static.
Costs on Samsung flagships at present begin at $799 for the Galaxy S25. The Plus mannequin prices $999 whereas the Galaxy S25 Edge debuted at $1,099. The Galaxy S25 Extremely is the most costly telephone within the lineup, beginning at $1,299.
Samsung Galaxy S26: What fashions will Samsung launch?
The arrival of the Galaxy S25 Edge within the spring introduced the variety of Galaxy S25 fashions to 4. And that is earlier than the discharge of the Galaxy S25 FE, which some folks count on to see later this yr. The phrases is, that Samsung might trim down the variety of entries within the Galaxy S26 lineup.
Particularly, the Galaxy S25 Plus might have been the final mannequin of its form. As a substitute, Samsung is rumored to be changing the Plus with a Galaxy S26 Edge — much like how Apple is reportedly changing the iPhone 17 Plus with the iPhone 17 Air when its new telephones arrive this fall.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Design and show
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
Sadly the S26 might comply with the instance set by the just-released Galaxy Z Fold 7, and ditch the S Pen stylus. In accordance with leaker PandaFlashPro, Samsung might ditch the digitizer layer within the display screen to supply true magnetic Qi2 wi-fi charging — one thing the S25 sequence lacks.
With out that layer, the present S Pen will not work. Nonetheless there may be some hypothesis that Samsung might have a special digitizer-free stylus, although it could possible be too massive to retailer contained in the telephone itself.
Samsung can also be ditching the hole-punch digital camera within the S26 Extremely, with leaker Kro_roe claiming that an below show digital camera is on the way in which. We now have our doubts, because the below show digital camera was lately faraway from the Z Fold 7, however it might imply that the Extremely mannequin lastly will get the uninterrupted show we have been dreaming about.
As for the remainder of the S26 design, a report from well-known leaker Ice Universe means that the Galaxy S26 Extremely will not look all that completely different from the Galaxy S25 Extremely. That leaker says we are able to count on some additional top and width, decrease weight, and the identical 6.9-inch show.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Cameras
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
The primary main digital camera rumor we have heard in regards to the 2026 Samsung flagships claims that the entry-level Galaxy S26 will retain the 50MP major digital camera for one more yr. That mentioned, we may even see a model new sensor, one which’s bigger than earlier than to seize extra mild — one thing that may vastly profit image high quality in several situations.
The larger change might come to the Galaxy S26 Extremely, which can up the ante on the telephoto lens. Some rumors promise a 200MP zooming digital camera with 5x magnification. The trademark secondary telephoto lens on the Extremely can also be reported to get a lift to 50MP, with 3.5x optical magnification. Nonetheless all that pales compared in comparison with rumors of a 324MP major digital camera — although that could be a bit extreme.
Additional hypothesis claims the S26 Extremely may even see the return of variable aperture, one thing we’ve not seen on a Galaxy since 2019. The previous implementation was so much much less versatile than what different telephone makers, like Xiaomi, have provided lately. So it will be thrilling to see what Samsung can do with it.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Efficiency
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Because the Galaxy S25 sequence runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, our guess is that Samsung would go for the following technology Snapdragon chip for the S26 — which we assume would be the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2.
Given how highly effective the Elite chipset has confirmed itself, how a lot better will the Elite 2 be? One rumor by Digital Chat Station suggests the brand new chipset might be significantly extra highly effective — with a 4.6GHz CPU and 1.2 GHz GPU — a rise from the 4.47GHz CPU within the present Elite. This does not inform us so much, however sometimes the upper the clock pace, the higher the chip might be.
Nonetheless there was some hypothesis that Samsung might return to utilizing Exynos chipsets, because it did with the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Sadly, Exynos chips typically include weaker efficiency, as showcased by a comparability of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered Motorola Razr Extremely.
Whereas it is unclear how widespread this alteration is perhaps, previous releases have seen Samsung solely supply telephones powered by Qualcomm chips in North America, with the remainder of the world getting Exynos chips as an alternative.
The very fact Qualcomm Snapdragon chips have been extra broadly out there the previous few years is extra of a blip in comparison with the earlier development — reportedly as a consequence of chip shortages and points manufacturing 3nm Exynos {hardware}. Leaker Jukanlosreve claims that the S26 will depend on the Exynos 2600, one technology newer than the 2500 within the Z Flip 7.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Battery and charging
(Picture credit score: Future)
There have been a bunch of Galaxy S26 battery rumors to this point, and none of them can appear to agree on what to anticipate from the three telephones within the lineup. The earliest recommended that we may even see the telephones include silicon carbon battery chemistry, which gives a lot greater energy density than peculiar lithium-ion batteries.
That will primarily imply extra battery capability with out taking over extra space. It might additionally translate to a smaller bodily battery that frees up room for different issues. All of it is determined by which means Samsung needs every part to run.
Some studies declare that Samsung might enhance the battery capability to someplace between 6,000 mAh and seven,000 mAh — which might be an unimaginable leap upwards. Sadly later rumors recommended that the Extremely mannequin would not exceed 5,400 mAh. Whereas bigger than the 5,000 mAh battery within the Galaxy S25 Extremely, it is not fairly the spectacular enhance from these earlier studies, even whether it is much more plausible.
Within the months since then, we have heard that the battery will not be getting any form of enhance in any respect, with Ice Universe claiming that the S26 Extremely can have the identical 5,000 mAh battery as earlier Galaxy Extremely fashions.
Fortunately Ice Universe additionally claims that the charging pace will lastly exceed 45W — later claiming it could hit 60W. Whereas that is one thing of a meme at this level, it is about time Samsung pushed the charging charge to one thing that may higher rival its Chinese language counterparts.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Software program
(Picture credit score: Samsung)
One large change that could possibly be occurring with Galaxy AI is help for different third get together chatbots — not simply Gemini and Bixby. Choi Gained-Joon, the president and COO of Samsung’s cellular division confirmed to Bloomberg that talks have been occurring, however did not specify which (if any) third events might come to Galaxy AI.
Bloomberg notes that Samsung is “nearing a deal” with Perplexity, which might additionally see Samsung put money into the corporate.
Naturally, we assume that AI will play an enormous function within the Galaxy S26’s software program, which we’re guessing will include a model of One UI 8. Nonetheless at this early stage it is not possible to say what extra adjustments we would see from the telephones.
Samsung Galaxy S26: Outlook
At this early stage, there’s nonetheless so much we do not know in regards to the Galaxy S26 lineup, although the rumors are slowly portray an image of the form of telephone we should always count on. Anybody hoping for a dramatically different-looking set of units goes to be upset, although to this point the potential upgrades do sound constructive.
The rumored lack of the Plus mannequin does intrigue us, particularly when you think about that it has been inching ever nearer to the Extremely mannequin for the previous few years. So the inclusion of the Edge as part of the principle trio could possibly be a really fascinating behind-the-scenes shakeup.
However for now there’s nonetheless so much we do not know in regards to the telephones — and we’ll have to attend and see what future rumors and leaks maintain.
