Although Samsung has only just unveiled its latest flagship phones for 2025, rumours are already emerging about their successors.
January’s Galaxy Unpacked event brought the latest Galaxy S25 series, and it’s certainly one that all eyes will be on for some time.
For some, however, it’s not as exciting as they’d hoped. If that’s you, your attention might have already shifted to next year’s Galaxy S26 series.
Here’s everything we know at this point, including release date, price and specs.
When will the Samsung Galaxy S26 series be released?
If Samsung adheres to its typical release schedule, we can expect the Galaxy S26 series to launch sometime in early 2026, likely in January or February.
This aligns with the release windows of previous S series flagships:
- Samsung Galaxy S25 – January 2025
- Samsung Galaxy S25+ – January 2025
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – January 2025
- Samsung Galaxy S24 – January 2024
- Samsung Galaxy S24+ – January 2024
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – January 2024
- Samsung Galaxy S23 – February 2023
- Samsung Galaxy S23+ – February 2023
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – February 2023
- Samsung Galaxy S22 – February 2022
- Samsung Galaxy S22+ – February 2022
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – February 2022
As you can see, the new Galaxy devices usually make their debut at the start of the year, and we don’t expect things to be any different in 2026.
Luke Baker / Foundry
Rumours suggest a potential shift in naming conventions. However, Samsung may stop offering the standard Galaxy S model after the S25 series, leaving only the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra in 2026.
According to Yogesh Brar, the S26 Ultra might be rebranded as the S26 Note, emphasising its S Pen integration. Similarly, the S26+ could be renamed the S26 Pro, aligning with the growing trend of ‘Pro’ models seen across various phone brands.
I’m not sure how the naming would work here, as an S26+ or S26 Pro would make no sense if there’s no S26. If Samsung does kill off the S26, I expect the more powerful S26+ model to ditch its “+” rather than switch to the S26. However, I just can’t see this actually panning out.
Given the new S25 Edge isn’t expected until April, its successor may arrive around the same time in 2026. Though concrete details are yet to be revealed, this seems to be the Slim model that was widely rumoured before the Galaxy S25 launch. If Samsung does kill off the regular S26, perhaps a second-gen Edge handset could take its place to keep three options in the main lineup.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy S26 series cost?
Pricing for the Galaxy S26 series remains purely speculative at this stage. However, prices will probably experience a slight increase from the S25 series.
This is a common trend in the phone market, driven by factors such as rising component costs, ongoing inflation, and the inclusion of increasingly advanced technologies.
Luke Baker / Foundry
There’s also the possibility that prices will remain the same, however. As a reminder, the Galaxy S25 series costs the same as the Galaxy S24 series:
Galaxy S25
- 128GB – £799/$799.99
- 256GB – £859/$859.99
Galaxy S25+
- 256GB – £999/$999.99
- 512GB – £1,099/$1,119.99
Galaxy S25 Ultra
- 256GB – £1,249/$1,299.99
- 512GB – £1,349/$1,419.99
- 1TB – £1,549/$1,659.99
What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy S26 series have?
Despite being so far away from its expected launch, plenty of Galaxy S26 series rumours have already emerged.
Design
Beyond potential name changes, there is currently no confirmed information regarding specific design elements such as materials (glass, metal, or a combination), colour options, or overall aesthetic choices.
It remains to be seen whether a titanium build will remain exclusive to the Ultra, or whether a potential Edge model could adopt it too.
Luke Baker / Foundry
Given that Samsung has changed the design slightly on the Galaxy S25 series, from the Galaxy S24 series, its successor is likely to have the same look. That said, I hope we see a return to the Galaxy S24’s S Pen rather than the less impressive version that shipped with the Galaxy S25.
Display
According to The Elec, a significant development could be the integration of Colour-filter-on-thin-film-encapsulation (CoE) technology into the S26 Ultra’s display.
This technology has the potential to make the display thinner, brighter, and more energy-efficient.
Luke Baker / Foundry
However, details regarding display size, resolution, refresh rate, and the inclusion of advanced features such as under-display cameras or fingerprint sensors remain unknown at this time.
According to trusted leaker X leaker Jukanlosreve, Samsung will “definitely” return to prioritising the use of its own Exynos processors in the S26 series.
Korean site The Bell also reports that Samsung is putting a lot of resources into “timely mass production of the Exynos 2600”, presumably in time for the Galaxy S26 series.
The highly-regarded Financial News agrees, reporting that Samsung is putting so many resources into ensuring the Exynos 2600 is ready for the Galaxy S26, that there’s an entire taskforce dedicated to it.
However, it’s unclear if this would include North America, which has exclusively used Snapdragon chipsets in recent years even when Exynos powered non-Ultra models in Europe.
Leaker Jukanlosreve agrees, sharing that “the chip volume is so limited that it’ll likely be similar to the Exynos 990 situation.” For those that don’t remember, the Exynos 990 chipset was scarcely available when the Galaxy S20 launched. But, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the processor was underpowered compared to its Snapdragon counterpart.
Luke Baker / Foundry
So, it’s also likely that the Galaxy S26 series will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 in some capacity.
Information regarding specific processors, RAM configurations, and storage options is currently unavailable.
Cameras
According to Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, the S26 Ultra may feature a cutting-edge 200Mp periscope telephoto camera, up from 50Mp on the S25 Ultra. Reputable tipster PandaFlash agrees, but stresses there will only be one 200Mp sensor rather than two.
This would align Samsung with a growing trend among Chinese phone manufacturers who are increasingly incorporating high-resolution periscope lenses into their flagship devices. It’d be great to see the S26 Ultra get such a meaningful telephoto upgrade.
Well-known Twitter tipster, Ice Universe, has reported that the S26’s primary camera could come with a variable aperture. This would adapt to different lighting conditions, improving both bright daylight shots and low-light performance.
There are multiple ways that Samsung could implement this feature. The tech giant could go for a dual-aperture option ? la the Galaxy S9 (from back in 2019). Or, more likely, Samsung could follow Xiaomi’s lead with the 14 Ultra and let you pick from multiple aperture options.
Luke Baker / Foundry
However, the front-facing camera might not be so impressive. According to leaker ‘kro’ on X, the S26 Ultra will feature a UDC (Under Display Camera) on the front, eliminating the punch-hole selfie camera we see on the S25 Ultra.
The problem? Every under-display selfie lens currently on the market offers mediocre image quality at best, including Samsung’s own Galaxy Z Fold 6. We’d have to see a major upgrade to make it good enough for people who enjoy high-quality selfies.
However, leaker PandaFlash suggests it’s “impossible” that Samsung will introduce an under-display selfie camera on its Ultra phone “within the next 2-3 years”.
Details on the camera systems for the rest of the S26 series, including sensor sizes, video recording capabilities, and specific camera features such as advanced AI photography modes, remain under wraps.
Battery & Charging
Citing Weibo tipster Ice Universe, Jukanlosreve said on X/Twitter that silicon-carbon battery technology is a potential contender for the S26 series. The Financial News in Korea suggests the same, believing it could boost battery capacities up to the 6000-7000mAh range.
This technology also holds the promise of higher energy density, potentially leading to improved battery life and faster charging speeds.
However, leaker PandaFlash claims the S26 Ultra’s battery won’t be larger than 5500mAh, even suggesting they’ll delete their X (formerly Twitter) account if it’s 6000mAh or larger.
Luke Baker / Foundry
As a reminder, even the top-end Galaxy S25 Ultra is limited to a 5000mAh battery with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless.
Software
The S26 series is expected to launch with Android 16 as its operating system. Samsung will likely overlay it with its custom user interface, which is expected to be known as One UI 8.
Specific software features, user interface enhancements, and the extent of security updates are yet to be announced, but you can expect even more new Galaxy AI features.
Luke Baker / Foundry
Samsung is also likely to continue with its class-leading promise of seven years of both OS and security updates for all the Galaxy S26 phones.
That’s all we currently know about the Galaxy S26 series. We’ll update this article when we learn something new.
Interested in one of Samsung’s current flagships? Pre-order the Galaxy S25 at Samsung right now? or? find out what the best S25 deals are in our dedicated article.
Topic: Samsung Galaxy S26 news: A return to Exynos chips? (Read 365 times)
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April 02, 2025, 07:22:38 PM