Samsung’s Galaxy S handsets consistently rank among the best phones of any given year, so they’re always a source of excitement. That’s why, even though the Samsung Galaxy S26 line is still weeks away, we’re already looking ahead to what it might bring to the mobile table.
Plus, while Samsung’s latest phones – that’s the Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, Galaxy S26 Ultra – are undeniably superb, they also have room for improvement, as you’ll see in our Samsung Galaxy S26 review, our Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review and our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review.
With that in mind, we’ve created a wish list of all the key upgrades we want from the Samsung Galaxy S26 line, as well as a list of the biggest rumors that have already emerged about these upcoming best Samsung phone contenders.
Samsung Galaxy S26 latest rumors and leaks
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next non-foldable Samsung flagship
- When is it out? January 22
- How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
A possible price rise
- Being announced on January 22
- Might cost more than the current models
The Samsung Galaxy S26 release date is set to be January 22, as Samsung has confirmed that this is the date of its next Galaxy Unpacked event.
We were fairly sure of that date already though, as a launch poster listing that date had previously leaked.
Prior to that we’d also seen another leak pointing to a January 22 launch date for the Galaxy S26, with a third leak also pointing to that date.
Prior to all that a Samsung Galaxy S26 release date leak pointed to a launch on January 24, but due to the time difference in the places this leak originated from, it actually doesn’t conflict.
We’ve also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S26 series might ship on February 7.
However, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Slim will probably launch later, with most leaks now pointing to between April and June.
In any case, the Samsung Galaxy S26 price might be high, as it’s likely that in at least some regions these phones will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which itself is expected to have a price increase.
A more recent leak specifically suggested the Snapdragon 8 Elite might cost around $40 (roughly £30 / AU$60) more than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and a second Snapdragon 8 Elite leak said it would cost around 20% more than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
We’ve also now heard specifically that the price of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series might be slightly higher, with one source putting it at 150,000 won (roughly $105 / £80 / AU$165) higher than the S26.
On the other hand, a report in WinFuture stated that in Scandinavia at least the price wouldn’t be rising, which might mean it won’t rise in other regions either.
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S26 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, so that’s probably the absolute minimum you can expect to pay for the Galaxy S26. But if the Snapdragon 8 Elite does cost more than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, then Samsung will probably pass that price rise on to consumers. And, of course, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will also cost more than the base model.
For reference, the Galaxy S26 Plus starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,299.99 / £1,269 / AU$2,199, so you’ll probably be paying that much or more for the next models.
Can you trust these rumors?
A January 22 announcement is now confirmed, so that much we know to be true.
As for the price, Qualcomm itself has said its new flagship chipset is likely to cost more so this is almost certainly the case, and if it does then there’s a high chance the Samsung Galaxy S26 line will also increase in price.
A new name
- The Ultra might become the Note
- The Plus might become the Pro
- There might be a new, slimmer model
Before we get to design and spec rumors, we’ve interestingly heard that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Ultra might get new names.
A source claims that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could instead launch as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Note, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus might land as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Pro.
Additionally, there are reports that Samsung might add a fourth model to the mix, albeit one that could land a few months later. This would apparently be extremely thin, so we’re referring to it as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Slim for now. A model number for this fourth Galaxy S26 handset has also now been spotted, so it may well be real.
Can you trust these rumors?
We’re less sure of the naming claim than a lot of other leaks, not least because only one source has so far said the names might be changing.
That said, there’s some logic to it, since the latest Ultra models with their S Pen styluses are more like Galaxy Note handsets than the original Galaxy Ultras anyway.
Changing the Plus name to Pro though might require a spec boost, and could also lead to some confusion among buyers as to whether the Pro model or the Note is the top of the line.
As for a Samsung Galaxy S26 Slim, that would make sense as a competitor to Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Slim, but it’s also something we’ve not heard much about yet.
Refined designs
- “Significant design changes” rumored for the S26 line
- The Galaxy S26 Ultra could have a bigger screen and smaller bezels
- The S26 Ultra might also have rounded corners
In design news, leaker @Tech_Reve claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S26 will have “significant design changes.” So don’t count on these phones looking like the current models. Having said that, more recent likes suggest that we might be looking more at refinement than revolution.
As for what form these design changes might take, one tipster has claimed on X that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could have a slightly larger screen that’s closer to 6.9 inches than the 6.8 inches of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Reputable leaker @UniverseIce has echoed this claim, saying that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a 6.86-inch screen that’s slightly wider than the S26 Ultra’s at 73mm. However, thanks to shrinking the bezels and frame, the overall width of the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be marginally less than the S26 Ultra, at 77.6mm. In fact, the same source has since said the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will have smaller bezels than any other phone.
So in other words, the Galaxy S26 Ultra might have a bigger screen while achieving a smaller footprint (as it doesn’t appear taller either in their example images).
@UniverseIce has also claimed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could replace its sharp corners with new rounded edges, which could make it more comfortable to hold.
They have reiterated this claim since, and even provided a render of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which you can see above, complete with those rounded corners. Additional images of the Galaxy S26 Ultra have also since been shared by the same source, showing the same design again.
And the same source has also said that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have similar dimensions of 162.8mm x 77.6mm x 8.2mm.
We’ve also now seen additional unofficial Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra renders, showing a similar design to those above, with rounded corners and flat sides. This leak also mentions that the screen size will be the same as last year, and that the phone will be lighter at 219g.
In fact, a video of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has also now leaked, once again showing rounded corners, along with seemingly larger rings around the camera lenses.
The same source has since shared photos of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which you can see below.
An image of a case for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has also now leaked, and this likewise shows off more rounded corners but an otherwise similar design. And a second Galaxy S26 Ultra case image has leaked too, once again showing this design.
We’ve also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could use “second-generation” Corning Gorilla Armor Glass with anti-glare tech.
As for the standard Samsung Galaxy S26, we’ve seen leaked renders of that too, one of which you can see above.
These show a very similar design to the Samsung Galaxy S26, with a 6.17-inch screen that will once again probably be marketed as 6.2 inches.
However, there’s now a black ring around the camera lenses, and the bezels are slightly smaller, leading to apparently reduced dimensions of around 146.9 x 70.4 x 7.2mm, compared to the 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm Samsung Galaxy S26.
On the subject of dimensions, another leak has suggested the Galaxy S26 will be 146.94 x 70.46 x 7.26mm, the Galaxy S26 Plus will be 158.44 x 75.79 x 7.35mm, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be 162.82 x 77.65 x 8.26mm.
We’ve also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Slim might not be as thin as Samsung hoped, as that apparently didn’t leave enough space for a big enough battery, but there’s no word on exactly how thick the phone might be. Also on the subject of the S26 Slim, it could have a 6.66-inch screen.
Plus, a photo seemingly showing all three Samsung Galaxy S26 models has leaked. This shows that the Galaxy S26 Plus is almost as large as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, while the standard Galaxy S26 is unsurprisingly much smaller. You can also see that the Ultra has curvier corners than its predecessor, as previously rumored, and that all three phones might have small bezels.
And we’ve now seen cases for all three Samsung Galaxy S26 models, matching the leaked designs above. You can also see leaked photos of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus below, along with renders showing the front of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Image 1 of 2
We’ve also now heard screen details for all three Samsung Galaxy S26 models, with the Galaxy S26 itself said to have a 6.16-inch screen, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus a 6.66-inch one, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra a 6.86-inch one.
That’s in line with previous leaks, but this source adds that all three phones will use the same M13 display panels as the Galaxy S26 line, meaning the quality of the screens might not improve, and might not match the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, both of which use M14 panels.
And for Samsung Galaxy S26 colors, we’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy S26 colors could include Moon Night Blue, Silver Shadow, Sparkling Blue, and Sparkling Green, the Galaxy S26 Plus colors might be the same with the addition of Midnight Black, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could come in Titanium Black, Titanium Blue, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Silver shades.
Since then, the same source has come back with more Galaxy S26 series shades, this time ones that might be exclusive to Samsung’s store. These apparently include Pink Gold, Blue/Gold, and Coral Red for the Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, and Titanium Blue/Black, Titanium Jade Green, and Titanium Pink Gold for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.
That said, a slightly earlier leak disagreed, saying the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could be sold in Black, Blue, Green, and Titanium shades.
Another source also disagrees slightly on some of the names but is broadly in alignment on the selection, with leaker @theonecid claiming the Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus will be sold in Silver Shadow, Navy, Mint, and Iceblue shades, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will be sold in Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Black shades.
Ross Young for his part has since echoed those Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra color names, so those are looking likely, and @UniverseIce has detailed exactly how those Galaxy S26 Ultra colors might look, complete in most cases with contrasting frames.
Leaker Evan Blass has also chimed in, saying similarly that the Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus might be sold in Blue Black, Coral Red, Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Pink Gold, and Silver Shadow, while the S26 Ultra could be available in Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Jet Black, Titanium Pink Gold, Titanium Silver Blue, and Titanium White Silver.
We’ve also seen how the Sparkling Blue and Sparkling Green Galaxy S26 colors might look, and they’re surprisingly pale. Similarly, leaked images have shown the Galaxy S26 Plus and Ultra in blue. Another leak has also shown one of these blue shades.
Plus, leaked Samsung Galaxy S26 SIM card tray images show black, green, pale blue, dark blue, and white shades, while leaked Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra SIM card tray images show black, blue, silver, and gold options.
Can you trust these rumors?
Multiple sources have leaked design details that don’t conflict, so there’s a good chance the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a bigger screen, smaller bezels, and rounded corners, while the other models will look similar to their predecessors.
Numerous new cameras
- A new 200MP 1-inch camera for the Galaxy S26 Ultra
- A 10x telephoto and a 3-5x variable telephoto for the S26 Ultra
- A new 50MP ultra-wide camera for the S26 Ultra
Across several posts on X, leaker @BennettBuhner has claimed that the S26 Ultra could have a new 200MP main camera with a larger 1-inch sensor, plus an improved 50MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP 10x zoom telephoto camera, and a 50MP 3x-5x variable zoom telephoto camera.
They note, however, that these are incredibly early leaks, so we’d take them with a pinch of salt.
Since then, another source has pointed to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra having mostly similar cameras to its predecessor, including a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP 5x telephoto, and a 10MP 3x telephoto, but with a new 50MP ultra-wide.
As for the base Samsung Galaxy S26 cameras and those of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, TechManiacs claims that they’ll be the same as the current models, meaning a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide one, a 10MP telephoto snapper (with 3x optical zoom), and a 12MP front-facing camera.
We’ve also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Slim could have an ‘Ultra’ level camera, perhaps meaning the same 200MP snapper as the Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Can you trust these rumors?
We’re more inclined to trust the leak stating that only the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s ultra-wide camera will be changing than the earlier leak pointing to numerous changes, as that source doesn’t have much of a track record.
It’s believable that nothing would really be changing on the base and Plus models, but until more sources chime in we’d still take it with a pinch of salt.
And we’d take claims of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Slim having an ‘Ultra’ camera with a pinch of salt, as being so slim it might not have room for much camera hardware.
Three chipset choices
- Snapdragon, Exynos, and MediaTek chipsets are all rumored
- The Snapdragon 8 Elite now looks the most likely
- The Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra could have more RAM than their predecessors
With regards to the Samsung Galaxy S26 specs, and specifically the chipset set to power the Samsung Galaxy S26, things are a little unclear. Initially, it was thought that Samsung wanted to offer different chipsets in different regions with the Galaxy S26 line, as it did with the Galaxy S26 line.
Specifically, the company was reportedly planning to ship the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus with its own Exynos 2600 chipset in Europe, India and South Korea, while giving the US market Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite across the board.
Then, it became clear that Samsung was struggling to meet production demands for the Exynos 2600, which led tipsters to believe that the company might use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in every Galaxy S26 model, regardless of region.
More recently, though, we’ve heard that Samsung is considering turning to MediaTek for help with Galaxy S26 chipset production, owing to the high price demanded by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite. We’ve now also heard some Google employees suggest that MediaTek will be used in the Galaxy S26 line.
If indeed Samsung does pen a deal with MediaTek, it could mean that some Galaxy S26 models in Europe, India and South Korea are equipped with a MediaTek chip – presumably the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 – while others use Samsung’s own Exynos 2600.
As with the Galaxy S26 line, the US market will likely remain Qualcomm-exclusive across the board, and it’s also worth noting that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, specifically, looks set to be offered with the Snapdragon 8 Elite in every region.
We may still see every main model in every region use Snapdragon though, as according to one leak, Samsung will only put a MediaTek chipset in the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE. And another recent leak has also said the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be used in every main Galaxy S26 model. As recently as mid-November a leaker has again said the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be used globally.
All that said though, an even more recent leak in early December pointed to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus at least having an Exynos 2600 chipset, so there’s still uncertainty, though as of January 2026, another leak pointed again to Snapdragon being used in every S26 model.
In any case, whichever chipsets Samsung decides to use, it seems certain that the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be significantly more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with the now-announced chipset promising big boosts to gaming performance and AI capabilities.
An early benchmark for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra with this chipset even suggests it could be more powerful (at least in multi-core tests) than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and a second Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra benchmark shows even higher scores. We’ve also seen similarly high scores in a Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus benchmark.
However, a benchmark for the standard Samsung Galaxy S26 which also lists the Snapdragon 8 Elite has less impressive scores.
We’ve also heard that the Snapdragon 8 Elite might support faster RAM, which could allow phones equipped with that chipset to handle more AI tasks on device, and indeed we’re hearing that these phones will have lots of new AI features.
And speaking of RAM, multiple leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S26 might have 12GB of it (up from 8GB in the Galaxy S26), and the Galaxy S26 Ultra could have 16GB (up from 12GB in the previous model), with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus having 12GB, just like its predecessor.
However, a more detailed Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra RAM leak states that while there will be 16GB models (paired with a choice of 512GB or 1TB of storage), the base 266GB model will apparently only have 12GB of RAM. Another leak meanwhile states that 12GB will be the only RAM configuration for every S26 model, so there’s some disagreement here.
For storage, we’ve additionally heard that the Samsung Galaxy S26 might come in 128GB and 266GB configurations, while the Galaxy S26 Plus could be sold in 266GB and 512GB versions.
On the software front, Samsung has finally started offering seamless Android updates in its new phones, so presumably the Samsung Galaxy S26 will get this too. Indeed, leaks now specifically suggest the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will get seamless updates.
Can you trust these rumors?
There seems to be some confusion as to what chipsets the Galaxy S26 line will use, but based on past form we’re almost certain that some regions (most notably the US) will get a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
It’s very possible though that elsewhere some Galaxy S26 models will instead use a MediaTek chipset, but Exynos is currently looking unlikely.
Claims of increased RAM are believable, especially in the wake of the Google Pixel 9 line, which has a lot of RAM to aid with AI.
Bigger batteries
- Batteries might be larger
- But another leak says the standard S26 will have the same size battery as before
- Charging speeds might be unchanged
Leaker @BennettBuhner claims that the S26 line could have bigger batteries than its predecessors, but a more recent leak (and from a more reputable source) claims that the Samsung Galaxy S26 will have a 4,000mAh battery, just like its predecessor. Similarly, another more recent leak states that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a 5,000mAh battery like its predecessor.
So there’s conflicting information here, but the leak claiming the Samsung Galaxy S26 will have the same battery capacity as the S26 feels the most credible.
For charging speeds, an FCC (Federal Communications Commission) certification suggests that nothing will really be changing from last year, with the Galaxy S26 charging at 26W, and the other two models at 45W. However, the base model (and therefore likely the others too) could have slightly faster 9W reverse wireless charging, up from 4.5W on the Galaxy S26 series.
We’ve also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S26 series might support the Qi2 standard, meaning you should be able to attach wireless chargers and accessories magnetically. On a related note, Samsung is reportedly making magnetic accessories for the Galaxy S26 line.
Oddly, one source has additionally claimed that the Samsung Galaxy 26 Ultra will offer 26W wireless charging. That’s up from 15W on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but that would be faster than Qi2 typically supports, and they also echo claims of Qi2 support.
Can you trust these rumors?
The claims of larger batteries are questionable, since the source doesn’t have much of a track record and it’s an early leak that’s at odds with a more recent one.
So for now, we’d guess that the Samsung Galaxy S26 at least will have a 4,000mAh battery, just like the Samsung Galaxy S26, and that the S26 Ultra will inherit its predecessor’s 5,000mAh battery.
Samsung Galaxy S26: what we want to see
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series could be even more impressive than the Galaxy S26 line, if Samsung makes the following changes.
1. A new design
The Samsung Galaxy S26 and its siblings all look quite a lot like their predecessors, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra even looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. So we’re hoping for some more substantial design changes with the Samsung Galaxy S26 line.
The good news is that big changes are rumored, though it’s unclear what form they’ll take. But a fresh new design would help build excitement for these upcoming phones, while staying the same could leave them feeling stale.
2. Improved AI
Samsung packed the Galaxy S26 line full of AI tools and features, but as our reviews attest, these features are a mix of cool and useless, and they can even cause performance problems.
The Galaxy S26 line also lacks some of the Google Pixel 8’s best AI tools, such as the ability to sharpen old, out of focus shots.
So for the Samsung Galaxy S26 we want more AI tools and improvements to the ones that are there.
3. Slicker software
Samsung loves to stuff its phones full of near endless features, but this has led to bloated, clunky software, with many of the best features – including AI tools – buried several layers deep in the settings menu.
This makes the phones complex and unintuitive to use, and it’s something we really want Samsung to improve for the Galaxy S26.
4. No chipset split
The Samsung Galaxy S26 has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset if you buy it in the US, but if you’re shopping for it in most other places then you’ll get an Exynos 2600. It’s the same deal with the Galaxy S26 Plus, though the S26 Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 everywhere.
With the Samsung Galaxy S26, we don’t want this split, as it means you essentially get a different phone depending on where in the world you are, and one chipset is inevitably better than the other.
Usually it’s the Snapdragon that’s better, so we’d ideally like to see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 used in all regions with the Galaxy S26, but we’d even take Exynos everywhere over different chipsets in different regions. At least that way it would be clearer to buyers which phone they’re getting, and whether the reviews they’ve read reflect what’s available to them.
5. The return of 10x zoom
One of the more surprising decisions Samsung made with the Galaxy S26 Ultra was replacing its predecessor’s 10x optical zoom with a 5x one. This wasn’t a terrible decision, as the sensor used was a better 50MP one (up from 10MP) and it still allowed for a 10x optical quality crop.
However, it did mean the S26 Ultra’s camera lost a lens that helped it stand out from rivals – a number of which have 5x zoom cameras of their own.
So we’d like to see the 10x zoom return to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, but with an improved sensor and more megapixels, so that it can perhaps offer a 20x optical quality crop.
If Samsung also ups the number of megapixels in its 3x zoom camera then we could probably get a 5x crop from that. Or – as one leak suggests – the S26 Ultra might even have both a 10x telephoto and a variable optical zoom, that can switch between 3x and 5x.