The Samsung Galaxy S26 series, expected in early 2026, will bring some upgrades over the S25. Leaks suggest it will have a faster Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 or Exynos 2600 chip, better AI, and slightly bigger, brighter screens. The S26 may also come with a larger 4300 mAh battery, a 6.3-inch display, and a new camera island design.
Key Samsung Galaxy S26 Vs S25 Series Differences (Rumored):
- Display & design: the H26 and H26 Pro are expected to have a 6.3-inch screen, up from 6.2 inches, with a more vivid display reaching 3000 nits.
- The S26 Ultra may have slightly rounded, more comfortable corners and a thinner body at 7.9mm.
- A new pill-shaped camera island is rumored for the back of the phone.
Performance & Battery:
- The processor is expected to be upgraded to either the Snapdragon Elite 8 Gen 5 or the Exynos 2600.
- The base S26 model may come with a larger 4300 mAh battery, up from 4000 mAh.
- Charging speeds for the base model may remain at 25W, but the Ultra could get an upgrade, according to PhoneArena.
Cameras:
- The S26 Ultra will likely keep its 200MP main camera sensor, but with better optics and processing, it may also get a 50MP periscope telephoto lens for improved 5X zoom.
- There are hints of a larger selfie camera housing, according to Samy fans.
Software/AI:
PhoneArena and Sportskeeda Tech report that enhanced, more integrated Galaxy AI features, including improved Bixby, will be a main focus.
Note: These details are based on early 2026 leaks and rumors. Official specifications may change.
Expected changes compared to the Galaxy S26 and S26+:
- Larger displays are anticipated: 6.3 inches for the S26 and 6.9 inches for the S26 Plus.
- The Galaxy S26 is expected to support 45W wired charging.
- A redesigned camera island is anticipated.
- The Galaxy S26 is expected to feature a larger 4,300 mAh battery.
- The S26 will likely use the Exynos 2600 or Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, depending on the region.
- New Galaxy AI features are expected, including an upgraded Bixby and image generation capabilities.
- The camera hardware is largely expected to remain unchanged.
Expected release timeline:
Most rumors indicate that the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus will be announced on February 25.
Expected price:
There are conflicting reports about the Galaxy S26’s pricing. Some leaks suggest a price increase in certain European markets, while most sources expect US prices to remain unchanged. The Galaxy S26 is anticipated to start at $799.99, and the S26 Plus at $999.99, consistent with previous models. European prices may be higher.
Galaxy S26 Release Date:
Samsung is expected to continue its tradition by unveiling the Galaxy S26 series in early 2026. Due to reported last-minute changes, a slight delay is possible, making a February launch more likely. Recent leaks now agree on Feb. 25, 2026, as the anticipated announcement date.
Based on the last few years of Samsung Galaxy S Unpacked events, the next one will probably be on Wednesday. The Galaxy S25, S24, and S23 events all took place on Wednesdays, so it’s likely the S26 event will do the same.
Galaxy S26 price:
Now, rumors about the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus prices are mixed. The latest report suggests prices could stay the same as last year, but the double storage pre-order bonus might not be offered. Leaked pricing also suggests Samsung does not plan to raise prices for these models.
Earlier, there were rumors about a possible price increase due to higher costs for internal parts, but this may not affect the new lineup.
We have also heard that Samsung has made some trade-offs to keep prices steady. The phones may not be as thin as originally planned since making them thinner could require more resources and increase costs.
Below are the potential prices for the Galaxy S26 series we expect:
| Galaxy Model | 128GB of storage. | 256 GB of storage. | 512 GB of storage. | 1 TB of storage. |
| Galaxy S26 | $799 | $859 | ||
| Galaxy S26 Plus | $999 | $1,119 | ||
| Galaxy S25 | $799 | $859 | ||
| Galaxy S25 Plus , | $999 | $1,119 | ||
| Galaxy S24 | $799 | $859 | ||
| Galaxy S24+ | $999 | $1,119 |
Galaxy S26 Camera
Galaxy S26 camera setup (rumored):
- 50MP main camera
- 12MP Ultra Wide
- 10 MP Telephoto (3x optical zoom)
- 12MP selfie camera.
Right now, most rumors say the cameras on the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus won’t get upgraded this year. Some sources mention a possible upgrade to the telephoto camera on both models. If that happens, we might see a 12MP telephoto lens rather than a 10MP one. It’s not a big change, but it’s still an improvement.
There’s also talk that the Galaxy S26 Plus could get a 3x zoom HDR shooting mode, which should help boost the dynamic range when you zoom in on photos.
At the same time, another rumor suggests there won’t be any changes to the selfie camera. Samsung might stick with the same 12 MP front camera across all models. If that’s the case, the Galaxy S26 and S26+ could fall behind Apple since the iPhone 17 got a selfie camera upgrade.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra might get a camera upgrade, but that change could be exclusive to the Ultra model.
The Galaxy S25 and S25+ didn’t have major camera hardware changes compared to earlier models, but they did add many smart software features. These included:
- 10-bit HDR video for better detail
- Improved low-light photos
- Useful editing tools like audio eraser
The S25’s expert RAW app also introduced a virtual aperture fixture with more advanced Pro controls.
Galaxy S26 Storage
Right now, we don’t expect big changes to storage options for either model. The Galaxy S26 Plus might offer a 1TB version, but the regular S26 probably won’t. Samsung could also drop the 128GB base model if it follows Apple’s lead with the iPhone 17, and recent leaks suggest that this could happen.
Galaxy S26 possible storage options:
- 256 GB
- 512 GB
Galaxy S26 Plus possible storage options:
- 256 GB
- 512 GB
Galaxy S26 Design
New leak reveals official Galaxy S26+ renders and confirms design tweaks expected for both the vanilla and models.
The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are getting a slight redesign. The camera lenses will no longer stand on their own, as a camera island will now surround them.
Previously, mock-up units of the S26 and the S26 Ultra had also surfaced online.
To sum up, this design may be controversial because it lacks one potential upside: the lenses will be more difficult for lint or dust to reach.
The Galaxy S26 also leaked in high-quality renders, showing the same design change applied to the vanilla model.
Previously, we heard a serious redesign was planned with a focus on thinness. Samsung has reportedly been working on a thinner camera module with a new lens assembly. However, rumors now claim that Samsung has changed its plans at the last moment, so the overall thickness may not be reduced.
Whether or not we see major changes in the S26’s look, you can be sure it will feel premium and sturdy, with fresh, attractive colors. I am excited to see what these will be.
Currently, rumors have not discussed the Galaxy S26 colors. Though the Ultra may come in orange, silver, gold, and gray, you can expect them to be trendy and on point as always.
Galaxy S26 Display
Samsung’s premium phones are known for their top-notch screens, and that is not expected to change. It is safe to assume the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus will have excellent displays, though leaks do not indicate an upgrade.
We expect the S26 to have a 6.1-inch AMOLED screen, and the S26 Plus a larger 6.7-inch one. A recent but questionable rumor suggests the S26 Plus may have a 6.9-inch display. The source has no track record, so take this with caution. Another rumor claims the S26 Plus will retain the same display size as the S25 Plus.
You can look forward to bright colors with great clarity and wide viewing angles. Both should also have the smooth 120Hz refresh rate that is now standard.
The new models will likely feature an anti-reflective coating similar to that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. There are also rumors that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could get a new display privacy feature called Flex Magic Pixel. This feature might work. There’s a privacy screen keeping your display hidden from others. It is still unclear if this feature will come to the Galaxy S26 or S26 Plus, as sources disagree.
Galaxy S26 Battery
Samsung fans have been waiting for bigger batteries. Meanwhile, Chinese competitors are using new battery technologies, such as silicon-carbon batteries, to fit larger cells into slim, stylish phones. Examples include the OnePlus 13 and Honor Magic 6 Pro, with more models expected in 2025.
There were earlier rumors that Samsung was developing stacked batteries to fit bigger batteries into the same space. However, recent reports suggest this may not happen after all.
It also looks unlikely that the Galaxy S26 series will get silicon-carbon batteries this year. Instead, the Galaxy S26 may get a modest upgrade to a 4300mAh battery. While this is an improvement, it doesn’t match some Chinese competitors. The Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to retain the same 4900mAh battery as before.
Consumers suggest that both phones will support 20W wireless charging, up from 15W. A bigger charging upgrade might be saved for the Ultra model. The base Galaxy S26 is also expected to get 45W wired charging.
There were hopes for 65W charging across the lineup, but these rumors now seem less likely.
For comparison, the Galaxy S25 has a 4,000 mAh battery, which is smaller than some competitors’. The Galaxy S25+ has a 4900mAh battery. The S25 supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, while the Plus offers 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.
Galaxy S26 Features and Software
The Samsung Galaxy phones use One UI, which is a custom interface built on Android. The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus run One UI 7 based on Android 15.
The Galaxy S26 series might launch One UI 8.5, which is based on Android 16. One UI 8 first appeared on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7. Samsung may also change its update strategy so that Galaxy S devices launched with the X.5 version, like One UI 8.5.
The stable version of Android 16 has now been released. Samsung is also reportedly thinking about working with Perplexity AI to power the AI features on the Galaxy S26.
Galaxy S26 Hardware
The Galaxy S26 phones will come with either the Exynos 2600 or the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Samsung may be pushing for Exynos. Major markets like North America, Korea, China, and Japan are said to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. In contrast, other markets may get the Samsung-made Exynos 2600, which the company recently unveiled.
The Exynos chip has also appeared on Geekbench.
When you compare these results on the Snapdragon 8 Elite powering the Galaxy S25 series, you see a noticeable improvement. For reference, last year’s Snapdragon chip achieved a single-core performance of 2,852 and a multi-core performance of 9,431.
The Exynos 2600 chip is on par with, if not better than, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. We may finally see Samsung redeem its reputation for its first-party processors.
The Exynos 2600 does not have a built-in modem, so it is said to use the recently announced Exynos Modem 5410. This is Samsung’s latest 5G modem, which should use less power but deliver fast, reliable connectivity.
As for RAM, we may not see an upgrade this time. Competitors are starting to offer 16GB as the default, but a new rumor claims Samsung won’t follow suit just yet. For now, we expect the Galaxy S26 and S26+ to be available with 12GB of RAM.
When it comes to performance, since these are Samsung’s flagship models, you can expect them to be smooth and fast. They’ll likely handle everything with ease, whether simple tasks like browsing social media or more complex ones like gaming and generative AI.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm announced the X85 modem at MWC, which could handle connectivity for the Galaxy S26 series. The new modem will be more power-efficient but able to deliver higher 5G speeds.
Should You Wait For The Galaxy S26?
- Wait for the Galaxy S26 if you are rocking an older model and you are due for an upgrade soon. Samsung is likely to introduce the S26 lineup in February.
- You should not wait for the Galaxy S26 if you just got your shiny new Galaxy S25. The differences between the models may not be huge enough to warrant an upgrade.
Source: Samsung Galaxy S26 release date expectations, price estimates and upgrades
