(Credit: Eric Zeman/PCMag)
Samsung usually unveils its flagship Galaxy S series smartphones in January or February, but the rumor mill for the Galaxy S26 series is already abuzz with leaks and speculation.
Below, we'll examine all the notable rumors we have heard so far, covering design, AI features, performance, cameras, and more. Since these are early leaks, take them with a grain of salt and expect details to change over time.
Galaxy S26 Lineup: The Edge Is In Trouble
Samsung currently offers five phones with the S25 tag: the regular S25, the S25 Plus, the S25 Ultra, the slimmer S25 Edge, and the more affordable S25 FE. If you thought five phones were a bit too many for one lineup, rumor has it that Samsung thinks the same way.
Several months ago, multiple reports suggested that Samsung, like Apple, was planning to discontinue the Plus variant due to its poor sales record and limit the next Unpacked event to the base, Ultra, and Edge models.
However, for that to happen, the S25 Edge would need to perform better than the S25 Plus. Korean outlet Elec reported earlier this month that the Edge may not surpass the Plus in sales, and as a result, Samsung recently resumed work on the Plus variant. This week, a report by NewsPim backed that claim, stating that Samsung has cancelled the S26 Edge and halted the production of the S25 Edge. A company official, on condition of anonymity, also told NewsPim that the ultra-slim model may never return.
The other big news is that the base variant may get rebranded as the S26 Pro. Most leakers are already referring to the base variant by its new unconfirmed name.
Galaxy S26 Design: Imitating Apple?
Apple introduced new, rectangular camera bumps on the iPhone 17 last month, and renders of the Galaxy S26 lineup suggest Samsung's moving in the same direction.
According to multiple leakers, the S26 Pro (base) will have a vertical bump with three cameras; the S26 Edge, if it's released, will have a huge, end-to-end horizontal bump like on the iPhone 17 Pro Max and come with two cameras; and the S26 Ultra will have three cameras in the vertical bump, and one to its right. Samsung may also adopt Apple's cosmic orange color for the S26 Ultra.
Another rumored design change focuses on the S Pen stylus. The S25 Ultra is the only Galaxy S model that includes and supports the S Pen; however, it dropped support for Bluetooth and Air Actions. It's also not fully compatible with the Qi2 wireless charging standard because some magnetic accessories can interfere with the S Pen digitizer, according to SamMobile. Instead, it's "Qi2 ready," meaning it's compatible with magnetized cases that work with Qi2 chargers. So, Samsung is reportedly revamping its styus tech to allow for Qi2 accessories beyond cases.
When it comes to screen size, rumors point to a slightly larger display for the S26 Pro, going from 6.2 inches to 6.27 inches, while the other phones are expected to retain their screen ratios.
- Galaxy S26 Pro (base): 6.27 inches
- Galaxy S26 Plus: 6.7 inches
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 6.9 inches
Galaxy S26: Software and AI
Google's Gemini AI currently features prominently on Galaxy devices, but Samsung is reportedly in talks to integrate Perplexity into Galaxy S26 phones. According to sources speaking to Bloomberg, Samsung wants to preload Perplexity on its phones and also integrate the company's search functionality directly into its Internet Browser. (Motorola added Perplexity to its new Motorola Razr series in April.)
When it comes to software, the Galaxy S26 series will come with One UI 8 and Android 16 out of the box, which are already available on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Z Flip 7.
Galaxy S26: Performance
(Credit: Qualcomm)The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, announced last month, is expected to appear in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. According to Qualcomm's tests, the chip is 20% faster and 35% more power efficient than its predecessor, which was already quite powerful. In our tests, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 4 chip for Galaxy S25 Ultra topped competitors like iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL in single-core and multi-core performance. As usual, in certain markets, Samsung may continue to load the S26 with Exynos chips.
Galaxy S26 Cameras
Some Samsung fans have expressed frustration with the S series cameras lately, and it doesn't appear that the S26 will be a significant upgrade on that front. Expect the base Galaxy S26 to keep its 50MP main camera. As for the S26 Ultra, Android Headlines reports it's expected to retain the 200MP primary camera but with a larger f/1.4 aperture. There's an unlikely rumor about a 324MP main camera.
That said, these phones might not need much of a bump. As PCMag's camera analyst Jim Fisher noted in our S25 Ultra review, "Really, what the heck are people using phone cameras for [that would require] going beyond 50MP practically? Heck, I’d argue that 12MP is the right setting for the vast majority."
Galaxy S26: Battery and Charging
As mentioned before, Samsung's reportedly planning to offer true Qi2 charging on the S26 series. So far, the flagship lineup hasn't had magnets at the back, like iPhones do, so they haven't been able to make full use of the wireless charging standard.
However, an image of the dummies shared by leaker Sonny Dickson indicates Samsung's finally making room for magnetic rings at the back. If the company adopts the newer Qi2.2 standard, we may see a major boost in wireless charging speeds, from the current limit of 15W to 25W.
As for wired charging speeds, leaker Ice Universe reports an upgrade for the S26 Ultra. It may go from 45W on the S25 Ultra to up to 60W on the upcoming device. PandFlashPro reports a similar bump in battery capacity as well, from 5,000 mAh to 5,400 mAh.
As for wired charging, leaker Ice Universe reports the S26 Ultra could get up to 60W speeds, a big jump from 45W on the S25 Ultra. PandFlashPro adds that the battery may also see a slight boost, from 5,000 mAh to 5,400 mAh.
Galaxy S26: Pricing and Release
Samsung is expected to stick to its regular late-January to early-February window for the S26 series. Since we're too far from that window, nothing much has been reported about the pricing. However, we will keep updating this space when noteworthy rumors trickle in.