Galaxy S26 series might arrive sooner than expected, but prices might creep up

What you need to know

• Samsung may launch the Galaxy S26 series in late January 2026, with sales starting by mid-February.
• The Galaxy S26 Ultra will use Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 globally, while other models will get Exynos 2600 chips.
• Prices for the Galaxy S26 series could rise due to higher component costs like RAM and SoC chips.
• The Galaxy S26 Ultra may feature a larger front camera cutout, the biggest ever on an Ultra model.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series might not be as delayed as previously thought. Moreover, a new leak has revealed that pricing for the Galaxy S26 series might be higher, along with some details about the chipset used in the flagship.

With the Galaxy S25 series almost a year behind us, leaks about the Galaxy S26 lineup are starting to pick up pace. We learned earlier that late in the Galaxy S26 development cycle, Samsung replaced the Galaxy S26 Edge with the Galaxy S26 Plus, leading to rumored delays. However, a new leak now suggests the Galaxy S26 series might not be as delayed as expected.

Korean outlet ChosunBiz (via @Jukanlosreve on X) reports that Samsung is targeting a late January launch for the Galaxy S26 series, with market availability by mid-February. According to the report, Samsung has resolved the delay caused by the lineup reorganization and is once again planning a launch in the first month of 2026.

A source close to the publication revealed that as the "hardware verification period lengthened" due to the Edge-to-Plus replacement, "the launch was almost delayed, but this issue has been resolved, making a February launch possible."

Exynos and Snapdragon mix likely returning for S26 series

The report also notes that Samsung might again use a mix of Exynos and Qualcomm chipsets for the Galaxy S26 series. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will reportedly use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset worldwide, while the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus will feature the Exynos 2600 in most regions.

This, however, might mean that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will cost slightly more than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. A recent report indicated that pricing for the Galaxy S26 lineup could rise due to higher costs of internal components like SoC and RAM chips. Today's leak adds further weight to the claim, adding that if the S26 Ultra exclusively uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 worldwide, a "price increase will be inevitable."

Another noteworthy detail about the Galaxy S26 Ultra (via @UniverseIce on X) is that its front-facing camera might increase in size. The leaker says this will be the "biggest hole ever used on any Ultra model" to date, though the reason isn't yet known. It's unclear if this is due to a larger sensor, but it appears the selfie camera will be slightly bigger than usual on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

That said, not all is set in stone yet, as the Galaxy S26 series is still a few months away. A lot could change before its launch next year, though we're finally starting to see how the lineup might take shape.