Ever since Qualcomm unveiled its latest chip in late 2025, this started the countdown of sorts until Samsung reveals the next lineup of flagship phones. As we've seen since Samsung started matching the "S" number to the year, 2026 will be no different, as the Samsung Galaxy S26 will be here before you know it.
But, like many, you might be thinking that when's the perfect time to upgrade to one of the best Android phones? For some, you can probably proceed without thinking twice, but if you have your eyes set on the Galaxy S25, you might be wondering if you should wait for the Galaxy S26.
What are we expecting from the Galaxy S26?
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There have already been a slew of rumors and supposed leaks, such as the Galaxy S26 "Pro" apparently replacing the S26, only for subsequent rumors to claim this won't be the case, while also suggesting other changes might be coming.
The most obvious upgrade coming to Samsung's next flagship smartphone is the processor upgrade. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 was announced in September and will be powering many of 2026's best Android phones. This includes the Galaxy S26, despite rumors suggesting Samsung might switch over to its own Exynos 2600.
Instead, we'll likely see the same thing we've seen over the past few years. This means that those in the U.S. and a subset of other regions will see the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while other markets will see Samsung's own chip at the helm.
Those rumors about Samsung shaking things up by replacing the Galaxy S26 Plus with the S26 Edge have been largely debunked by more recent ones. Samsung seems to like the idea of a fourth phone in its flagship lineup, and recently rumors claim that instead of replacing the Plus, the S26 Edge will simply be added to the mix or forgotten altogether.
If Samsung goes through with the Galaxy S26 Edge, it would bring about an additional option to consider, as you could either get the S26 Edge with its ultra-thin design or the S26 Plus with its telephoto lens and larger battery.
Beyond Samsung's internal struggle with how many phones will make up the S26 series, it seems that only one of these devices could see an upgrade in the camera department. Previous reports claim that the Galaxy S26 "would retain its predecessor's camera array," but that the S26 Ultra might sport a "larger 200MP Sony main sensor."
Sadly, it doesn't seem like there are really any other major plans in store for any of the other cameras across the upcoming lineup of devices.
It's also worth noting that many of the rumors and leaks so far suggest the S Pen isn't going anywhere just yet. There were concerns about this being the case following Samsung's removal of Bluetooth functionality from the S Pen on the S25 Ultra and the removal of S Pen compatibility altogether from the Galaxy Z Fold 7. While it doesn't seem Samsung plans to bring back an S Pen with Bluetooth for the S26 Ultra, at least it isn't getting rid of the stylus altogether.
You should also be expecting slimmer designs for all three models. Leaks have suggested that Samsung is able to achieve this by using slimmer camera modules that don't protrude out too much. One case maker has already published its Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra design, and this gives us an early look at what it could look like.
It also looks like the rumored Privacy Display feature will actually make it. Samsung recently released a teaser video showing it in action. It's a hardware-level feature that can be activated via a toggle switch, probably from the shortcut buttons in the notification shade. What we don't know yet is if this will be exclusive to the Ultra or will it be available on all models.
How much and when?
There haven't been many leaks spilling the beans on Samsung's pricing plans for the Galaxy S26 series. However, if Samsung were to bump up the price, now would be the time to do so, as we just saw Apple did just that with its iPhone 17 Pro, which launched in September 2025. That said, we don't expect the price increase to exceed another $100, and it may be limited to the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Samsung is all set to unveil the new S26 series on February 25th at its Galaxy Unpacked event. You can expect the latest AI features to be demoed in One UI 8.5, potentially new earbuds, and maybe a teaser or two for the S26 Edge. If you've been trying to decide between the Galaxy S25 series or wait for the S26 series, you won't have to wait much longer.
The price cuts have started
The Galaxy S25 Ultra will soon get an official price reduction with the S26 Ultra on its way. You could wait a bit more and see what the new model has to offer before making your decision.
