Rumors have been circulating about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 line of phones. Months ago, many speculated that Samsung would replace its base phone with the Pro. Then, speculation was that the Plus would be discontinued in favor of the S26 Edge (much like how Apple dropped its Plus phone for the thin iPhone Air), while the Ultra would stay put.
A few weeks ago, new reports emerged that the S26 Pro will be the S26, and that the S26 Plus could replace the S26 Edge.
Here's a quick rundown of the latest Galaxy S26 talk to make sense of it all.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus. James Martin / CNET
Galaxy S26 line release date
Samsung typically hosts a few Unpacked events each year, with the first event usually taking place in either January or February. Most of this year's S25 handsets were announced at a Galaxy Unpacked event on Jan. 22, 2025, and released on Feb. 7, so we can expect a similar timeline for the Galaxy S26 series.
However, it's possible that additional S26 releases may occur throughout the year. In 2025, for example, Samsung released two more S25 handsets -- the S25 Edge and the S25 FE -- at two separate events in May and September, respectively.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Galaxy S26 Pro
For months, one of the biggest rumors surrounding the Galaxy S26 was that it might not exist at all. Internal build code uncovered by Android Authority suggested Samsung could be scrapping the base model entirely and replacing it with the S26 Pro. That might sound strange at first, but it could have signaled Samsung's plan to position the S26 lineup as a more premium offering than its predecessors.
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