Rumors around Samsung’s upcoming midrange Galaxy A57 have been circulating for months, but the last few weeks gave us more clarity about what to expect, including a full-blown spec sheet that shows an impressive set of features like 45W charging and a large 4,900mAh battery in a slim 6.9mm body. All of this is excellent news for the Galaxy A57, but guess what? These upgrades trample all over the upcoming Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus.
This got me thinking: Has Samsung essentially given up on its Galaxy S series? Not the Ultra, of course, but the basic S and S Plus models? Is innovation dead for these phones?
Galaxy A phones get what S phones don’t: Tangible upgrades
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Last year, Samsung shocked us all when it released the Galaxy A56 with one of the features that every Galaxy S or S Plus owner had been asking for for years — faster and more efficient charging. Rated at 45W, the phone promised to fill up at nearly double the speed of a 25W Galaxy S25, but that was partly mitigated by its larger 5,000mAh battery compared to the Galaxy S25’s 4,000mAh.
Although in practice it was only a minute or two faster to completely fill up than the Galaxy S25, it did fare better overall. It reached the 50% mark in 22 minutes (vs. 27 for the S25), and the 75% mark in 36 minutes (vs. 46). More importantly, though, it only reached a maximum temperature of 29.2°C while charging, whereas the Galaxy S25 struggled and got very hot, peaking at 40.6°C.
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
This was a huge win for Galaxy A56 owners. It meant that they could quickly top up their dying phone to 50% in 20 minutes or so when in a hurry, and also rely on it lasting for many hours thanks to the larger battery. Of course, the Galaxy A56 isn’t a better phone than the S25, all things considered, but it won with this one particular aspect.
This win was also a sign of Samsung’s neglect-slash-complacency on its Galaxy S phones. It proved that the company could provide faster and more efficient charging at a low price point if it wanted, but that it was artificially gatekeeping it for the Plus and Ultra. Samsung seems just content doing the minimum effort on its base Galaxy S because… what?! Apple wasn’t doing more?! But it did go the extra mile on the Galaxy A56 because competition from Xiaomi, OPPO, and others was already providing fast charging in that midrange segment.
Samsung seems content doing the minimum effort on its base Galaxy S, but doesn't mind upgrading the Galaxy A series.
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