The Galaxy S25 Ultra (pictured) was Samsung's most powerful non-folding phone. What's in store for the Galaxy S26 Ultra at Samsung Unpacked? Prakhar Khanna/CNET
It's a strange year for Samsung: we're already in February, and there's still no official word on when we'll see the Galaxy S26, the company's next flagship phone series. In previous years, the whole lineup would've been revealed around CES, but Samsung seems happy to wait -- and rumors suggest we might not see the Galaxy S26 launch until the end of February.
Samsung hasn't been quiet in 2026, launching the Galaxy Z Trifold for $2,899 in the US at the end of January. Around a month later -- Feb. 25, if the rumors are true -- the Galaxy S26 will be revealed in San Francisco just before the year's biggest smartphone show, Mobile World Congress, kicks off in Barcelona. This is late for Samsung, but still early enough in the year to set the stage for most other premium Android phones coming in 2026.
The stakes remain high for the S26 phones. As the best-selling Android brand in the world, Samsung must introduce enough new features to keep its highest-end phones at the top of the charts, and the iPhone 17 series debuted several perks that raised the bar. As generative AI becomes more involved in other gadget categories, Samsung has to find new, exclusive uses for the novel tech that will keep differentiating its phones amid fierce competition at the premium level.
We expect the Galaxy S26 lineup to match that of prior years: a standard S26, a larger S26 Plus and a top-of-the-line Galaxy S26 Ultra. While rumors don't suggest any drastic redesigns, there will probably be some external tweaks and upgrades to the hardware, including the processor and cameras. Let's dive into the specifics of everything we know about the Galaxy S26 series launch.
Galaxy S26 lineup overview
The Samsung Galaxy S25. James Martin/CNET
Galaxy S26
Despite early rumors from Android Authority suggesting Samsung might ditch its baseline phone for a pricier, higher-specced Pro version, the latest leaks maintain that Samsung will keep its standard Galaxy S26 model. We don't expect too many changes to the model's design, though it could see a return of a raised camera bump after the Galaxy S25 kept them flush with the rear cover. Other rumors suggest it could get a slightly larger 6.3-inch display and a slimmer build. The Galaxy S25 has a 6.2-inch display, for comparison.
Rumors differ on whether the phone's cameras will be upgraded, with some suggesting it'll get an upgraded 50-megapixel ultrawide and others claiming it'll keep its predecessor's 12-megapixel shooter. The phone is expected to run either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip in the US and China or Samsung's own Exynos 2600 processor elsewhere. Otherwise, rumors suggest the S26 will pack 12GB of RAM, a maximum 512GB of storage and a 4,300-mAh battery, according to noted leaker @UniverseIce.
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