There have been rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S26 line of phones for months now. Initially, it seemed like Samsung could be replacing its base phone with the Pro. While the Ultra wouldn't be going away, we heard that the Plus might be discontinued in favor of the S26 Edge. And then we heard reports that the S26 Pro wouldn't be replacing the S26 after all and that the S26 Edge would be replaced by the S26 Plus. It quickly became confusing, to say the least.
Now that the Galaxy S26 launch is imminent, it seems like the number of new leaks is settling down, with a few speculations finally laid to rest.
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 series release date
Samsung typically hosts several Unpacked events each year, with the first 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.
This year, however, there's a slightly delayed timeline. Samsung has announced that there will be a Galaxy Unpacked event on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) in San Francisco.
It's also 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 events in May and September.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Galaxy S26 Ultra
... continue reading