7 things the Galaxy S26 Pro needs to be my next Android phone

Ryan Haines / Android Authority Samsung’s phone lineup hasn’t changed much since 2020, when the Galaxy S20 series set the precedent of a base, Plus, and Ultra model every year. There have been some additions, such as the more budget-friendly FE variants or this year’s thinner Galaxy S25 Edge, but by and large, the formula has been the same for the last five years. That could change in 2026, as Samsung may pivot to a Galaxy S26 Pro, Edge, and Ultra. If that is the case, the phone I’d be most interested in is the Galaxy S26 Pro. The “Pro” name carries weight, especially in the world of iPhones and Pixels, and there are certain upgrades I’d like to see over the S25 for the S26 Pro to live up to its new name. What Galaxy S26 model are you most looking forward to? 21 votes Galaxy S26 Pro 43 % Galaxy S26 Edge 14 % Galaxy S26 Ultra 43 % Flagship zoom Ryan Haines / Android Authority The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word “pro” associated with a phone is cameras. The base model Galaxy S phone has been stuck with a 10MP 3X zoom for far too long, and new name or not, it’s time to change that. Google and Apple both offer their best optics in a smaller model, and I want Samsung to do the same. Bringing the 50MP 5X periscope zoom from the S25 Ultra into a smaller chassis would finally give small phone lovers a superb camera to use at long range. Obviously, Samsung wants to keep some of the best specs for the Ultra to differentiate it from the rest of the range, but I think it still can. The S Pen, 200MP primary sensor, and second 3X telephoto would still represent an upgrade over the S26 Pro, which could keep the 50MP primary sensor and have one telephoto lens instead of two. 256GB base storage Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority The Galaxy S25’s base configuration has only 128GB of storage, while the S25 Plus and Ultra have 256GB. To be fair to Samsung, that’s better than Apple and Google, which offer 128GB variants of even their most premium models, but I’d still like to see Samsung do better. Pro phones usually focus on their cameras with better photo and video quality, and those things take up a lot of storage. Photos and video aside, it feels like everything we do takes more storage each year. Apps and games get bigger, OS updates need plenty of space to unpack and install, and in my case, I like to keep all my music saved offline for when I don’t have any signal. 256GB as the minimum storage for the S26 Pro would help it keep up with what I’ll use the phone for. Bigger batteries and faster charging Ryan Haines / Android Authority Samsung has been frustratingly slow to update its charging specs. The base Galaxy S25 can only charge at 25W. That’s not awful for a phone with a 4,000mAh battery, but it’s noticeably slower than the 45W charging on the S25 Plus and Ultra, and even that is slow compared to many of Samsung’s competitors. In an ideal world, Samsung would switch to silicon-carbon batteries that last longer and charge faster. It does look like the S26 series will see some improvements here. The Galaxy S26 Pro could have a 4,300mAh battery, 300mAh more than the S25 it replaces. 4,300mAh doesn’t sound like a lot, but the base S25 I have currently manages seven to eight hours of screen time, so the S26 Pro should be even better. The S26 Ultra may boost charging to 60W, and I hope that means the S26 Pro will get a charging upgrade, too. 60W would probably be overkill on a cell this size, but 45W would be perfect. In an ideal world, Samsung would switch to silicon-carbon batteries so that the whole S26 range could fit larger batteries and charge even faster, but it looks like that’s off the table for now. I’d like magnets with that Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority The adoption rate of Qi2 with magnets has been painfully slow. The Pixel 10 series is rumoured to finally add magnets to the device itself instead of relying on accessories, and I want Samsung to do the same. MagSafe and Qi2 accessories are something I use every day, but having to use a case to add that functionality is a pain. A lot of Qi2 cases have weak magnets or don’t line chargers up with the coils inside the phone correctly, and neither is great for those of us who don’t like using cases with our phones. The Pixel 10 series is rumoured to finally add magnets to the device itself and I want Samsung to do the same. It baffles me that it’s taken this long for manufacturers to adopt Qi2. It was introduced in early 2023, and so far, the only phone that supports it is the HMD Skyline, an otherwise forgettable mid-range phone. The Skyline having Qi2 when the big hitters from Samsung and Google do not feels like a “Tony Stark built this in a cave” situation. If Samsung goes another year without putting Qi2 magnets in its devices, the S26 series will feel dated from the beginning. Ultra-wideband support Robert Triggs / Android Authority Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range communication standard that can be used for a wide array of applications. The most common use cases are precise location tracking and even secure keyless entry on some new cars. Samsung’s first phone to support UWB was the S20 Ultra, and today you’ll find it on the S25 Plus, S25 Ultra, and the Z Fold 7. That means all of Samsung’s budget and mid-range phones lack the technology, but so do the high-end S25 and Z Flip 7. I use a Galaxy SmartTag 2 to keep track of my wallet, camera bag, and other items, and UWB makes it easy to pinpoint where the tag is. Sure, my Galaxy S25 can still ring the tracker and point in a rough direction, but devices with UWB can show you how far away from the tag you are and even point an arrow in the right direction. I really want that functionality on the S26 Pro. Anti-reflective display Ryan Haines / Android Authority The Galaxy S24 Ultra came with Gorilla Armor on its display. Aside from the usual improvements to durability, the standout benefit of this new glass was its ability to eliminate glare. Gorilla Armor reduces reflectance by 75% and when you see it beside a phone without it, the difference is significant. So far, Samsung has reserved Gorilla Armor for the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra, and I’d love to see it come to all S26 models. Samsung does sell an anti-reflective screen protector for most of its devices, and they do a great job of replicating Gorilla Armor’s best feature, but there’s a problem — it’s a plastic screen protector, not tempered glass. It scratches easily, the edges lift, and it’s rubbery to the touch. No more Exynos Robert Triggs / Android Authority Samsung’s Exynos-powered phones have had a troubled past. My own experience with them has been pretty bad, with my Exynos 990-powered S20 Ultra overheating so badly that it cooked its motherboard during a video call. Obviously, that was an extreme case, but Galaxy phones with Exynos chips almost always suffer from performance and thermal issues compared to their Snapdragon counterparts. This year’s Z Flip 7 uses an Exynos 2500 instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. We found the chip performed no faster than last year’s model, which is certainly disappointing. It’s clear the series isn’t as powerful as Qualcomm’s premium option, and I’d want the very best in any Pro phone. An Exynos Galaxy S26 Pro would push me to buy the Ultra and deal with the size difference. Unsurprisingly, leaks suggest that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will use a Snapdragon processor, but we don’t know about the S26 Pro or Edge yet. A move to Exynos isn’t out of the question — the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus used Exynos chips in some parts of the world, while the S24 Ultra used a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 worldwide, so there’s precedent for models within the same lineup to use different chipsets. Based on my appalling experience with Exynos chips, an Exynos S26 Pro would probably force me to buy the Ultra and deal with the size. Don’t mess it up, Samsung Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority As I’m sure you can tell, I’m excited by the potential of the Galaxy S26 Pro. I love the size of the S25, but I always miss the better cameras on my S24 Ultra. With faster charging and speedy performance, the S26 Pro could be the phone I choose next year. Samsung has an opportunity to redefine a line of phones that has felt stagnant in recent generations. However, the S26 lineup will need more than a name change to be successful. The Pixels are more popular each year, and in the US, more people than ever are switching to the iPhone. Whether Samsung names it a pro or not, the S26 will need to earn its place in people’s hands, including mine. Are you looking forward to seeing what Samsung has to offer with the Galaxy S26 Pro? Is there anything you want to see Samsung add to it over the base S25 we have now? Let us know. Follow