Samsung Galaxy S26 Release Date, Price & Specs Rumours

Although Samsung has only just unveiled its latest flagship phones for 2025, rumors are already emerging about their successors.

January’s Galaxy Unpacked event brought the latest Galaxy S25 series, and it’s certainly one that all eyes will be on for some time.

For some, however, it’s not as exciting as they’d hoped. If that’s you, your attention might have already shifted to next year’s Galaxy S26 series.

Here’s everything we know at this point, including release date, price, and specs.

When will the Samsung Galaxy S26 series be released?

If Samsung adheres to its typical release schedule, we can expect the Galaxy S26 series to launch sometime in early 2026, likely in January or February.

This aligns with the release windows of previous S series flagships:

• Samsung Galaxy S25 – January 2025
• Samsung Galaxy S25+ – January 2025
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – January 2025
• Samsung Galaxy S24 – January 2024
• Samsung Galaxy S24+ – January 2024
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – January 2024
• Samsung Galaxy S23 – February 2023
• Samsung Galaxy S23+ – February 2023
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – February 2023
• Samsung Galaxy S22 – February 2022
• Samsung Galaxy S22+ – February 2022
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – February 2022

As you can see, the new Galaxy devices usually make their debut at the start of the year, and we don’t expect things to be any different in 2026.

Rumors suggest a potential shift in naming conventions. However, Samsung may stop offering the standard Galaxy S model after the S25 series, leaving only the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra in 2026.

According to Yogesh Brar, the S26 Ultra might be rebranded as the S26 Note, emphasizing its S Pen integration. Similarly, the S26+ could be renamed the S26 Pro, aligning with the growing trend of ‘Pro’ models seen across various phone brands.

I’m not sure how the naming would work here, as an S26+ or S26 Pro would make no sense if there’s no S26. If Samsung does kill off the S26, I expect the more powerful S26+ model to ditch its “+” rather than switch to the S26. However, I just can’t see this actually panning out.

Given the new S25 Edge isn’t expected until April, its successor may arrive around the same time in 2026. Though concrete details are yet to be revealed, this seems to be the Slim model that was widely rumored before the Galaxy S25 launch. If Samsung does kill off the regular S26, perhaps a second-gen Edge handset could take its place to keep three options in the main lineup.

How much will the Samsung Galaxy S26 series cost?

Pricing for the Galaxy S26 series remains purely speculative at this stage. However, prices will probably experience a slight increase from the S25 series.

This is a common trend in the phone market, driven by factors such as rising component costs, ongoing inflation, and the inclusion of increasingly advanced technologies.

Luke Baker / Foundry

There’s also the possibility that prices will remain the same, however. As a reminder, the Galaxy S25 series costs the same as the Galaxy S24 series:

Galaxy S25

• 128GB – £799/$799.99
• 256GB – £859/$859.99

Galaxy S25+

• 256GB – £999/$999.99
• 512GB – £1,099/$1,119.99

Galaxy S25 Ultra

• 256GB – £1,249/$1,299.99
• 512GB – £1,349/$1,419.99
• 1TB – £1,549/$1,659.99

What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy S26 series have?

Despite being so far away from its expected launch, plenty of Galaxy S26 series rumors have already emerged.

Design

Beyond potential name changes, there is currently no confirmed information regarding specific design elements such as materials (glass, metal, or a combination), color options, or overall aesthetic choices.

It remains to be seen whether a titanium build will remain exclusive to the Ultra, or whether a potential Edge model could adopt it too.

Luke Baker / Foundry

Given that Samsung has changed the design slightly on the Galaxy S25 series, from the Galaxy S24 series, its successor is likely to have the same look. That said, I hope we see a return to the Galaxy S24’s S Pen rather than the less impressive version that shipped with the Galaxy S25.

Display

According to The Elec, a significant development could be the integration of Colour-filter-on-thin-film-encapsulation (CoE) technology into the S26 Ultra’s display.

This technology has the potential to make the display thinner, brighter, and more energy-efficient.

Luke Baker / Foundry

However, details regarding display size, resolution, refresh rate, and the inclusion of advanced features such as under-display cameras or fingerprint sensors remain unknown at this time.

Performance

According to trusted leaker Jukanlosreve, Samsung may return to prioritizing the use of its own Exynos processors in the S26 series. Korean site The Bell also reports that Samsung is putting a lot of resources into “timely mass production of the Exynos 2600”, presumably in time for the Galaxy S26 series.

The highly-regarded Financial News has since learned that Samsung is putting so many resources into ensuring the Exynos 2600 is ready for the Galaxy S26, that there’s an entire taskforce dedicated to it.

However, it’s unclear if this would include North America, which has exclusively used Snapdragon chipsets in recent years even when Exynos powered non-Ultra models in Europe.