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There have been plenty of rumors lately about what is happening with the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Initially, the lineup was rumored to include three models: the Galaxy S26 Pro, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Now, according to the latest leaks, it seems Samsung has changed its plans for what it will release, and this is also expected to affect the launch timing.
According to The Elec, Samsung has suspended development of the Galaxy S26 Edge and instead intends to release the Galaxy S26+ in its place. Why Samsung has done this is likely due to the poor sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge. But since the decision to switch to the S26+ was made so close to the phone's expected launch, it seems Samsung's indecisiveness has delayed the entire S26 series.
The latest report from Windefuture indicates that Samsung could delay the Galaxy S26 series until late February or early March, about a month later than it usually releases its new flagship phones. For comparison, the Galaxy S25 series was announced at an Unpacked event in January this year, and the S24 series was launched in early February 2024.
In addition to replacing the S26 Edge in the lineup with the S26+, it's also being reported that Samsung has dropped the Galaxy S26 Pro from the lineup, and instead is going to release just a Galaxy S26 instead, but it's unclear if that will have any impact on the design of the phone itself, or just the name. Now, the S26 series lineup is rumored to include the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is exactly what we're used to.
- Brand
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Samsung
- SoC
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Octa-core Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm)
- Display
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6.7-inch 3120 x 1440 pixel resolution QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED2X
- RAM
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12GB
Mass production will reportedly start in December and January
Samsung doesn't want to delay its phones too long, especially with the OnePlus 15 just around the corner
Another big reason the phones could be delayed is a change to their mass production timeline. According to The Elec, the entire S26 series was slated to enter mass production in December, but due to last-minute changes to the lineup, only the S26 Ultra will enter mass production in December, while the S26 and S26 Plus won't begin until January.
Considering Samsung usually releases its phones in January, starting mass production the same month of release doesn't really go hand in hand, so Windefuture's report that the phones won't ship until late February or early March makes a lot of sense.
I actually use an S25+ daily, so I'd be much happier if Samsung released an S26+ instead of an S26 Edge. I would much rather my phone be an inch thicker and have longer battery life than be ultra-thin and barely last the day.
Samsung probably doesn't want to delay the S26 series too much, given that many new Android phones are about to start shipping or have already begun. Notably, in China, Xiaomi has already released its new Xiaomi 17 lineup, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and OnePlus is gearing up to launch the OnePlus 15 in China on October 27, with a global launch rumored for November 13.
If the S26 series is delayed until late February or early March, and the OnePlus 15 launches in the US in November, that will give OnePlus quite the upper hand, as it won't have any major competition from Samsung for nearly three whole months then.
Personally, I'm not really surprised by any of this. The S25 Edge has always seemed like a very niche phone to me, and if it wasn't selling well, a follow-up wouldn't make much sense. I actually use a Galaxy S25+ daily, so I'd be much happier if Samsung released an S26+ instead of an S26 Edge. I would much rather my phone be an inch thicker and have longer battery life than be ultra-thin and barely last the day.
