Tradition dictates that at the start of every new year, we can expect Samsung to unveil its flagship S-series.
While Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed any details about the Galaxy S26 yet, there’s plenty of rumours and leaks circulating that help create a picture of what we can expect.
We’ve rounded up all the credible rumours on everything to do with the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S26, from its camera set-up to chipset. We’ll also be sure to update this guide as and when new information drops.
Last updated: 5th January
Samsung Galaxy S26 rumours at a glance:
- Reveal expected to take place later than previous years, with rumours pointing towards the end of February 2026
- Similar flat display and rounded corners as predecessor
- Same camera set-up as Galaxy S25 (50MP main, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto)
- Galaxy S26 may run on Samsung’s own Exynos 2600 chip
- Entire S26 series should ship with OneUI 8.5 and Android 16
Samsung Galaxy S26 release date rumours
At the time of writing, Samsung is yet to reveal when it plans to unveil the Galaxy S26 series. Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a healthy amount of speculation surrounding the date.
Typically, Samsung tends to unveil its flagship S-series around the end of January or early February, at the annual Galaxy Unpacked event. However many reputable leakers and Korean outlets claim that the S26 series will be unveiled slightly later this year, at around the 25th February.
The reason behind this delay is said to have been caused by Samsung’s decision to forgo the Edge model and retain the Plus handset instead.
Samsung Galaxy S26 design and screen rumours
Many rumours suggest that the Galaxy S26 will look similar to its predecessors. Although according to Android Headlines, the S26 will be slightly larger than the S25 (149.5 x 71.6 x 7.24mm compared to 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2mm), the handset is likely to sport the same flat display and rounded corners.
Reputable tipster, OnLeaks, has posted images of the Galaxy S26 alongside the Galaxy S26 Ultra on X – although remember nothing has been confirmed by Samsung yet.
According to Korean publication The Elec, the Galaxy S26 is expected to sport a 6.27-inch display. We can expect the display will be fitted with similar technologies as the S25, including a 120Hz refresh rate and AMOLED panel.
While the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to sport a Privacy Display, which dims the screen at certain angles, it’s unclear whether the S26 will benefit from this too.
Samsung Galaxy S26 camera rumours
If the rumours are to be believed, then we shouldn’t expect much of a change with the Galaxy S26’s camera. According to South Korean publication The Elec, via GSM Arena, the Galaxy S26 is expected to sport the exact same camera setup as the Galaxy S25, which was made up of a 50MP main, 10MP 3x telephoto and 12MP ultrawide.
Of course, at this stage we don’t know how true this rumour is. Even so, it’s undoubtedly a pretty disappointing prospect. While we did conclude that the S25 is capable of delivering great results, it feels as if the handset is starting to fall behind – especially when compared to competitors. An upgrade here be appreciated and, frankly, long overdue.
Apparently, according to the same report, Samsung did plan on upgrading the S26’s cameras and would have subsequently listed the handset at a higher price. However, it’s thought that the fact Apple released the iPhone 17 at £/$799 made Samsung want to match this price point.
Samsung Galaxy S26 performance and software rumours
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Galaxy S26 is regarding its chipset. While last year’s Samsung Galaxy S25 series ran on the same Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, the year before was a different story.
Although US customers benefitted from Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, regardless of which handset they chose, the rest of the world didn’t quite get this.
Instead, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra ran globally on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, the S24 and S24 Plus were powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 2400. Although we rarely noticed a difference between the two in everyday use, benchmarking scores confirmed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy was much more powerful.
It looks as if the S26 is set to follow in the S24’s footsteps. While it seems likely that the Galaxy S26 Ultra should run on a custom version of Qualcomm’s 2026 flagship chip, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, as backed up by leaked firmware, it’s thought that the S26 and S26 Plus will instead run on Samsung’s Exynos 2600 chipset.
Although Samsung hasn’t confirmed whether the chip will power the S26 yet, the company explains that Exynos 2600 promises to offer “a major improvement in AI performance”, better gaming performance and pioneering heat management to help disperse heat more efficiently.
Otherwise, the Samsung Galaxy S26, alongside the entire S26 series, is expected to ship with One UI 8.5 installed. OneUI 8.5 is said to include enhancements to Quick Share, introduce the customisable Quick Panel tool and offer better productivity features too.
OneUI 8.5 is currently available in beta for those in the UK, US, Germany, Korea, India and Poland who are signed up to the program. At the time of writing, the beta program is only compatible with the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, so it’s bad luck if you’re sporting the S25 FE or S25 Edge.
