In a lot of ways, 2026 is going to be a big year. In others? Not so much – and based on the latest leaks and rumors it seems like the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26 family is going to land in the latter category.
Yes, it’s looking like another year of iterative, software-heavy, visually bland refreshes for Samsung’s top of the line smartphones, with no word of big hardware reshuffles in the vein of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
For me, the biggest issue here pertains to the phones’ cameras, particularly the Samsung Galaxy S26, which has been rumored to sport the exact same triple-camera array as the current-gen Galaxy S25.
As for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the latest rumors concern only cosmetic updates to the camera housing. With that said, there have been other rumors suggesting new upgrades for the lineup, but nothing concrete.
Don’t get me wrong, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will still probably be one of the best camera phones, as the Galaxy S25 Ultra is now. But since last year’s upgrade (a resolution bump for the ultra-wide camera) was already pretty minor, the prospect of not getting a decent spec bump this year is pretty disheartening.
As for the standard Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, forget about it – a lack of camera upgrades would mark four years without a photography spec bump for these base-model units.
Looks pretty bleak, right? I wouldn’t blame even the most ardent Samsung fans for feeling a little uneasy ahead of the Galaxy S26 series’ likely announcement in January or February of this year. But with all that considered, there’s one potential reason that would make this possible spec stall make a lot more sense.
To get down to business, this one’s all about the money.
According to The Bell (via Forbes), Samsung plans to keep the price of the entire Galaxy S26 series the same as last year’s Galaxy S25 series – meaning starting prices of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 for the Galaxy S26, $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 for the Galaxy S26 Plus, and $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$2,149 for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Now, in a typical year, that wouldn’t really be cause for celebration. While inflation pushes phone prices up over time, we normally like to see phone makers hold onto current price points for as long as possible.
However, this is not a typical year.
As anyone who’s tried to build a PC over the last few months can attest, component prices are out of control at the moment. Demand for tech hardware – particularly RAM – has increased wildly due to the surging needs of AI and the data centers that power it. It’s very likely that at least some phone makers will increase prices this year in response.
So, while it might not look great from a purely spec-focused perspective, Samsung choosing to skip major camera upgrades with this year’s Galaxy flagships could ultimately be about protecting customers’ wallets. In that case, it’s a thumbs up from me.
This isn’t an airtight theory, though. The Forbes report adds that the price of several A-series handsets – that’s Samsung’s budget-friendly phone range – could increase to compensate for a lack of hikes further up the pricing ladder. In this context my thumb shifts to an ambivalent horizontal position – I’m not sure taxing customers with less money to spend to keep the luxury buyers happy would really be a win. Sure, the Galaxy S-series is the big seller, but I’m sure plenty of users rely on the A-series for a reliable smartphone experience at a low cost.
But looking at the Galaxy S26 series on its own, I think I’ll be able to forgive a lack of major upgrades if the price stays the same, given the current climate and rising prices elsewhere in Samsung’s portfolio (looking at you, Galaxy Z Fold 7).
Of course, if I were to put my sustainability hat on, I could ask why the Galaxy S26 series needs to come out at all if it’s going to be very similar to the Galaxy S25. It would save plenty of energy and materials to keep using the same production lines and back stock for another year.
While I’m happy to let a lack of upgrades slide, I’m also not going to be lining up to shower praise on a phone that barely changes anything compared to its predecessor. We really don’t need another iPhone 13 to iPhone 14 situation.
But seemingly the market demands a new phone every year from the major makers, and there is something to be excited about in the form of the Galaxy S26 series’ new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. For now, the above is based in rumors, but we’ll be updating our guide to the best Samsung phones as soon as we’ve had a chance to check out the new models for ourselves.
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