Samsung Galaxy S26 release date rumors — here's when we expect it to launch

As Apple's iPhone launches have become inextricably linked to September, so have Samsung Galaxy flagship rollouts come to mark the start of a new year. But the upcoming Galaxy S26 release date may be happening later than we've come to expect.

Since the start of this decade, Galaxy S releases have slowly crept to earlier in the year. Not long ago, you could expect the latest Samsung flagships to show up on retail shelves in March. Lately, though, it's not uncommon for the phones to appear in early February — or even January in some cases.

However, recent reports suggest that trend might grind to a halt this year, with Samsung pushing back the Galaxy S26 launch until later in the spring. Here's what we now so far about the Galaxy S26 release date and how it might differ from what we've become accustomed to from recent Samsung phone launches.

Galaxy S26 release date: A shakeup to the lineup

Since the arrival of the Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this year, it's been assumed that Samsung would phase out its Plus model in favor of the new ultra-thin phone. That would give us a Galaxy S26 lineup consisting of a standard model, a Galaxy S26 Edge and a Galaxy S26 Ultra.

The move would make sense on paper, as there's little distinguishing the $1,099 Edge from the $999 Galaxy S25 Plus, apart from that thinner design. But it sounds like consumers aren't biting — reports claim that Galaxy S25 Edge sales have been slow enough that Samsung is scrapping plans for a follow-up device.

That would create a dilemma for Samsung if it wants to hit its now-customary January launch window. It could either release just two phones in the new year — a standard and Ultra model — or it could scramble to add a Galaxy S26 Plus to the upcoming lineup after all.

A report from The Elec out of Korea claims that Samsung has opted for the latter approach. While the Galaxy S26 Ultra appears to be ready to enter mass production in December, the report suggests that the standard S26 and S26 Plus won't be mass produced until the start of the year, as Samsung reshuffles its launch plans.

That, in turn, has trigged a number of reports from various phone leakers who claim that the Galaxy S26 release date will be pushed back. Posting on Weibo, notable leaker Ice Universe writes that "the release of Samsung Galaxy S26 series has been postponed," according to a translation of their post.

Another leaker, Instant Digital, is also talking about a delay. "The release of the Galaxy S26 series may be postponed to March," the leaker wrote on Weibo. "Please don't be impatient."

It's unclear whether those leakers are referring to the actual launch of the phones or the date of the Galaxy Unpacked event where Samsung would show off its new lineup.

Galaxy S26 release date: What Samsung's done in the past

If it's the Galaxy Unpacked event itself that moves to March, it would be the latest Samsung has shown off its new flagship phones since the 2017 release of the Galaxy S8, which debuted at a March 29 event that year; the phones themselves shipped in April 2017.

As for a March release date, Samsung launched the Galaxy S20 in the U.S. on March 6, 2020, with a European launch following a week later. Those phones were introduced at a February 11 event that's probably better remembered for taking place as the COVID-19 pandemic was becoming more widespread.

Since then, Galaxy S models have arrived stores either in February or January. Earlier this year, the Galaxy S25 models went on sale February 7 after the January 17 Galaxy Unpacked event. That was actually a few days later than the Galaxy S24's 2024 release, which took place January 31.

Samsung Galaxy S26 release date: Outlook

There's a big difference between leakers claiming Samsung is pushing back its Galaxy S26 release plans and the phone maker actually confirming it, and we're not likely to get a definitive word until the start of 2026. But certainly, the rumored lineup reshuffle would suggest a later-than-usual launch could be likely.

While that may mean that Apple and Google have more time to flog iPhone 17 and Pixel 10 sales before the Galaxy S26 lineup arrives, it ultimately may not matter — if Samsung can deliver a compelling upgrade. Right now, rumors suggest possible camera and display improvements for the new phones. There's also the possibility of Samsung adopting the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which not only has impressed in benchmarking sessions, but also promises more compelling on-device AI features.

We'll keep an ear out for more details on Samsung's Galaxy S26 plans — not only what improvements might find their way to the new phones but when we can expect the latest models to arrive.

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