Samsung reportedly prepares Galaxy S26 series launch for February 26

Though the Samsung Galaxy S26 series is likely to launch on February 26, the smartphones in the series will reportedly be released in select markets from March 11

Samsung’s anticipated Galaxy S26 series may launch on February 26 with release expected from March 11 in select countries. According to a 9To5Google report, citing French community platform Dealabs, Samsung is planning to release the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra on March 11, at least in France. Though the report noted that the release date is likely to vary based on regions, the US, other portions of Europe, and Korea are expected to follow the same release date as France. No official announcement has been made by Samsung in this regard though.

 

If this timeline holds, it would mark one of the latest launch windows for Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup in recent years. In comparison, the Galaxy S25 series debuted on January 22, 2025, the Galaxy S24 arrived on January 17, 2024, and the Galaxy S23 series was unveiled on February 1, 2023. 

Samsung Galaxy S26 series launch

Samsung’s roadmap for the Galaxy S26 series has seen several course corrections over the past few months, reportedly overturning its initial strategy. Early expectations suggested a three-model lineup led by the Galaxy S26 Ultra, accompanied by a rebranded Galaxy S26 “Pro” as the smallest screen size variant, with the Galaxy S26 Edge positioned as the third option.

 

However, those plans were later revised. Reports in October, 2025 indicated that Samsung had dropped the “Pro” branding altogether, while the underperformance of the Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air reportedly led the company to shelve the Galaxy S26 Edge and bring back the Plus model instead. This shift is also believed to be a key reason behind the delayed timeline for Samsung’s 2026 flagship, which would typically be close to launch by mid-January had things gone right. 

Samsung Galaxy S26 series: What to expect

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to retain a 5,000mAh battery for the seventh generation in a row, but charging could see a meaningful upgrade. Wireless charging is tipped to increase to 25W via Qi2-compatible first-party accessories, up from 15W on the S25 Ultra, while wired charging may rise to 60W. Camera hardware is also expected to remain largely unchanged, with a 200MP primary sensor, 50MP ultra-wide, and 5x telephoto lens carried forward. The only notable tweak could be a bump in the 3x telephoto camera from 10MP to 12MP. The Ultra model is also expected to use a customised Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a newer M14 OLED panel for improved brightness and efficiency, and a revised camera design that replaces floating rings with a pill-shaped module.

 

For the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, Samsung is likely to continue its split chipset strategy, with some markets getting the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and others using the Exynos 2600. The standard Galaxy S26 may move to a slightly larger 6.3-inch FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, paired with a triple rear camera setup featuring a 50MP main sensor, 12MP ultra-wide, and 12MP 3x telephoto lens, along with a 12MP front camera. Battery capacity is expected to be around 4,300mAh.

 

The Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to share the same camera hardware as the base model but step up in size and resolution, featuring a 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Battery capacity is also likely to be higher, with reports pointing to a 4,900mAh cell.