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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Galaxy S26 might launch with Samsung’s new Exynos 2600 processor.
- Count on significant digicam upgrades throughout the Galaxy S26 lineup.
- Rumors nonetheless battle, however here is what the Galaxy S26 would possibly supply.
It is extremely early within the Galaxy S26 rumor cycle, however the flagship lineup has Galaxy Z Fold 7’s success to match.
There have been complicated particulars about Samsung’s upcoming telephones. Earlier, there have been rumors of a Galaxy S26 Professional, however they have been later discarded. Equally, some speculated that the Korean firm would substitute its Plus mannequin with a Galaxy S26 Edge, however just lately, one other report claimed that there will not be any Edge after the subsequent variant.
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All of this leaves me with imprecise particulars, however there are some things to anticipate from the bottom, Plus, and Extremely fashions. Here is every thing I do know thus far concerning the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 collection.
Exynos to return after an extended hiatus
In response to a report by Korea Financial Each day, the Galaxy S26 lineup will probably be powered by an in-house Exynos 2600 chipset. The brand new processor is claimed to be housed in roughly 50% of the Galaxy S26 units throughout South Korea and European areas. The US, Japan, and China markets will reportedly get Qualcomm-powered items.
For reference, Samsung used to have Exynos-powered flagship Galaxy S-series telephones till the Galaxy S22. In recent times, it shifted to Qualcomm, with the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S25 lineups dropping Exynos totally. Samsung returned to its in-house processor for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 this yr, which was powered by the Exynos 2500 SoC. That mentioned, the Galaxy S26 lineup is claimed to have an all-new processor.
Additionally: I’ve tested every single Galaxy S25 phone, and my favorite isn’t the flagship model
The Exynos 2600 will probably be made in-house by Samsung Foundry, whereas Apple and Qualcomm depend on TSMC. As per the report, this chipset relies on a 2nm course of, which is touted to spice up an NPU that’s six instances quicker than Apple’s A19 Professional. Compared, this NPU is alleged to be 30% quicker than Qualcomm’s flagship chipset.
Samsung Galaxy S26’s Exynos 2600 chipset is claimed to supply 14% higher CPU multi-core efficiency and as much as 75% increased GPU efficiency. The GPU is reportedly as much as 29% higher than Qualcomm’s. These are excessive claims, and I’m curious to see the effectivity of Samsung’s subsequent cell processor. The Exynos SoCs of yesteryear have been notorious for getting too heat. I anticipate the Exynos 2600 to be higher, however time will inform.
Are there main digicam enhancements?
I hope Samsung places an even bigger sensor contained in the Galaxy S26 Extremely, at the least, however the rumors have been unclear. Though one among them claimed that variable aperture tech might make a comeback with the Galaxy S26 collection. Furthermore, a brand new ALoP lens know-how might considerably scale back the digicam bump measurement.
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The bottom Galaxy S26 is claimed to sport a brand new 50MP main digicam sensor, whereas the Extremely might upgrade to a bigger 1/1.1-inch 200MP Sony sensor. It might supply an F1.4 aperture, which might let 47% extra gentle in. Because of this, anticipate higher night time pictures. Furthermore, Samsung might bump the 3x telephoto digicam from 10MP to 12MP, whereas the ultrawide is claimed to stay the identical.
I hope the sensor improve rumors are true as a result of Samsung flagships want a digicam overhaul. 12 months over yr, the upgrades in optics have diminished, and the Galaxy S25 Extremely could not stand an opportunity when in comparison with the Oppo Discover X8 Extremely in my recent comparison.
Is there a Galaxy S26 Professional or not?
There have been rumors of Samsung changing the bottom Galaxy S26 mannequin with a Galaxy S26 Professional and the Galaxy S26 Plus with a Galaxy S26 Edge. Nevertheless, as extra details about the Galaxy S26 collection trickles in, the extra complicated it will get.
In response to the most recent report, the entry-level Samsung flagship will simply be known as the Galaxy S26. A separate report claims that Samsung might cancel the Galaxy S26 Edge. So, that leaves the common suspects: Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Galaxy S26 Extremely.
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That mentioned, the bottom mannequin is claimed to get a battery enhance with a 4,300mAh battery as a substitute of a 4,000mAh cell discovered on the current-gen Galaxy S25. Whereas there is no such thing as a affirmation on battery capability for the opposite two variants, I hope the Galaxy S25 Extremely will get a battery improve too — particularly when a smaller OnePlus 15 packs an enormous 7,300mAh battery.
Samsung Galaxy S26 launch date
A report claims that the Galaxy S26 collection may very well be delayed to March, citing that Samsung remains to be behind on Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus’ growth.
Nevertheless, I do not assume that is going to occur since different manufacturers are gunning for earlier-than-usual launches. The OnePlus 15 is claimed to be launched globally subsequent month — two months sooner than the OnePlus 13 — whereas different Chinese language manufacturers are mentioned to observe swimsuit.
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If Samsung delays the Galaxy S26 launch, it will go away an enormous launch hole for competing units to problem Samsung. There’s one other hypothesis of the corporate releasing the Galaxy S26 Extremely in January and following it up with a base Galaxy S26 launch in September. I’ve heard the same launch cycle rumor for Apple. It may very well be attainable, however I anticipate at the least one Samsung Galaxy S26 smartphone to launch in January 2026.
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