With Samsung gearing up for the firm’s yearly smartphone launch, and with the benefit of hindsight, we sort of need the Galaxy S26 to at least make some notable improvements over its predecessors or risk losing potential buyers.
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For the past few generations, the Galaxy S Ultra lineup has clung to the top of the Android totem pole. In many ways, it defies the lack of innovation and progression, just doing enough to maintain its status among the elite devices one could buy.
That said, there is a growing concern that Samsung has been pumping the brakes on the hardware, but with the Z Fold 7 doing more to improve what felt like a similarly stagnating foldable series, surely there is more to come this time around? While the leaks are important, it isn’t the entire basis for this post, we’re talking around the publicly known information to figure out just what the Galaxy S26 will offer in the coming weeks.
Hardware and design
There is no shame in sticking with a design. We’re not advocating for Samsung to shake things up here. Personally, I have no qualms with the company sticking with what has made the Galaxy S series stand out over the past few years, no matter how plain it may seem on the surface.
Leaks have shown the smallest of refinements to the S25 ready for the Galaxy S26. Samsung doesn’t need to shake things up too drastically visually, functionally. It’s really disappointing to hear that we probably won’t get magnetic Qi2 compatibility without using a first-party or third-party case. That kind of whiff is one of the problems that seem to persist year over year at the company.
We know that Samsung likes to follow Apple’s lead in lots of other areas. Think materials, finishes, and color options. Sure, it’s annoying, but it doesn’t diminish too much from what the company can do when it sets its mind to making the best possible hardware. Think about it for a second: You very rarely see hardware failure or component-related complaints. Samsung can make phones that stand the test of time.
Expect the best internals, including the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. What isn’t clear is how Samsung plans to handle device memory allocation. With AI taking a front seat once again – in both marketing and more broadly across the tech industry – the Galaxy S26 series is expected to stick with less RAM than competitors.
One of the best features of the Galaxy S24 and S25 Ultra has been the anti-glare display. Samsung has already confirmed that a new “privacy display” is going to be a key component. A higher maximum brightness would be a nice upgrade, but off-axis visibility to stop prying eyes without a screen protector could be a nice function, but it’s not a key seller by any stretch of the imagination.
The software stack
If One UI 8.5 is anything to go by, Samsung is taking some design cues from Apple. The problem there is that this undoes some of the great work from the previous few updates. Sure, we get all the trappings of one of the most comprehensive Android builds available, but for reasons unknown, every OEM wants to replicate clear glass elements to some extent, which is especially annoying as most people who’ll look at the S26 series will do so because they probably don’t want an iPhone or dislike iOS.
Material 3 Expressive is ripe for a Samsung take on it. It’s one of the biggest problems we have on Android, and if the biggest brand associated with the platform isn’t willing to take on Google’s mantle, it’s a crying shame at a time when phones are starting to feel “samey” – which the S26 no doubt will due to various other factors.
Some of the early marketing for the Galaxy S26 and Unpacked event hints at yet more “AI” and “Galaxy AI,” and Gemini will no doubt be used as a key differentiator for the company. Is that good enough? What will the S26 offer that the Pixel 10 isn’t already doing? Or will we just see some parity with what Google is using to make its own phones among the better phones for AI functionality? Quite possibly.
A big concern – as an S25 Ultra owner myself – is just how Samsung handles the S Pen this year. We’ve seen functions dwindle and even a few removals. This was one of the key selling points, but it has become an added extra that isn’t as useful as it was in prior generations, either because its usefulness has diminished or because Samsung hasn’t developed it further to ensure it remains a powerful tool that sets the Galaxy S26 Ultra apart from other devices. No other brand offers an integrated stylus. That can and should be something that really sells devices, but it is being left to rot and likely won’t survive in the long term.
Expect lots of AI shoehorned into One UI, which isn’t all that exciting.
Camera
Arguably, one of the biggest complaints leveled at Samsung Galaxy phones over the past couple of years has been the lack of camera upgrades. We’ve seen barely any changes of note from the Galaxy S23 Ultra right through to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The regular Galaxy S22 to the S25 have seen almost no changes. It’s a little too much recycling for a brand at the top of the space.
It doesn’t help that Samsung hasn’t done enough to improve the camera software experience. The image processing is starting to become a problem for many Samsung fans. Moving subjects still pose problems; shutter lag is a major complaint for many. Image blur ruins otherwise good photos.
A bigger main sensor would be a major upgrade. It’s unlikely, but that would make Samsung a little more competitive with some of the insane smartphone cameras coming out of China over the past couple of years. In reality, we’ll get minimal changes and some AI cover-ups for the lack of sensor prowess to match the best in the business.
Will things change?
As far as global sales go, it’s almost a formality that the Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup will sell 10x its nearest competitor in the Android market. This is why we want the company to at least try and make improvements in many areas.
Samsung appears a little lost as of late. Making strange decisions with seemingly no real plan to try and lead from the front. Instead, falling back into old habits, taking cues from Apple as the well of ideas looks a little dry.
It’s more frustrating because of how solid almost every Samsung Galaxy S series phone has been for a number of years. The Galaxy S25 Ultra belies its modest changes and “upgrades.” We’re expecting more of the same with the Galaxy S26 lineup, but more of the same isn’t a bad thing. However, when that “thing” has been the same for almost 3 years in a row, it becomes a problem. There is almost zero reason for someone to upgrade now. The experience is not noticeably different enough.
For the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus, there is even less reason to do so. The severe lack of effort with those phones is a crying shame. It showcases how little Samsung cares about anything but the Ultra lineup – which also feels neglected as of late.
The smartphone has passed its peak. Just where it goes from here could be shaped by what happens with the Galaxy S26 and, most notably, the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
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