Galaxy S26: Specific traces point to major changes for Samsung’s next flagship phone lineup

To be fair, the first concrete hints regarding the successors to the Galaxy S25 (renewed from $518 on Amazon) have been discovered in the GSMA database back in June. More precisely, the corresponding entries for the Galaxy S26 Edge and Galaxy S26 Ultra were found, but now Samsung has also added the Galaxy S26 base model. As of July 11, 2025, the following model numbers are actively in development:

• Samsung Galaxy S26: SM-S942
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Edge: SM-S947
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: SM-S948

This is unusual for several reasons. The most obvious change is the absence of a Plus model, which is apparently set to be replaced by the Galaxy S26 Edge, as was rumored months ago. That said, it's not set in stone that there will be no Galaxy S26+, as Samsung still has enough time to add another model.

However, it’s still unusual that the database mentions the Galaxy S26 Edge but no Galaxy S26 Plus. Another detail is hidden in these new model numbers. As Erencan Yılmaz from Sammypolice explains, the last digit of the Galaxy S26 base model number has changed from 1 to 2. Therefore, the successor to the Galaxy S25 (SM-S931) will carry the product number SM-942, and not SM-S941.

Since this last digit usually represents the hierarchy in the Galaxy S lineup, the flagship Ultra smartphone usually carries the number 8. This could mean that Samsung might be planning significant upgrades for the base model, maybe in order to replace the departing Plus variant.