Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Launch Delayed: New Flagships May Arrive Later Than Expected

The next generation of flagship Galaxy smartphones were expected to make their global debut in January 2026. However, new information has emerged that the Galaxy S26 series may be delayed.

While the flagship lineup was expected in January, a recent leak suggests the new Galaxy S26 phones may be launched later than usual. Samsung typically reveals the Galaxy S series at its Galaxy Unpacked event in January or February each year.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Launch Delayed

A recent post on Weibo by Ice Universe claims that the Samsung Galaxy S26 series has been delayed. However, the brief post doesn't provide a timeline for the launch.

If accurate and the delay is minimal, we could see the Galaxy S26 series launch in February 2026, instead of January. Although some reports suggest the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will launch as late as March 2026.

Traditionally, Samsung has unveiled its Galaxy S series at the start of the year, with the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S25 series both launching in January 2024 and January 2025, respectively. Prior to that, the Galaxy S23 series made its debut on 1 February 2023.

Back to Basics

In other news, Samsung is unlikely to deviate from its tried and tested Galaxy S series formula. While previous reports have been suggesting that the Galaxy S26 Plus could be replaced by the Galaxy S26 Pro, new information has emerged about that plan being scrapped.

The new line-up will include the Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Additionally, there appear to be no plans for a Galaxy S26 Edge due to the underwhelming performance of the Galaxy S25 Edge (Review).

Exynos vs Snapdragon

Reports indicate that Samsung has now commenced mass production of the Galaxy S26 series. Around half of these devices are expected to feature the company's own Exynos 2600 processor. Meanwhile, customers in the US, Japan, and China are likely to receive Galaxy S26 models equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, whereas those in South Korea and Europe can anticipate units powered by Exynos.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series may see a slight delay, but expectations remain high for the 2026 flagship lineup. Sticking to its three-model strategy, Samsung is focusing on performance upgrades with the Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chips. If reports are accurate, the Galaxy S26 series could arrive between February and March 2026, kicking off the year's flagship race.