With the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 out of the way, the next big thing from Samsung is their upcoming Galaxy S26 series which is set to launch in early 2026. While it is normal to expect at least three new candybar Galaxy S smartphones, next year could be different as the Plus model is likely to get dropped from the new Galaxy S26 lineup.
According to a report from South Korea, the Galaxy S26 series will come in 3 models – the standard Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26 Edge and the Galaxy S26 Ultra. In terms of screen sizes, the base S26 is said to come with a slightly larger 6.27″ screen, while the S26 Edge features a 6.66″ screen and the S26 Ultra with a 6.89″ screen.
The S26 Edge model is supposedly the ultra-thin large screen variant in the Galaxy S series as seen in the recently launched Galaxy S25 edge. With a very similar price point, it is not surprising that the S26 Edge replaces the Galaxy S26+ For those who wants the greatest and the largest screen, the obvious choice would still be the Galaxy S26 Ultra which also comes with an S Pen.
The decision to drop the Plus model for 2026 is likely justified by the current sales performance of the Galaxy S25 series. It was reported that the Galaxy S25 Ultra remains the most popular choice, with 5.08 million units sold up to March 2025. This is followed by 2.41 million units sold for the base Galaxy S25 and 1.67 million units for the Galaxy S25+.
It would be interesting to see if the Galaxy S26 Edge would get a better response than the Galaxy S25+ considering that the current S25 Edge is only available in select countries, excluding Malaysia. The current Galaxy S25 Edge is super slim at 5.8mm but it only comes with a 3,900mAh battery, which is small for today’s Android flagship standards.
Samsung isn’t alone in tweaking its flagship smartphone lineup. Apple is also expected to introduce a new iPhone 17 Air in September, which would succeed the current iPhone 16 Plus. The iPhone Plus model has been around for 3 years now since the iPhone 14 Plus, after Cupertino made the decision to replace the iPhone “mini” which ran for just two generations.
Similar to the Galaxy S25 Edge, the iPhone 17 Air would get less cameras and a smaller battery. It is speculated that Apple would only be including just one single 48MP shooter at the back while the front gets a 6.6″ OLED display.
