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Samsung may be accelerating its schedule: fresh reports suggest the Galaxy S26 series could debut in late January 2026, with sales kicking off as early as February. That’s a shift from earlier leaks that pointed to a February unveiling and March availability.
Why the Unpacked event may have moved sooner
A South Korean outlet says Samsung has pulled the Galaxy Unpacked date forward to late January. The move could reflect stronger-than-expected production readiness, a strategic push to get ahead of rival launches, or an attempt to align marketing and carrier promotions earlier in the year. Imagine carriers and retailers prepping promotions a month sooner — it changes the whole cadence of the flagship cycle.
What to expect from the S26 lineup
According to the same report, the S26 family will stick to three main models: the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. Key chipset details reportedly break down like this:
- S26 (base) — Exynos 2600 SoC
- S26 Plus — Exynos 2600 SoC
- S26 Ultra — Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
That split continues Samsung’s recent pattern of pairing its in-house Exynos silicon with Qualcomm’s top-tier chipset on the Ultra model, likely to balance performance positioning and regional supply constraints.
The Edge variant is reportedly dead
One notable change: the rumored Galaxy S26 Edge appears to be canceled. The report cites weak demand for last year’s S25 Edge — roughly 1.3 million units sold in the first three months after launch, about 74% fewer than the Plus model. In short: consumers didn’t vote for the curved-edge variant, and Samsung seems to be listening.
What this means for buyers and the market
For shoppers, an earlier launch compresses the buying cycle — carriers and accessory makers may roll out deals sooner, and trade-in windows could shift. For Samsung, launching in January could secure earlier mindshare ahead of rivals and create a longer selling season before mid-year refreshes.
Of course, nothing is official until Samsung posts an invite. But if those dates hold, expect an earlier sales push, a clear focus on three S26 models, and the end of the Edge experiment for now.
Source: gsmarena
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