We've known for a while that the Galaxy S26 series is in a state of flux, despite Samsung's usual release window being right around the corner. Now, we're getting some insight into what the company has in mind for its smaller flagship, and it could shed some light on all those Galaxy S26 "Pro" rumors from earlier this year.
See also: Samsung is reportedly abandoning ultra-thin smartphones
The first rumors about the Galaxy S26 gave a pretty clear picture of Samsung’s plans to revamp its usual lineup, replacing the standard Galaxy S26+ with a sequel to the Edge and adding the “Pro” suffix to its base model. At the time, it was pretty hard to understand what led Samsung to rename this particular model, and before the rumors could provide any meaningful clarity, the “Pro” branding word was officially gone. With the S26 Edge either canceled or scheduled for later in 2026, it looks like the Galaxy S26 lineup is back to normal.
The decision to ditch the Galaxy S26 Edge for a more standard smartphone — especially after the failure of the S25 Edge — seems pretty obvious, but the S26 “Pro” has been unexplained for almost a month now. Thanks to a new report from Korean publication NewsPim, we finally get some insight into what happened to Samsung’s original plans for 2026. Apparently, the company was planning a pretty big move for its smaller flagship, but one particular competitor threw that idea out the window.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is now available
According to NewsPim, Samsung was planning to launch the Galaxy S26 with a slimmer design, featuring a larger 4,900mAh battery and a 6.9mm chassis. This latest spec is interesting, as it lines up with leaked specs from September, when the “Pro” branding was still believed to be in place. That report also suggested a slightly larger display, which could align well with Samsung’s plans to rebrand this particular model.
So what changed? In short, the iPhone 17. Apple’s decision to release a significantly improved base model — with a Pro-like 6.3-inch 120Hz display — at a price identical to the previous generation has kept Apple moving units at its usual pace, perhaps even at the expense of some potential iPhone Air buyers. That left Samsung between a rock and a hard place, as it planned to increase the cost of this new Galaxy S26 thanks to its thinner design.
As a result, Samsung has been found to be redesigning the Galaxy S26, returning to a similar 7.2mm chassis as we saw with this year's phone and using a 4,300mAh battery instead of the larger one. This last specification is interesting, as it's the same one that was published in the original leaked renders of the Pro. We hadn't previously heard of plans to include a significantly larger battery in the S26 Pro.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S26 may look like iPhone 17
Regardless of any confusion that arises regarding the battery, the end result is the same: a much more boring lineup for 2026 than previously expected. The company now intends to promote the Galaxy S26 series in a fairly familiar way, focusing on price for the base model, “balance” for the Plus, and “premium features” for the Ultra. A typical Samsung launch, in other words.
