Samsung Electronics will unveil its flagship Galaxy S26 smartphones in February next year, according to ChosunBiz, following a brief period of uncertainty about the launch timeline. The company plans to hold the Galaxy S26 Unpacked event in late January with retail availability following in February.
The schedule stabilized after Samsung reversed plans to include an ultra-slim Edge model in the lineup, instead reinstating the Plus variant following concerns about weak sales performance. The Galaxy S25 Edge, launched in May, sold just 1.31 million units through August—74% fewer than the Galaxy S25 Plus, which reached 5.05 million units over the same period, according to Hana Securities data cited in the report.
The lineup adjustment extended hardware verification requirements and nearly delayed the launch schedule, but Samsung resolved these issues through company-wide coordination efforts, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by ChosunBiz.
Samsung will equip the base Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus models with its Exynos 2600 processor, while the Ultra variant continues using Qualcomm’s mobile application processor, industry sources told the publication. This contrasts with speculation about broader Exynos adoption across the entire lineup.
The expanded use of Exynos chips follows improvements in Samsung’s 2-nanometer Gate-All-Around manufacturing process, with yields advancing from initial 30% levels toward 50%, according to industry reports. Kim Yong-seok, an endowed professor at Gachon University’s Semiconductor College, said the move reflects progress in chip design and production yield for the 2-nanometer GAA process.
Rising component costs and potential tariff impacts may force Samsung to raise prices for the Qualcomm-equipped Galaxy S26 Ultra, according to industry expectations cited in the report. This year Samsung maintained flat pricing for the Galaxy S25 series despite using more expensive Qualcomm processors throughout the lineup.
