The first clue came from a South Korean publication, Yonhap, which reported that Samsung plans to hold its 'Galaxy Unpacked' event in February 2026, likely in the United States. The report also noted that the new Exynos 2600 chipset would make its debut at the event, setting the stage for the S26 announcement.

The ever-reliable tipster Ice Universe added fuel to the fire, stating that the Galaxy S26 series will go on sale starting in March 2026. This would be a notable departure from Samsung's usual launch timeline, which typically sees its flagships arrive earlier in the year.

Further confirming this delay, Weibo tipster Setsuna Digital echoed these predictions, stating that the Galaxy S26 series won't begin shipping until March 2026.

If this timeline is accurate, the Galaxy S26 will miss out on the crucial Chinese New Year sales window in February 2026, a period that typically sees a surge in smartphone purchases as gifts. This could impact Samsung's initial sales, especially in key markets like China.

While the S26 series may arrive later than expected, the phone itself is shaping up to be a modest update. The base Galaxy S26 is expected to feature a slightly larger display, while the S26 Ultra will be thinner and more rounded.

The S26 Ultra will also introduce a larger selfie camera hole (around 4mm bigger), offering a wider field of view. Additionally, the S26 will finally include iPhone-style wireless charging and the return of rear camera islands, although these changes don’t signal a drastic redesign.

Under the hood, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, while the Galaxy S26+ and base S26 models will rely on Samsung's in-house Exynos 2600 chipset in certain regions.

Charging speeds will see an upgrade: the Galaxy S26 Ultra will support 60W wired charging and 25W wireless charging, significantly cutting down charge times compared to previous models. The Ultra variant is also expected to pack a 5,200mAh battery.

The base Galaxy S26 will feature a triple-camera setup with a 50MP wide-angle lens, 12MP ultra-wide lens, and 10MP telephoto lens. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will sport a more advanced camera array, including:

• A 12MP ISOCELL 3LD 3x telephoto
• A 200MP ISOCELL HP2 main camera
• A 50MP ISOCELL JN3 ultrawide
• A 50MP IMX854 5x periscope
• A 12MP IMX874 selfie camera