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Galaxy S26 Timeline Snaps Back to Late‑January Unveiling as Ultra Tipped to Go Snapdragon‑Only

A respected Korean report says Samsung resolved verification delays from a lineup reshuffle, putting an announcement in late January and retail in February back on the table.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets citing ChosunBiz report Samsung will announce the Galaxy S26 series in late January 2026, with sales beginning in February after briefly weighing a later window.
  • The lineup is now expected to be three models — Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra — after scrapping planned Edge/Pro variants that extended hardware validation.
  • Reporting converges on a chipset split: Exynos 2600 for the S26 and S26+, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for the S26 Ultra globally, aligning with Qualcomm guidance of powering most S26 units.
  • Design leaks point to a thinner chassis around 6.9mm, rounder corners, a revived vertical camera island, and integrated Qi2 magnetic wireless‑charging magnets.
  • Pricing chatter flags a potential S26 Ultra increase due to Snapdragon‑only components and broader cost inflation, while camera leaks suggest a shared 10MP 3x telephoto across models and a larger Ultra selfie cutout.