Samsung winds back the clock for Galaxy S26 lineup – could explain the launch delay

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus will have a screen that's "almost identical" to the 2025 Galaxy S25 Plus when it's launched in late February 2026. The Plus size model will be launched along with the Galaxy S26 and flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Samsung's plans seem to have changed surrounding the Galaxy S26 line-up. Originally, it planned to slot the Edge model into the middle, allowing a slimmer and more premium model – with a higher price – to be ranged alongside the standard S26 and the Ultra flagship.

However, following poor demand for the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung reportedly reverted back to the Plus, rather than forge on with the development of a phone that no one seemed to want. That's the story coming from The Elec, a Korean news outlet.

Talking to sources, it's reported that the result of the change in plans is very few changes to the Galaxy S26 Plus compared to its predecessor, with one source saying: "The S26 Plus OLED panel itself is almost identical to its predecessor."

The means that the Galaxy S26 Plus could feel like little more than a chip change, with the phone otherwise being the same as it was before. According to The Elec, the development of the S26 Edge was halted in October 2025 following low demand, while also saying that Apple's iPhone Air also "fell short of expectations".

That means that manufacturing for the Galaxy S26 Plus has only just started, while the Galaxy S26 and the S26 Ultra development has been completed and manufacturing already taking place. The Elec claims that in January 2026, Samsung plans to produce 700,000 Galaxy S26, 600,000 S26 Plus and 3,600,000 Galaxy S26 Ultra models.

While the Ultra is expected to come with some changes, the Galaxy S26 is also in line for an increase in screen size – said to be expanding from 6.2 inches to 6.3. That would better align it with competition like the Pixel 10.

At the same time, that will see Samsung stepping away from its de facto position as compact flagship phone of choice – although it's clear that customer demand is still weighted toward larger displays.

The dropping of the Galaxy S26 Edge also suggests minimal interest in thinner and lighter devices. Both Samsung and Apple dropped cameras and reduced the battery life to produce thinner phones – with markedly higher prices. But it seems that the compromised experience isn't something that customers want (for those who do, the Moto Edge 70 is worth considering).

The result is that the Galaxy S26 family of phones will be surprisingly familiar, while the change in plans is the likely reason for the change from a January launch for the previous two models to a later February date for the new Galaxy S26.