Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Launch Timeline Leaked Again, May Arrive in January

Samsung is reportedly gearing up to unveil its next-generation Galaxy S26 series next year, with new leaks offering insight into its launch timeline. Contrary to earlier rumours of a delay, a recent report suggests that Samsung now plans to announce the Galaxy S26 lineup in late January 2026, with first sale expected to begin in February. The upcoming models are expected to feature Samsung's 2nm Exynos 2600 chipset in select regions, while other markets may receive variants powered by Qualcomm's 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. 

Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Launch Timeline Leaked Again

According to a report by Chosun Biz, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series of smartphones will likely launch in late January 2026. The report added that the flagship lineup is expected to go on sale in early February. 

Earlier reports indicated that the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series might be delayed, as the final product designs took longer to complete than expected. Among the upcoming models, the Galaxy S26+ was reportedly still undergoing development and required a bit more time to be fully ready.

A source familiar with Samsung Electronics reportedly clarified that the delay stemmed from the company's decision to replace the Edge model with a new Plus variant. This change extended the hardware testing process and nearly postponed the launch. However, the issue has since been resolved, and Samsung is now expected to proceed with its planned February 2026 release. 

Previous leaks suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S26 series may be unveiled at its Galaxy Unpacked event, which is likely to take place in San Francisco, possibly on February 25, 2026. The handsets were expected to in early March, following a two-week pre-order phase.

The latest report suggests that Samsung dropped its plans for the Galaxy S26 Edge after the Galaxy S25 Edge recorded disappointing sales. To balance its lineup and avoid a major revenue shortfall, the company reportedly decided to bring back the S26+ model.

As of August 2025, Samsung reportedly sold 5.05 million units of the Galaxy S25+ within three months, compared to only 1.31 million units of the Galaxy S25 Edge. This means the Edge variant sold about 74 percent less than the Plus model, which Samsung had initially considered discontinuing.