What you need to know
- Samsung may be ditching the standard Galaxy S26 model for a new “Pro” variant this time around.
- A recent deep dive into an internal One UI 8 build shows evidence of the new lineup consisting of three phones: Galaxy S26 Pro, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 Ultra.
- Samsung could also be ditching its Plus model for the “Edge” in its next series.
Samsung might make several heads turn with its next flagship series. A new deep dive into One UI 8’s build suggests that it could be giving up on the standard Galaxy S26 for a new Galaxy S26 Pro (as first spotted by Android Authority).
This comes after rumors that Samsung could also replace the Plus variant with the all-new Edge, with some tweaks, hinting that the Korean OEM might be switching things up in a huge way. The website seems to have stumbled upon evidence for this line-up rebranding in the One UI 8 build, and the product codenames seemed to have indicated that there may not be a base or, as they say, vanilla variant for the Galaxy S26 series next year.
“Instead, Samsung’s upcoming flagship series appears to consist of three models: Galaxy S26 Pro, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 Ultra,” the website stated.
Sharing screenshots of the product names, the website stated that their findings in the firmware contradict previous leaks where the series’ codename started with NP (New Paradigm). Instead, the build labels the three alleged devices of the Galaxy S26 series as M1, M2, and M3, which could match up to be the Galaxy S26 Pro, S26 Edge, and S26 Ultra (without the standard and plus models).
Breaking things down further, the website states that, in previous lineups, the number “1” represented the base model; however, now “M1” is being used to refer to the new Pro variant.
Back in May, we reported that Samsung could be ditching the Plus model for the new Galaxy Edge, but that was only dependent on how the new model faired in the market, and as we now know, Samsung is reportedly struggling to sell the Galaxy S25 Edge. And the phone’s first month sales are “below expectations,” according to a report from The Elec.
This could potentially impact the possibility of it showing up in the Galaxy S26 lineup, and even if it did, the company may have to make some changes to the existing model (better battery capacity to start with).
That said, if Samsung does choose to use the “Pro” branding for the standard model, this could only mean the company could be aiming at bringing premium features to the base model, and probably jacking up the pricetag on the same as well. But these are still just rumors, and what the company does with its new flagship lineup remains a mystery.
That said, leaks have been popping up about the new Galaxy S26 series. It is expected to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 processor, and Samsung is also reportedly testing its Exynos 2600 chip. It could show up with One UI 8.5 and Android 16 out of the box, bolstered with Galaxy AI. As for the design, it is highly unlikely that Samsung could make any drastic design changes this time around, keeping its minimal design aesthetic, and here’s a full list of everything we know so far about the Galaxy S26 series.