Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus Returns Amid Lineup Reshuffle

Samsung has reintroduced the Galaxy S26 Plus into its upcoming smartphone lineup, replacing the previously planned S26 Edge model. This decision follows the underperformance of the Galaxy S25 Edge in the market, prompting the company to revert to its traditional three-model structure: the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra.

The Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to feature a 6.7-inch flat display with thin, uniform bezels and a centered hole-punch camera. The device's design includes flat sides with a slight curve for comfort, and all buttons are positioned on the right-hand side.

On the rear, the S26 Plus will sport a vertical, pill-shaped camera island housing three cameras, each protruding individually. An LED flash is situated to the right of the camera module. The backplate remains flat, with the company's branding located at the lower portion.

Under the hood, the Galaxy S26 Plus is anticipated to be part of Samsung's dual-chip strategy. Depending on the region, it will be powered by either Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 or Samsung's in-house Exynos 2600 processor. The device is expected to offer 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, with storage options of 256GB and 512GB, utilizing UFS 4.0 flash storage.

The display is projected to be a 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X panel with an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1 to 120Hz and a resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels. The screen is likely to be protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Camera specifications are rumored to include a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. These configurations suggest incremental improvements over the previous model.

The Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to ship with Android 16, overlaid with Samsung's One UI 8.5. Connectivity features will likely include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and 5G support. The device is also anticipated to have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

Samsung's decision to reinstate the Galaxy S26 Plus reflects a strategic shift in response to market feedback, aiming to offer a balanced option between the standard and Ultra models in its flagship lineup.