Galaxy S26 leak points to Apple influence on both design and price

The Galaxy S26 series has been in the news a whole lot before its launch, primarily for all the plan changes that Samsung is making at a relatively late stage of product development. The company reportedly killed the Galaxy S26 Edge and revived the Galaxy S26 Plus, but it has also been making a few other tweaks to the lineup. A new report now sheds light on the reason behind some of these changes, and the answer is surprisingly simple: Apple.

According to South Korean publication NewsPim (via Jukanlosreve on X), Samsung was focusing on making the Galaxy S26 lineup slimmer. However, Apple’s decision to maintain the $799 price tag on the iPhone 17 forced Samsung to reconsider its strategy. Consequently, the company shifted its focus from an initial target of a “slim premium” phone with a thinner body and larger battery capacity to reducing the cost burdens associated with the phone. The report says that Samsung’s top priority now is to keep the “Galaxy S26 at $799.”

Samsung is said to have internally concluded that while price hikes across the lineup are “unavoidable” due to higher component costs, it will at least stick to the $799 price point for the base Galaxy S26, and it can do so only by adjusting specifications. This report doesn’t say this, but a previous report mentions that a price rise is inevitable for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

The report notes that the base Galaxy S26 was initially developed to be 6.9mm thick, which would be 0.3mm thinner than its predecessor. Indeed, the leaks for the Galaxy S26 Pro (as Samsung was said to be planning to call the device back then) suggested that a thinner phone was on the cards, while recent leaks say that Samsung has changed the dimensions of the Galaxy S26 to be thicker.

Along with the thickness, the base Galaxy S26/Galaxy S26 Pro was said to come with a significantly bigger 4,900mAh battery compared to the Galaxy S25’s 4,000mAh battery. With development on the thinner phone halted, this figure is said to have been readjusted to 4,300mAh, which is still larger than the previous generation but significantly smaller than what it could have been (in an even thinner profile, nonetheless!).

The report notes that the Galaxy S26 Plus will retain the thickness and battery capacity of its predecessor (7.3mm, 4,900mAh), while the Galaxy S26 Ultra will retain the battery capacity of its predecessor (5,000mAh) but be 0.3mm thinner at 7.9mm.

Samsung is also reportedly shifting to a new strategy for its flagship S series. The base model will focus on price competitiveness, the Plus model will prioritize balance, and the Ultra model will emphasize premium features. Consequently, the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus, set to release in markets such as Korea and Europe, are reportedly equipped with the Exynos 2600 SoC, whereas only the Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a Snapdragon SoC. The report doesn’t mention whether the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus in the US will come with an Exynos or Snapdragon chip.

It remains to be seen how Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series finally shapes up: Will Samsung really gimp its base flagship in the pursuit of a $799 price tag? What price increase can be expected for the Galaxy S26 Ultra? And without significant upgrades to key hardware areas, such as the camera and battery, will consumers still buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra at this higher price tag? We’ll have to wait for 2026 for these questions to be answered.