Samsung Set to Kill the Galaxy S26 Plus AND the Base Galaxy S26

There's nothing wrong with companies shaking up device lineups that we're familiar with. After all, there's nothing wrong with change, especially when it is tastefully made. There wasn't always a Galaxy S Ultra device, and now those phones are consistently some of the most popular Android flagships year after year.

However, after having been settled into the current arrangement since 2020, Samsung's rumored modifications to its Galaxy S lineup are bound to come with some heat. We heard earlier whispers that the Galaxy S26 Plus would be replaced by the Galaxy S26 Edge, which sort of makes sense. But now, it seems that the base Galaxy S26 will go too.

Samsung Is Planning to Replace the Base Galaxy S26 With the Galaxy S26 Pro

The compact smartphone has been dead for a long time. People who like smaller screens on their smartphones have to deal with the Mini and Compact models of this era, which tend to bottom out at 6.3 inches. That's still pretty large, but with much smaller bezels, the devices aren't as enormous as you might have reckoned just from hearing that.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is one of the most powerful “small” phones that you can get right now, if not the absolute top of the list. It has a 6.2-inch display, which is arguably the smallest size you can get on any mainstream flagship. Despite being diminutive, it still manages to fit in a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, giving it ridiculous amounts of power. That phone you know and love won't be around next year, if rumors are to be believed.

According to Android Authority, Samsung plans to kill the Galaxy S26 and replace it with the Galaxy S26 Pro. That would explain the increment that was seen in what was thought to be the model number for the Galaxy S26.

• Samsung Galaxy S24: SM-S921
• Samsung Galaxy S25: SM-S931
• Samsung Galaxy S26 (Pro): SM-S942

We have no idea if this will simply be a rebranding or whether Samsung will choose to incorporate more “pro-grade” specs to make it a more capable small device. Will it even remain small? Only time will tell.

The Galaxy S26 Edge Will Take the Place of the S26 Plus

But that's not all. If you've been paying attention to Samsung news, you might have caught it a few weeks ago when we reported that the Samsung Galaxy S26+ seems set to depart in favor of the Galaxy S26 Edge. While that's going to annoy many, I do understand the logic behind it.

The Galaxy S25 Edge has a similar footprint to the S25+, and besides a missing camera, a smaller battery, and slower charging, the devices are very close to one another. With some work, Samsung could stick another camera in there. Adopting silicon-carbon tech could make a bigger battery more practical. And faster charging is likely the easiest of the bunch to incorporate.

Although it'll mean that the middle option in Samsung's flagship range will be more expensive, sales for the S26 Edge will certainly be much better if there's no Plus model to compete with it. In fact, that might be the major reason for this change, and with an S26 lineup set to all get notably thinner, it might work well.