Samsung’s 2026 product lineup has started leaking early. Most of their devices have appeared in the GSMA IMEI database, a global system used to identify cellular devices. The biggest leak is about the tablets, as the company appears to be dropping the idea of a normal flagship model this year.
There's no standard Galaxy Tab S12, but the Plus model will return alongside the Ultra. Last year, Samsung ditched the Tab S11 Plus, keeping only the base model and the Ultra.
See all Samsung's new devices coming soon
According to SmartPrix, two tablets appear on the database. The first is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, listed under the model number SM-X946B. The second tablet is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+, with the model number SM-X846B.
In the previous generation, the S11+ device was excluded, which now suggests that Samsung sees a demand for a premium tablet that isn’t as physically extreme as the Ultra. Before that, the Tab S10 series only had the Plus and Ultra models without the base.
It's unclear how long they'll drag this shuffling strategy. But it's clear that the non-Ultra tiers don't have fixed identities anymore. The brand may keep launching them based on demand and sales data for the year.
The most likely timing for their release is expected around August or September 2026. Apart from the tablets, the base Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra may arrive earlier this month in February at the infamous Unpacked event. Rumors point to San Francisco as the location.
The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Watch Ultra 2 (SM-L716U), and Watch 9 (SM-L345U) may be unveiled with them, alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 foldables. The Watch Ultra 2 will be the first Watch Ultra successor, which was released in 2024.
You may want to keep your money this year
Samsung itself hasn't confirmed the official date of the Unpacked event, nor sent out invitations. But popular and trusted leaker Evan Blass says it's happening February 25.
By the looks of things, you don't want to get your hopes up too much as Samsung has already taken its big risks. The centerpiece of the event will be the S26 series, but there are no dramatic redesigns externally yet again.
The base model in the series will get a slight size bump from 6.2 inches to 6.3 inches. Battery capacity will increase from 4,000mAh to 4,300mAh with 25W charging support. There is no 128GB storage option. Instead, your options are limited to 256GB and 512GB with 12GB RAM.
S26 Ultra loses its sharp edges
The S26 Ultra, on the other hand, is getting some visual refinements. Samsung is finally moving away from the thick, glossy camera rings it introduced on the S25 Ultra, nicknamed the “vinyl record” rings. Users widely criticized it for looking cheap.
In its place are narrower, metal camera rings, as spotted on the dummy units. The corners are rounder than on the S25 Ultra, which had very sharp, almost boxy edges that could rip through your jeans. The brand may drop titanium and move back to aluminum to make the phones much lighter and easier to manage for heat dissipation.
Everything else is pretty much the same as last year. Yet, all models are expected to use Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, with Samsung possibly deploying its own Exynos 2600 chip in some regions, just like it has done before.
Users aren't too happy with the specs sheets, which is understandable. Why spend more for basically the same phone, when you can keep your old S25 phone or switch ecosystems entirely and get better upgrades?
