TL;DR
- Leaked Galaxy S26 vs S25 spec sheets show steady internal upgrades across the board.
- The base S26 might feature a larger 6.3-inch display, a bigger 4,300mAh battery, and a shift to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 or Exynos 2600, depending on the region.
- The S26 Ultra could retain its 6.9-inch QHD screen and quad-camera setup, but may upgrade to a new M14 OLED panel for improved efficiency.
Samsung’s upcoming flagship lineup has been leaking for months, and if you were hoping the Galaxy S26 series would reinvent the wheel, you might want to lower your expectations. Recent side-by-side spec comparisons with the Galaxy S25 suggest Samsung is sticking to a familiar upgrade approach.
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Spec sheets shared by leaker UniverseIce on X show that Samsung isn’t reshaping the phones on the outside, but almost every internal component nudges forward. Some changes appear to be minor, while others could affect daily use more than flashy camera tricks ever could.
A subtle redesign for the base Galaxy S26
According to the leaked spec sheet, the standard Galaxy S26 bumps up to a 6.3-inch FHD+ display, slightly larger than the S25’s 6.2-inch panel, while keeping the same 2,600 nits brightness and 1–120Hz refresh range. You also get a 4,300mAh battery, which would be a welcome improvement over the S25’s 4,000mAh pack.
Elsewhere, the 50MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide remain unchanged on paper, and the 10MP 3× telephoto keeps the same sensor size. Storage could now start at 256GB, as the 128GB option could be on its way out.
A mostly familiar Plus model, but still improved where it counts
The Galaxy S26 Plus looks to follow a similar pattern. The leak says it will have the same 6.7-inch QHD screen, brightness, and camera setup. It also gets the new chipset options and keeps the 4,900mAh battery.
The biggest changes are in weight and thickness. The Plus model is said to now weigh 194g, down from 190g, and is said to be slimmer at 7.3mm, even with the same battery size. You also get the same 256GB and 512GB storage options, meaning Samsung is keeping the Plus model firmly in its upper mid–premium lane.
It may not seem exciting at first, but if Samsung has improved the Exynos 2600’s efficiency, the S26 Plus could see the biggest benefits because of its purported heat management improvements.
The S26 Ultra is a quieter redesign but a cleaner upgrade path
The Galaxy S26 Ultra looks very similar to the previous model, but the leaked specs suggest some useful improvements. The display is still 6.9 inches at QHD, but Samsung may be using a new M14 OLED panel, which could offer better efficiency or a longer lifespan. The camera setup stays the same on paper: 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3×, and 50MP 5×. This suggests Samsung is focusing on software tuning instead of changing the hardware.
However, two upgrades jump out: 60W charging (a bump from the S25 Ultra’s 45W) and a slimmer, lighter frame at 7.9mm and 214g.
The Ultra remains the global Snapdragon-exclusive model, per the spec sheet, which lines up with Samsung’s strategy from previous years. With leaker UniverseIce now publishing full spec comparisons this early, the curtain on the S26 may lift sooner than initially planned, though even leakers can’t agree on a date.
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