Bad news keeps piling up for the Galaxy S26 series

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series launched in January, much like the Galaxy S24 series last year. It stands to reason that the Galaxy S26 phones will launch in January 2026. However, a reliable tipster has now claimed that a delay is on the cards.

Leaker Ice Universe asserted on Weibo (spotted via SammyGuru) that the release of the Galaxy S26 series has been postponed. The tipster didn’t reveal any more details, such as the length of the postponement or a new release window. There’s no word on a reason for this postponement, either.

If it’s only a slight delay, then it seems like a safe bet that the phones will be launched and released in February instead. For what it’s worth, the Galaxy S22 and S23 phones launched in February.

In saying so, Greek outlet TechManiacs reported last week that the Galaxy S26 phones will actually launch in March, suggesting a more substantial delay. This outlet has a spotty track record, though, so you should definitely be skeptical of this claim.

Nevertheless, this leak might be good news for Samsung’s rivals. The OnePlus 15 is expected to launch globally before the end of the year, while OPPO and vivo are also expected to release their flagships outside China in Q4.

The news also comes as more Galaxy S26 series leaks surface online. Most recently, we heard that Samsung could switch from the leaked Galaxy S26 Pro moniker to the old Galaxy S26 branding. This suggests that the base Galaxy S26 won’t receive a major upgrade. A certification listing also suggests that the expected Galaxy S26 Edge has been swapped out for the S26 Plus.