New Galaxy S26 Leak Hints At Samsung's Battery Plan

Forbes

2 days ago

Samsung made a big deal about how slim the new Galaxy Z Fold 7 is. It made a slightly smaller hoopla about the battery size, pointing out that the device kept the same battery from the Fold 6 despite the new svelte frame.
Clearly, there's scope for Samsung to take advantage of its component shrinking technology and use that freed-up space for a bigger battery. But will it for future phones? A confusing new Galaxy S26 leak doesn't provide a clear answer.
In case you missed it, Samsung shrunk several components and created a new motherboard to make the ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge. That included a new mounting system—that allowed components to be placed closer together on the motherboard— alongside a new heat management system.
The 200MP camera, too, was redesigned to be 10% slimmer via 'structural optimization of the autofocus and optical image stabilization,' as Samsung describes it. Alongside a two-layer camera housing design that reduces the height of the sensor. The result is a Galaxy S25 Edge that measures 5.2mm versus the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 8.2mm.
That same technology made it into the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which made it possible to release a smaller phone with a battery the same size as the Galaxy Z Fold 6, a 1.4 mm-thicker phone.
A new Galaxy S26 leak from Dutch publication Galaxy Club reveals that the base Galaxy S26 (bafflingly rumoured to be named the 'Galaxy S26 Pro') and Galaxy S26 Edge will both have larger batteries.
According to Galaxy Club, The Galaxy S26 Pro will have a 4300mAh battery, up from 4000mAh on the Galaxy S25. The Galaxy S26 Edge, which is rumoured to replace the Galaxy Plus model, will sport a 4200mAh power pack, up from the Galaxy S25 Edge's 3900mAh battery. If accurate, that means the base model will have a bigger battery than the Plus option, despite being historically smaller.
The base Galaxy S26 may be larger than the Galaxy S26 Edge, hence the difference in battery size. Adding 'pro' to the base unit's name suggests something has changed.
Or, it's possible that Samsung isn't using its new component shrinking technology in all Galaxy S26 units. This is also entirely feasible and equally as baffling because Samsung has used this technology in its two recent releases, the Edge and Galaxy Z Fold 7.
As I mentioned, the company has put this new method of building phones front and center to the media, going as far as to say that the 'Galaxy S25 Edge marks the next chapter in mobile innovation.' It will almost certainly be redeployed again, but perhaps only for certain premium phones.
Samsung's New Strategy? Slim Phones Versus Bigger Batteries
Samsung's redesign of the 200MP camera to save space is a big clue that this new technology will be reserved for its most expensive phones. Only the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy S25 Edge, and Galaxy S25 Ultra house that sensor. It looks like Samsung's focus is on using this new technology to make premium phones slimmer.
It's not clear if the mid-range models, like the Galaxy S26 Pro base unit, will also use it and increase battery size. Or if Samsung is just making the phone bigger to increase battery size and satisfy a common consumer complaint.
Speaking to Samsung executives at the last two Galaxy phone launches, it's clear that the company views slimmer phones as part of a high-end mobile experience. Don't expect the space savings made by new motherboard technology to be filled with bigger batteries. At least not for this next round of phones. For now, Samsung is fully focused on shrinking smartphones down and claiming prizes, like the world's thinnest foldable phone.