Samsung may be rethinking the Galaxy S26 lineup, and the clues are hiding in model numbers
TL;DR A new leak shows the base Galaxy S26 with a notable jump in its model number (SM-S942), suggesting potentially significant hardware changes.
The expected model number for the Galaxy S26 Plus has not yet surfaced, leading to speculation that Samsung might skip that variant.
Leaks hint that all upcoming models — Galaxy S26, S26 Edge, and S26 Ultra — may focus on being thinner than their predecessors.
Samsung just wrapped up the launch of the new Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. The new foldables are pretty exciting, but leaks have also started emerging for Samsung's next generation of flagships, the Galaxy S26 series. We've already had model numbers leak for the Galaxy S26 Edge and the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and now, the model number for the Galaxy S26 has also leaked, but this one is full of surprises.
SammyPolice has spotted listings for the Galaxy S26 with the model number SM-S942.
The model number might look ordinary, but you need to recall previous generation model numbers to realize that Samsung might be doing something different for 2026:
Samsung Galaxy S23 series: Galaxy S23: SM-S911
Galaxy S23 Plus: SM-S916
No Edge
Galaxy S23 Ultra: SM-S918
Samsung Galaxy S24 series: Galaxy S24: SM-S921
Galaxy S24 Plus: SM-S926
No Edge
Galaxy S24 Ultra: SM-S928
Samsung Galaxy S25 series: Galaxy S25: SM-S931
Galaxy S25 Plus: SM-S936
Galaxy S25 Edge: SM-S937
Galaxy S25 Ultra: SM-S938
Samsung Galaxy S26 series (leaked so far): Galaxy S26: SM-S942
No Plus
Galaxy S26 Edge: SM-S947
Galaxy S26 Ultra: SM-S948
You'll notice that Samsung has increased the model number for the 'base' Galaxy S26, going from SM-S931 for S25 to SM-S942 for the S26. The last time this happened, we got an Edge variant for the S25 series that sat above the Plus variant. While this base S26 phone still shows up in databases as just 'Galaxy S26,' the number increment could denote a move towards a thinner, Edge-like design or some other hardware upgrade that is big enough to justify a jump in model numbers.
Further, the SM-S946, which would have been the Galaxy S26 Plus, has not been spotted so far. It could show up later, though, and there's also a chance it doesn't. The Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Edge have fairly overlapping target audiences, so there's a chance that Samsung could be sticking to one model in the coming year.
Leaks have also suggested that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be thinner. Overall, it seems Samsung could be doubling down on a thinner Galaxy S26 series, with thinner phones for the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Ultra complementing the presumably already-thin Galaxy S26 Edge. Note that the situation can change until the phones are launched, so we must treat all leaks with a pinch of salt.
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