Samsung could skip the vanilla Galaxy S26 model in 2026

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is yet to see the light of day, and we’re already hearing rumors about the company’s plans for the Galaxy S26 lineup. Word on the internet is Samsung plans to skip the vanilla model from the Galaxy S26 lineup scheduled to launch in 2026.

This news comes days after rumors surfaced online that Samsung could use the same 50MP camera as the 22 with the S26 .

No base Samsung Galaxy S26 model in 2026?

Samsung’s flagship smartphone lineup is likely to remain intact next year. However, 2025 could be a make-or-break year for the base model, with new reports indicating that a lot will change in 2026. In other words, the Galaxy S26 base model may not be available the next year.

The news comes from a well-known tipster, IceUniverse , on Twitter/X, who has a remarkable track record of accurate leaks. The leaker says Samsung may remove the vanilla S26 model from the 2026 Galaxy S lineup as it would be no longer competitive. Thus, the Galaxy S26 flagship series could contain primarily the Plus and Ultra models.

Samsung has already removed the standard Galaxy Tab S10 model from the lineup and only offers the Galaxy Tab S10+ and Tab S10 Ultra . We’ve seen it happen before, so it should come as a surprise if Samsung does something similar with the Galaxy S-series.

One reason Samsung may discontinue the vanilla Galaxy S26 could be that the base and Plus Galaxy S models are too similar. Aside from size, battery capacity, charging speed, and storage options, the standard and Plus models are nearly identical.

Remember that nothing appears to be fixed in stone yet, and we wouldn’t be shocked if new and completely opposite rumours about the Galaxy S26 series pop up over the next year. We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series.

What do you think about Samsung ditching the vanilla model? Is the FE model enough to fill the gap? Let’s chat below in the comments, and stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for more tech news.