- The Galaxy S26 is likely to get improved satellite functionality
- Upgrades for mobile games are also on the way
- Samsung is reportedly still deciding how to price these phones
We expect the Samsung Galaxy S26 to appear in the first few months of next year, and a flurry of news reports and leaks have given us a better idea of what to expect – although it seems the price of these phones is still very much up in the air.
First up, as discovered by Phandroid, the Samsung Exynos Modem 5410 is now official. It promises faster connectivity across the board, and crucially, better satellite connectivity: it’s likely that this modem will be fitted to at least some Galaxy S26 models, pointing to Samsung’s flagships getting full satellite capability for the first time.
This is of course something that’s already available on iPhones and Pixels, but satellite support on the Galaxy S25 remains limited in terms of network availability and what you can do with it. This new component should help change that.
The other hardware boost comes in the form of the improved AMD GPU on the Exynos 2600 chip reported by The Elec (via @jukan05). We think this chip will appear on at least some Galaxy S26 models, and the upgrade should mean that mobile gaming on these phones is a smoother, more immersive experience.
Prices are discussed
Our third and final Samsung Galaxy S26 leak of the day is all about pricing: according to The Bell (via Samsung Mobile), Samsung is struggling to come to a decision on how much to charge for the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra.
There are many reasons for this uncertainty: the price of electronic components continues to rise, while marketing and labor costs are also increasing. At the same time, Samsung doesn’t want to charge so much for its next flagship phones that it puts people off buying them altogether.
Either Samsung will have to cut profitability or we will have to pay more. In comparison, the starting price for the base model Samsung Galaxy S25 was $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 when it first became available in January 2025.
Using Exynos processors in select models should help reduce costs to some extent, but it looks like Samsung still has some work to do and some negotiating to do. The Galaxy S26 phones are expected to be unveiled in February 2026, although shipping and in-store availability may not happen until the following week.
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