Samsung Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra Gets a Surprise Redesign After Apple Freezes iPhone 17 Prices

Tech insights

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup is turning into one of the most talked-about releases of the year, and new reports reveal why. Early leaks claim Samsung originally planned a sleek 6.9mm design, but later increased the thickness to 7.24mm after Apple unexpectedly kept the iPhone 17’s price locked at $799 in the US. Samsung had anticipated a price hike and was preparing to roll out bigger upgrades, but Apple’s unchanged pricing reportedly pushed the company to rethink its strategy to stay competitive.

According to fresh reports from South Korea, Samsung scaled back some planned enhancements to match Apple’s pricing. The Galaxy S26 was initially designed with a larger 4,900 mAh battery, but that capacity was reduced to 4,300 mAh to manage costs. The slimmer frame was also dropped in favor of the thicker build. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26+ is said to retain the same thickness and battery as the S25+, showing no major design shift.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, is shaping up to stand apart. It will reportedly keep its 5,000 mAh battery while becoming 0.3mm thinner, and introduce Samsung Display’s new Flex Magic Pixel technology — enabling an electronic privacy screen without any external film.

While Samsung has yet to officially confirm these changes, the leaks suggest a clear direction: the Galaxy S26 series is being strategically fine-tuned to compete head-to-head with Apple’s iPhone 17 in both design and pricing.