What you need to know
- Samsung's latest Galaxy S26 prototype is thicker than previously reported.
- Including the camera bump, the new Galaxy S26 is allegedly 0.21mm thicker than originally rumored.
- The Samsung Galaxy S26 would still be just 0.04mm thicker than the Galaxy S25 if the current rumors pan out.
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Samsung is revamping the Galaxy S26 lineup right before its launch window approaches, which could lead to delays or price hikes. If the rumors are true, Samsung has multiple prototype design in the works for models like the base Galaxy S26. The company was said to be working on a Galaxy S26 Pro model with an enhanced feature set, but the latest leaks indicate Samsung is playing it safe instead, opting to release a regular Galaxy S26 instead.
The developing situation is resulting in rumors and leaks that each paint different pictures. Last week, a Galaxy S26 rumor claimed the upcoming smartphone would be considerably thinner than the current Samsung Galaxy S25. The reported thickness was 6.96mm, and 10.23mm including the camera bump. Now, an Android Headlines report claims the latest prototype is 7.24mm thick.
The exact dimensions of the Galaxy S26 prototype are said to be 149.5 x 71.6 x 7.24mm. Compared to the report from last week, this new Galaxy S26 prototype is wider, taller, and thicker. Notably, the latest Galaxy S26 prototype appears much thicker than the previously-rumored figure, but it's only marginally thicker than the 7.2mm Galaxy S25.
There aren't any pictures or renderings of the updated Galaxy S26 design available at the moment. We don't know whether this will be the final revision, but as the Galaxy S26's expected launch window creeps closer, it becomes more likely. Following conflicting reports of a delayed launch, it looks like the Galaxy S26 series will debut in late January.
Samsung is still planning to finally include Qi2 magnets
Android manufacturers are tweaking the designs of their smartphones to stay competitive as the Qi2 era finally begins. MagSafe has been standard on iPhones for half a decade, but the Qi2 equivalent only became mainstream on Android with the Google Pixel 10. Now, it's Samsung's turn to respond, and it might be tweaking the Galaxy S26 design to accommodate internal magnets.
It's unclear what exactly led Samsung to allegedly change the Galaxy S26's design. It could be the inclusion of Qi2 magnets, or something else entirely. As Android Headlines notes, the updated prototype has a thicker camera bump, so it could have something to do with the camera modules themselves.
Either way, if these leaks pan out, the Galaxy S26 will add Qi2 magnets while only gaining 0.04mm of thickness compared to the Galaxy S25.
