The compact flagship is dead. That’s a reality that we’ve been living in for a long time now. Ever since Asus decided to skip over the Asus Zenfone 11, it has become pretty evident that if you want any smartphone with a bit of power to its name, you’d have to go for one with a screen on the bigger side of the spectrum; over 6 inches.
Unfortunately, a suggestion from a reliable leaker points to the possibility of Samsung killing off the smallest device in its Galaxy S lineup when 2026 comes around, forcing users to choose one of the much bigger devices. If that ends up proven true, will that chase you away from Samsung’s camp?
Samsung Might Be Considering Making The S26 Series A Two-Device Lineup By Killing The S26
Less than a week ago, Samsung unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 series to the world. However, there was something notably different about these flagship tablets. There was a Tab S10+ and a Tab S10 Ultra, but the regular Tab S10 was nowhere to be seen. Samsung got rid of it. It wasn’t much of a surprise since leaks had been pointing to that for a long time but it was still a drastic change to the norm.
Now, according to Ice Universe on X, Samsung is giving some thought to pulling a similar move with its S series when 2026 comes around. That’ll mean that the regular Galaxy S26 model could be eliminated and you’ll only have the choice of the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra. In a time when other manufacturers are adding more models, that would be an odd choice to make—but, they’ve shown it’s one they can make.
The leaker posits that such a choice might be because Samsung’s only “small” flagship is no longer competitive since many Chinese manufacturers are hitting that part of the market a lot better than Samsung can dream of. I’m not sure how much validity there is to the statement—though, part of the upcoming Vivo X200 lineup is expected to be an X200 Mini. Samsung left the “Mini” life a long time ago.
There’s A Market For Compact Phones; Will You Stick Around If Samsung Kills Its Smallest Flagship?
I don’t have precise numbers but I’ve always had the strong impression that there’s a pretty big market for compact phones. Devices like the Asus Zenfone 10 and Sony’s Z Compact devices were always extremely well received for bringing a small build without compromising on the flagship performance. Not everyone wants a behemoth of a screen in their hands.
Samsung choosing to kill the smallest member of the S26 series would be an odd choice. I’d reckon that killing the S26+ would have been the smartest decision, especially when you see how similar the S24+ was to the S24 Ultra—it was almost redundant.
If Samsung decides to make its smallest flagship have a 6.7-inch (or even larger) display, are you going to find another camp to pitch your tent with? Even the Z Flip 6 has a 6.7-inch screen when unfolded, leaving you with very few options if you want to go Korean. Let us know in the comments!
