Samsung’s next big launch, the Galaxy S26 series, has already started creating buzz way before its launch. After the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip, attention is shifting to what could be the company’s next flagship smartphone, with several upgrades reportedly in the works. According to a report by Android Authority, the tech giant may replace the vanilla Galaxy S26 with a new Galaxy S26 Pro model. Though there is no official confirmation on this, internal references within One UI 8 firmware suggest that Samsung may be ditching the standard “Galaxy S26” model altogether.
The report adds that the company could be preparing a three-device lineup consisting of the Galaxy S26 Pro, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. This contradicts earlier reports, which hinted at the removal of the “Plus” model with the “Edge” variant alongside the usual base and Ultra models.
The firmware code found in the One UI 8 reveals new internal codenames: M1 (S26 Pro), M2 (S26 Edge), and M3 (S26 Ultra). The absence of an “M0” or “M4” suggests there may be no standard S26 variant at all, a first for the Galaxy S series.
For the unversed, Samsung previously used codenames like “Eureka” (E1, E2, E3) for the S24 lineup and “Paradigm” (PA1, PA2, PA3) for the S25 series. Early rumours placed the S26 under “Next Paradigm” (NP1, NP2, NP3), but the new firmware data points to an entirely different naming convention.
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Meanwhile, Galaxy S26 Pro (M1) is expected to feature a 4,300mAh battery, a notable bump from its predecessor’s 4,000mAh capacity. It will reportedly carry the model number SM-S942. Additionally, the rumoured handset is also likely to pack some Camera upgrades with improved autofocus speed and image clarity, with features like Front Deep Trench Isolation to Dual Pixel sensors. Notably, it’s too early to confirm any of these details.