Samsung is reportedly planning a major revamp of the Galaxy S26 lineup, ditching the base and Plus models with Edge and Pro variants.
The S26 Pro will be an interesting addition to the lineup, but only if it delivers true “Pro” level features. Samsung cannot just rebrand what would’ve been the S26 Plus with 1-2 extra features and slap the Pro branding.
The Galaxy S26 Pro should offer an almost Ultra-like experience, but in a more compact form factor. That means it should pack compelling upgrades in all key departments: camera, design, cooling, and charging speeds.
4
Superfast charging speeds
With full Qi2 support
All rumors point to the Galaxy S26 Ultra supporting 60W wired fast charging. The Galaxy S26 Pro should have nearly the same speeds to stay competitive.
A report claims Samsung’s Pro flagship could feature a 4,300mAh cell. If that’s the case, a 45W charging speed would still be more than fast enough to juice up the cell to nearly full in around 30 minutes. However, that does not give the company a reason to skimp in this area.
Plus, since the Galaxy S25 Plus already supports 45W charging, the S26 Pro needs to charge faster to earn its “Pro” label.
Yes, the S26 Pro’s smaller size will cause heating concerns even if Samsung uses a robust cooling system. So, the phone doesn’t necessarily need to support 60W wired charging speeds like its Ultra sibling. But it needs to charge faster than the S25 Plus.
Otherwise, it will create a perception problem for Samsung. How can the S26 Pro be a “pro” device if it delivers the same experience as the S25 Plus in crucial areas?
Hopefully, Samsung also adopts Qi2 25W on the Galaxy S26 lineup, giving wireless charging a much-needed speed boost. Both its Pro and Ultra models desperately need this upgrade.
While not as fast as the competition, the convenience of built-in magnets should make up for the lack of speed.
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An Ultra-like thermal management system
Stay cool under pressure
Samsung equips the Galaxy S25 Ultra with a vapor chamber cooling system that’s 40% larger than its predecessor. While the S25 Plus also uses a similar cooling solution, it is only 15% bigger than the S24 Plus.
With the Galaxy S26 Pro presumably sporting a smaller display, Samsung should not use it as an excuse to reduce the cooling system’s size. If anything, a smaller phone means less room to dissipate heat, so the company should use a cooling solution as robust as its Ultra models.
Yes, Samsung can’t beat physics. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will inevitably have the largest vapor chamber in the lineup. But the S26 Pro should still feature a relatively large cooling system for its size to justify the “Pro” branding.
A larger vapor chamber can go a long way in minimizing throttling when the phone is under heavy load. Without it, the S26 Pro risks being nothing more than an S25 Plus with upgraded internals and a fancier name.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- RAM
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12GB
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra leaves the Note-like design behind for the very first time. With flat edges, curved corners, and a massive 6.9-inch display, this is a modern flagship through and through — and yes, that S Pen is still here too.
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Anti-reflective cover glass
Pro-level visibility in any light
Barring the difference in display size, resolution, and the lack of S Pen support, the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S25 Plus sport the same Dynamic AMOLED panel. The screen can hit a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, with a dynamic refresh rate of 120Hz.
Samsung can’t use the same strategy with the Galaxy S26 Pro and S26 Ultra. The former will need more than just a bright panel to live up to its Pro moniker. And for that, the company should use Corning’s anti-reflective cover glass on the S26 Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra are currently the only two phones in the world to ship with such a cover glass. It helps reduce reflections by over 70%, making content easier to see on the screen, especially in broad daylight.
Samsung should use the same Corning cover glass on the Galaxy S26 Pro. Besides the big quality-of-life improvement, it will also help the phone stand out from its other Pro competitors.
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Pro-grade shots with 200MP clarity and 5x zoom
Capture every detail, whether near or far
The Galaxy S25 Plus features three rear cameras, while the S25 Ultra sports four cameras. Yet, the only common sensor between them is the 10MP 3x optical shooter.
Otherwise, the S25 Ultra uses a higher-resolution 200MP primary camera (vs. 50MP on the S25 Plus) and a 50MP ultra-wide with macro support. Then, there’s also the 50MP 5x shooter for long-range zoom.
With the Galaxy S26 Pro, Samsung should follow the same playbook as Apple and Google and equip its Pro model with a similar camera setup as its Ultra sibling. It likely won’t offer an identical setup to maintain the distinction between its Pro and Ultra models.
Still, the S26 Pro should feature a 200MP primary camera and an ultrawide camera with macro support. The lack of macro support on Samsung’s non-Ultra flagships is puzzling, especially when even many mid-range Android phones include it.
Besides the higher-resolution primary camera, Samsung should ditch the 3x telephoto and bring the 5x zoom camera to the S26 Pro. That would truly help the phone justify its Pro name.
If Samsung simply bumps the primary camera to 200MP and adds a higher-resolution ultrawide sensor, labeling it as a Pro model would just be a convenient way to charge more for what would essentially be an S26 Plus.
Don’t call it ‘Pro’ unless it delivers
I’m glad Samsung is finally taking the same approach to its flagship lineup as Apple and Google. The company’s Ultra flagships are too big for daily use, and a compact Pro model with nearly the same specs would be a great solution.
However, Samsung — being Samsung — rarely gets the basics right the first time. Just look at the Galaxy S25 Edge. Hopefully, that’s not the case with the rumored S26 Pro, and it packs the right upgrades to live up to its Pro moniker.
