Samsung’s smartphone design crisis is no less serious than Apple’s, but it appears that the company is finally ready to make a course correction. The aesthetic shift will apparently begin with the upcoming Galaxy S26 Edge, and as per fresh leaks, it will hit a little too close to home for the iPhone 17 Pro.
What’s the big takeaway?
The folks over at Android Headlines have shared purported CAD-based renders of the upcoming Galaxy S26 Edge, claiming that it’s “basically the final design of the phone.” Building atop the foundations laid by the Galaxy S25 Edge, the upcoming Samsung device retains the sleek all-metal chassis.
The most notable change is the huge camera island at the back. It looks a little too similar to the one we have seen on alleged iPhone 17 Pro leaks and renders shared by third-party accessory brands such as Dbrand. Rumors suggest that the large camera hump has allowed Apple to fit more advanced camera hardware on its next flagship.
It seems Samsung is also chasing a similar goal with the Galaxy S26 Edge’s imaging hardware. The latest leak mentions an upgraded 50-megapixel ultrawide camera on the phone, a big jump from the 12-megapixel unit fitted on its predecessor.
The destined one?
The Galaxy S26 Edge will apparently be slimmer than its predecessor — 5.5mm vs 5.8mm at the camera bump — despite packing more powerful innards. As per the report, the upcoming Samsung phone could come fitted with magnets under the glass shell to enable Qi2 wireless charging, following in the footsteps of the Pixel 10 series.
On the topic of top-up, Samsung has reportedly increased the battery capacity on this one, up from 3,900mAh to 4,200mAh despite a slimmer waistline. The leak also predicts a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED panel for the phone, adding that it will draw power from the successor to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC.
The phone will reportedly hit the shelves early next year and will go against Apple’s soon-to-be-launched iPhone 17 Air. In addition to the big players, even smaller brands such as Tecno are trying their hands at ultra-slim smartphones this year.
