If you’ve been following the Samsung Galaxy S26 rumor mill, you’re not wrong to be confused. For the better part of two months, the accepted wisdom was that the “Plus” model—Samsung’s reliable, mid-sized flagship—was being canned. The future, we were told, was a “slim Edge phone,” a follow-up to this year’s ambitious (if not entirely successful) S25 Edge.

Well, in the chaotic world of smartphone leaks, things have flipped. Dramatically.

The S26 Edge is now reportedly the one on the chopping block, and the S26 Plus is not only back from the dead but has just starred in its first high-definition renders.

Our first potential look at the resurrected Galaxy S26 Plus comes courtesy of veteran leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (better known as OnLeaks), in collaboration with Android Headlines. At first glance, it’s all very familiar Samsung. But look closer, and you’ll see the biggest design shift in years.

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The most significant change is the camera housing. Samsung is finally moving away from the individual “floating” camera lenses that have defined its flagships since the S23.

The new renders show a distinct, elongated, pill-shaped camera island that houses all three lenses. If this looks familiar, it’s because it’s a design we’ve seen before—in leaks for the now-scrapped S26 Edge and S26 Pro models. It seems Samsung liked the design so much that it decided to keep it, even after axing the phones it was built for.

This new “camera deco,” as some reports call it, gives the back of the phone a more unified and deliberate look. It’s a clear departure from the S25’s minimalism and a sign that Samsung is ready to give its phones a new visual identity.

This entire saga is a fascinating peek into Samsung’s internal product strategy, which seems to have been in turmoil.

Here’s the short version: The original plan, according to multiple insiders, was a radical reinvention. The 2026 lineup was supposed to be the S26 Pro (the small one), the S26 Edge (the thin one), and the S26 Ultra (the big one).

But then, reality set in. Reports suggest that sales for the ultra-slim S25 Edge were… underwhelming. It turns out that while the idea of a paper-thin phone is cool, consumers might have prioritized other features (like, say, battery life). Faced with lukewarm sales, Samsung seemingly got cold feet and hit the reset button, reverting to its most bankable formula: the standard S26, the S26 Plus, and the S26 Ultra.

It’s a conservative move, swapping bold experimentation for the comfort of convention.

The specs included in the leak all but confirm this strategic retreat. Android Headlines reports the S26 Plus will be 7.35mm thick.

That’s not slim. In fact, it’s a hair thicker than the current 7.3mm S25 Plus. This is a far cry from the rumored 5.8mm S25 Edge or its sub-6mm successor. The regular S26 is also pegged at 7.24mm, slightly thicker than its predecessor.

So, why the extra bulk? The answer appears to be a feature many users have been begging for: Qi2 magnetic charging.

According to reports from 9to5Google, this slight increase in thickness across the lineup is to accommodate the magnets needed for the new Qi2 standard. This would allow the S26 series to have a “MagSafe-like” ecosystem of magnetic chargers and accessories, finally catching up to Apple and Google in that department. It seems Samsung has decided that a practical, high-demand feature is worth more than chasing the “world’s thinnest” title.

Just when you think the story is settled, there’s one more wrinkle.

While the S26 Edge as part of the main lineup is likely dead, Dutch fansite Galaxy Club reported last month that Samsung is still developing an ultra-thin device. The codename? “More Slim.”

This has thrown leakers into a new wave of speculation. Is “More Slim” just a prototype that never got canceled? Is it a separate, standalone “Galaxy Edge 2” that might launch months after the S26, much like Apple’s “iPhone Air“? Or is it the ghost of a phone we’ll never see?

For now, the safe money is on the S26 Plus you see in these renders. Samsung appears to be playing it safe, delivering a familiar form factor while adding in practical, long-overdue upgrades like Qi2. But the “More Slim” rumor lingers, a reminder of the radical, wafer-thin future that almost was.

The S26 series is expected to launch in its usual window, likely in late January or February 2026.