An Era Of Ultra-Thin Smartphones? Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra May Get Design Cues From Galaxy S25 Edge

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It seems like the era of the ultra-thin smartphones are in action right now. Apple recently launched its slimmest phone ever while replacing Plus — the iPhone Air. Just a few days back, even Tecno introduced a budget Tecno Pova Slim with an ultra-thin design. And Samsung already has its “Edge” with a slim design. Also Read: 6 Best Compact Phones For One-Hand Use In 2025

Now, Samsung seems ready to move into a new design era with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Reports suggest the next Ultra will drop its familiar, boxy Galaxy Note-style look and instead go slimmer and more curved. The thickness may reduce from 8.2mm on the Galaxy S25 Ultra to 7.9mm, making it one of Samsung’s thinnest Ultras yet, 9To5Google reported. 

But thinner phones come with a trade-off as the cameras stick out more. To balance this, Samsung is tipped to be introducing a floating island-style camera bump, similar to what we saw on the Galaxy S25 Edge and the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Design Leak

Leaked dummy units and early renders point to a fresh rear design. The Galaxy S26 Ultra could feature three vertically aligned cameras on a floating island, while the other two lenses and flash sit flush with the frame.

This approach is not just about cosmetics. A slimmer body and a thicker primary sensor would have increased the camera protrusion from 2.4mm on the S25 Ultra to around 3.7mm. The island layout helps keep the design balanced and cleaner to look at. That said, major hardware upgrades to the camera are not expected in 2026. 

What else? Reports suggest that Samsung may replace the base model with a Galaxy S26 Pro, while the Galaxy S26 Edge takes over the “Plus” slot. Plus, the Edge variant could bring a horizontal camera bar stretching across the back, just like Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro!

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Launch (Expected)

If Samsung sticks to its usual launch pattern, the Galaxy S26 series, including the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra,  should launch in January next year, in 2026. As more leaks appear in the coming months, we’ll get a clearer picture of what all we may get.