Is the Galaxy S26 series really getting an iPhone-inspired design?

Samsung's pretty much done with its flagship phone launches for this year. The focus now shifts to next year's Galaxy S26 series which is likely going to arrive in January.

There has been some speculation about design changes for the new lineup, and a new leak suggests some iPhone-inspired changes may be on the cards.

Next year's flagship lineup may represent a major shift from Samsung. It's rumored that the Plus model may be dropped in favor of the Galaxy S26 Edge, while the Ultra would shift from its sharp Note-inspired design to a more curved silhouette that's in line with the Galaxy S aesthetic.

An image of some alleged dummy units of the Galaxy S26 series has been shared on X. It shows three models, presumably the base, the Edge, and the Ultra. The rumored raised camera islands make an appearance on the back. What appear to be recesses for built-in magnets that would allow for full Qi2 charging support without requiring accessories can also be seen.

The Galaxy S26 Edge appears to have a massive camera island that stretches across the back. This would be quite similar to what Apple's iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to have and somewhat similar to what we've seen on recent Pixel phones from Google.

It's unclear why the camera island would be so drastically different on the Edge than the other models. Samsung tends to maintain uniformity across the entire lineup, but then again, the Edge is positioned in a different league altogether.

Interesting times ahead for sure. We're bound to see many leaks in the run up to the launch. Expect things to become a bit more clear towards the end of this year.