The Galaxy S25 Edge experimentation has turned out to be a failure, even though it had a decent initial run, but it is clear that consumers are not really fond of slim flagships that ship with steep prices. Due to lackluster sales, a new report states that Samsung has started the development of the Galaxy S26 Plus, which should witness a launch early next year, alongside the Galaxy S26 Pro and the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
With the Galaxy S25 Edge sales disappointing, Samsung could launch a total of four flagships next year
The Galaxy S26 Plus is being referred to as ‘M Plus’ with multiple reports close to Samsung’s plans informing The Elec of the company’s decision. Previously, the Korean giant had intended to release the Galaxy S26 Pro (M1), Galaxy S26 Edge (M2), and the Galaxy S26 Ultra (M3), but there is no timeline confirmation on when M Plus was added to the family. The Galaxy S25 Edge officially launched in May, with its sales beginning to plummet in June.
It is possible that Samsung decided to commence the Galaxy S26 Plus’ development after assessing the device’s sales reception in August or September, suggesting that demand had slumped even before Apple announced the iPhone 17 series. With the Cupertino firm’s base model kitted out with 256GB of internal storage, a 120Hz ProMotion display, and a $799 starting price in the U.S., whatever remnants remained of the Galaxy S25 Edge momentum began to fade, as consumers diverted their attention to the more ‘price to performance’ offering.
In fact, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo notes that the base iPhone 17 is so popular in China that the Xiaomi 17’s initial shipments have been cut by 20 percent, so if local brands are unable to make a dent on their home turf, what chance does Samsung have to deal with Apple’s latest onslaught?
Galaxy S25 Edge’s shipments data
The planned production volume of Samsung’s current-generation slim flagship from September to December was 300,000 units, making it lower than the planned volume of the Galaxy S25 Plus, which was around 500,000 units. During the same period, Galaxy S25 Ultra’s planned production volume was 3.4 million units. The report adds that four OLED panels are currently in development, so it remains to be seen if the Galaxy S26 Plus effectively replaces the Galaxy S26 Edge.
We have reported on the Galaxy S26 Edge renders before, stating that the backside strongly resembled the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Samsung is expected to bring several improvements, ranging from a slightly bigger battery while also boasting a sleeker body than the Galaxy S25 Edge, but these upgrades are no guarantee that the device will sell in droves. The Galaxy S25 Edge also outlasted the iPhone Air in a comprehensive battery test, but we can wager right now that Apple’s sleek flagship will garner higher sales due to a multitude of reasons.
Our guess is Samsung will replace the Galaxy S26 Edge with the Galaxy S26 Plus because, in terms of features, the latter can still offer better value, such as an increased number of primary cameras, a bigger battery, and more. Do you share our opinion or have something different to add? Let us know in the comments.
News Source: The Elec
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