Galaxy S26 model number leak hints at a thinner future

SammyPolice has spotted listings for the Galaxy S26 with the model number SM-S942.

The model number might look ordinary, but you need to recall previous generation model numbers to realize that Samsung might be doing something different for 2026:

You’ll notice that Samsung has increased the model number for the “base” Galaxy S26, going from SM-S931 for S25 to SM-S942 for the S26. The last time this happened, we got an Edge variant for the S25 series that sat above the Plus variant. While this base S26 phone still shows up in databases as just “Galaxy S26,” the number increment could denote a move towards a thinner, Edge-like design or some other hardware upgrade that is big enough to justify a jump in model numbers.

Further, the SM-S946, which would have been the Galaxy S26 Plus, has not been spotted so far. It could show up later, though, and there’s also a chance it doesn’t. The Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Edge have fairly overlapping target audiences, so there’s a chance that Samsung could be sticking to one model in the coming year.

Leaks have also suggested that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be thinner. Overall, it seems Samsung could be doubling down on a thinner Galaxy S26 series, with thinner phones for the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Ultra complementing the presumably already-thin Galaxy S26 Edge. Note that the situation can change until the phones are launched, so we must treat all leaks with a pinch of salt.