Alright, we know all about the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra now. Samsung’s three new phones have arrived, and they’re everything we knew they would be.
But let’s address the elephant in the room.
This year was supposed to see the release of the Galaxy S26 Pro and Edge as part of the main line of phones, replacing the standard S26 and Plus models.
That obviously didn’t happen, possibly because of the S25 Edge’s frosty reception — but it’s entirely possible we’ll see a Pro and Edge makeover next year instead.
While the Galaxy S26 is clearly the most improved model this year, Samsung still has a long way to go before it can call the standard S phone a Pro-level phone.
Here are a few areas that are crucial for Samsung to improve, if it wants a true S27 Pro.
I tested the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the Privacy Display has to be seen to be believed
The world-first feature is very special, but there’s a lot more to the phone
A new, more premium design
This one, as ever with beauty, is very much in the eye of the beholder. But there is definitely an argument to be made for Samsung prettying up the Galaxy S27 Pro quite significantly.
Samsung’s phone design has leaned towards understated for a while now, eschewing the bold camera bar of the Pixel phones, or the iconic modules of the iPhone.
However, the S26 Ultra has some flair that the S26 doesn’t, and I’d like to see those elements be brought over to the S27 Pro.
Samsung has moved away from using titanium in its phones to improve thermal management, which is a shame, as using this material would have been the perfect way for Samsung to highlight the S27 Pro’s newly premium direction.
Armor Aluminum 2 is a better choice for a frame, but Samsung should go back to titanium for highlights, sprinkling it throughout the device to add a little flair. Nothing too opulent, but enough to signify it as a Pro phone.
Bring the cameras up to standard
The times when Samsung has shipped substandard cameras in its S-range flagship phones have been few, if any. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to improve.
The Galaxy S26’s cameras are good — but they’re not the S26 Ultra’s cameras. The transition to Pro needs to change that.
I’m not saying the two camera systems should be identical. On the contrary, there needs to be something that sets the Ultra apart, or it’s not Ultra anymore — even though some would argue it already isn’t.
That’s why I say the 50MP telephoto zoom needs to stay in the Ultra alone, as proof of its position at the top of the food chain.
But the 200MP main lens and 50MP ultrawide lens? Those need to join the existing 10MP telephoto lens to really elevate the S27 Pro’s camera to another level.
If the Pro is going to stand as a tempting enticement away from the Ultra, then it needs to be able to bat harder against its stablemate. And adding those camera lenses would help a lot.
For the love of everything holy, fix the charging speed
I’ve been on the other side of this fence before, and I admit I still do believe that 25W is fast enough most of the time — but Samsung really does need to up the charging on the S27 Pro, or it’ll be a bit embarrassing.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 has 25W of wired charging, which puts it on par with basically no other flagship phones.
Google’s Pixels, Motorola’s Razr and flagship phones, and even Apple’s iPhones have all succeeded in passing 25W some time ago, but the Samsung Galaxy S26 still sits casually sipping on energy like it has all day.
The base device has long been surpassed by the S26 Plus and Ultra, but amusingly, shares a charging speed with the staggeringly expensive Galaxy Z Fold 7 Galaxy Z Fold 7.
It’s a little baffling that Samsung hasn’t fixed this some time ago, as it’s become clear it’s a sluggard in this respect.
Whether it gets pumped up to 45W, or just a little hop to 30W is up for debate, but upgrading the S27’s charging speed is a must, whether it’s a Pro or not.
Add more storage options
Let’s give Samsung the praise it deserves: Chopping out the 128GB variant from the Galaxy S26 was absolutely the right move to make. 128GB simply isn’t enough for a flagship phone in 2026, and starting the device at 256GB is better for everyone.
Next, Samsung needs to take it higher.
I don’t mean that they should chop out 256GB and start at 512GB. That would be overkill. Instead, open up the higher tiers for the S27 Pro. Give it a 1TB option.
It’s another area where the answer is “make the Pro more like the Ultra,” but that’s pretty much what it needs to do, and that’s no different here.
Removing the Plus will give the Pro a place to shine
Another key to the Pro standing out is removing the Plus and slotting the Edge in instead.
The S27 Edge would not be the S27 Plus with a specs refresh, and while it’s sad to lose the spirit of the Plus, such a drastic change would benefit the S27 Pro enormously.
With the Plus out of the picture, the S27 Pro is freed from the restrictions of having to be “a smaller Plus.” Instead, it can forge its own destiny, and become what it should be — a smaller Ultra.
The Plus becoming the S27 Edge gives it a whole new niche of its own: it’s the slim one. Still powerful, but bound by the fetters of width.
The S27 Pro is only bound by whatever the S27 Ultra is, and Samsung can exploit that to create a device truly worthy of the name “Pro.”
And that’s exactly what it should do. The Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro should redefine what it means to be a Galaxy S-range phone by becoming a true sibling to the Ultra.
- SoC
-
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Display type
-
Dynamic AMOLED 2X
- Display dimensions
-
6.9-inch
- Display resolution
-
3120 x 1440
