The Galaxy S26 FE could be doomed if Samsung changes this one thing

Some Galaxy S26 users have just recently been invited to test the One UI 9 Beta. That means the Galaxy S26 FE will be the first Galaxy S26 model running on the latest firmware. For context, the Galaxy S26 lineup debuted with a stable One UI 8.5 version. Samsung has just recently rolled out the firmware to older devices and foldable models.

In other words, Samsung appears to be sticking with the same strategy with the S26 FE. Last year, the Galaxy S25 FE launched on One UI 8, the then-latest OS for Galaxy devices, while the rest of the series debuted with One UI 7.

What else to expect

An earlier Geekbench leak suggested the Android phone could debut with the Exynos 2500 chip. That would be a major improvement over last year’s Galaxy S25 FE, which packs an Exynos 2400 chip. 

This SoC was introduced with the Galaxy Z Flip 7. It’s built on a 3nm process, delivering higher performance capabilities than the 4nm Exynos 2400. 

However, there may be no upgrades in terms of RAM. The Geekbench listing suggests Samsung will stick to the 8GB configuration, which is likely for the base model. It remains to be seen whether the device will start at 256GB of storage or retain the 128GB base variant from last year’s model.

Galaxy S26 FE rumored specs

• Display: 6.7-inch OLED
• Processor: Exynos 2500
• OS version: One UI 9
• Battery: 4,900mAh

Are display upgrades coming?

The Galaxy S26 FE could retain the S25 FE’s 6.7-inch display, which is rumored to be manufactured by Chinese display maker CSOT instead of Samsung. This move could help the tech giant keep the price relatively unchanged.We still don’t know any details about the battery capacity. Last year’s Galaxy S25 FE came with 4,900mAh, up 200mAh from the previous generation. Although the S26 debuted with a slightly larger battery, the tech giant may omit upgrades on this front for its S26 FE.

Incremental upgrade?

Although the more advanced processor will likely improve the performance of the upcoming Galaxy S26 FE, the rest of the package doesn’t appear to bring major changes (at least based on current leaks).

If Samsung adds little to no camera changes and keeps the same battery capacity, I wonder if the chip alone would make it feel like a proper successor to the Galaxy S25 FE.

That said, Motorola recently launched its new Razr series that debuted with a higher price and very few upgrades to write home about. Samsung clearly isn’t the only brand introducing modest year-over-year upgrades. Let’s just hope at least the price remains unchanged.