Samsung Reportedly Redesigns Galaxy S26 After Apple Holds iPhone 17 Price

A recent report claimed Samsung altered the dimensions of the upcoming Galaxy S26, increasing its thickness from the originally planned 6.9mm to 7.24mm. A new report from South Korea now suggests the change was driven by Apple’s pricing strategy for the iPhone 17.

According to the latest leak, Samsung expected Apple to raise the price of the iPhone 17 in the US. When Apple kept the base price at $799, Samsung reportedly decided it needed to match that pricing with the Galaxy S26. To do so, the company is said to have scaled back some of its initial upgrade plans.

The S26 was originally designed to include a 4,900 mAh battery, but that capacity was reportedly reduced to 4,300 mAh to keep production costs down. The slimmer 6.9mm design was also dropped, leading to the thicker 7.24mm build. The report suggests Samsung believed it could introduce both the thinner body and larger battery only if Apple increased the price of the iPhone 17, something that ultimately did not happen.

The Galaxy S26+ is expected to retain the same thickness and battery capacity as the S25+, indicating no major changes to its physical design. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, is said to include a 5,000 mAh battery, the same capacity as its predecessor, while reducing its thickness by 0.3mm.

The S26 Ultra will also reportedly use Samsung Display’s “Flex Magic Pixel” technology, which allows users to activate an electronic privacy screen without needing any external film.

Samsung has not confirmed any of these details, but if accurate, the company appears to be tailoring the S26 lineup to maintain strict price alignment with the iPhone 17.