Last month, I asked readers whether they were excited about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 — and the response was, at best, lukewarm.
In a poll asking if readers were hyped for the much-rumored Galaxy S26 lineup, a decisive 70% said they weren’t. Simply put, most respondents indicated that they don’t particularly care about Samsung’s next generation of Galaxy S-series phones.
For those of us who aren’t great at mental arithmetic, that leaves 30% who are excited. While that’s not an insignificant number, it’s noticeably lower than you’d expect this close to what’s usually one of the biggest smartphone launches of the year — second only to a new iPhone release.
Having followed Galaxy S26 rumors closely, this sense of indifference isn’t especially surprising. Current leaks point toward a largely iterative update for Samsung’s non-folding flagship phones, with the most notable changes likely coming in software and Galaxy AI rather than major hardware upgrades.
That sentiment is echoed throughout the comments on the poll article, where readers largely acknowledge refinement over reinvention.
“TBH I love Samsung and as a current user of an S25 Ultra the S26 Ultra looks great but I won’t be buying it or another cellphone for a while,” wrote commenter Derric. “I upgraded from the S21 Ultra to the S25 Ultra in late August, early September, so it makes absolutely no sense to upgrade.” Derric went on to note that the US smartphone market feels stagnant, dominated primarily by iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy S series.
Another reader, Sp1r0s, shared a similar outlook: “S24 Ultra owner here coming up to the end of a 24-month contract. Still happy with the performance of my phone and it’ll probably do me for at least another year or two, perhaps with a battery refresh during that time.” While they said improved cameras and a larger battery could tempt them, the overall tone suggested little urgency to upgrade.
Not everyone was dismissive, though. Commenter Eliotrw struck a more optimistic note: “I am interested as I’m personally of the belief we are about to enter a period of stagnation of consumer electronics, and so to me it’s interesting as maybe a ‘last upgrade’ before things return to normal — in my opinion around 2030.”
It’s an intriguing perspective, and one I partially agree with — although I’d argue that stagnation has already arrived. That, more than anything, is why I believe smartphone manufacturers should seriously reconsider the annual release cycle.
We’ll find out soon enough what Samsung actually has planned for the Galaxy S26. With the launch likely just weeks away, there’s still time for a surprise or two — but as things stand, many consumers seem content to sit this generation out.
