According to Neowin, leaked renders from Android Headlines and OnLeaks show Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Plus in a new orange color that looks remarkably similar to the iPhone 17 Pro’s orange shade. The Galaxy S26 lineup has undergone significant changes, with the Edge model being canceled entirely and the Plus model being reinstated after being absent from the S25 series. The phone features a 6.7-inch flat display and measures 158.4 x 75.7 x 7.35mm, nearly identical to this year’s Galaxy S25 Plus. The camera system gets an upgrade to a 50MP primary sensor with 12MP ultrawide and telephoto lenses, all housed in a redesigned camera island inspired by the Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy Z Fold7. However, prominent leaker Max Jambor has already dismissed the orange color as non-existent, calling the renders misleading about that specific detail.
Samsung playing it safe
Here’s the thing about these Galaxy S26 Plus renders – they basically look like last year’s phone with a slightly tweaked camera bump. The overall design language remains virtually identical to the S25 series, with buttons and ports staying in their usual places. And honestly, that’s probably smart business for Samsung. Why mess with a formula that’s been working?
But it does make you wonder – are we reaching peak smartphone design? When the biggest excitement around a phone launch two years out is whether it comes in orange or not, maybe the industry needs to think bigger. The camera upgrade to 50MP sounds nice, but let’s be real – most people can’t tell the difference between 50MP and whatever came before in daily use.
The orange controversy
Now about that orange color – it’s interesting how quickly Max Jambor shot it down. Usually leakers are more cautious about outright denying specific details. Makes you think Samsung might be testing the waters with different color concepts, or maybe someone’s just having fun with Photoshop.
The fact that the orange looks so similar to Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Pro color is either a massive coincidence or someone’s idea of a joke. Either way, color has become serious business in the smartphone world. Companies know that distinctive colors can become signature elements – remember Titanium Gray or Pacific Blue?
What the shakeup means
So the Edge is gone and the Plus is back. This tells me Samsung is still figuring out its flagship lineup strategy. The Edge name has come and gone over the years, while the Plus designation seems to be their fallback position. It’s basically musical chairs with model names.
For consumers, this probably means more predictable pricing tiers. The Plus model typically sits between the base and Ultra models, offering a sweet spot for people who want more than the basic model but don’t need all the Ultra’s bells and whistles. With smartphone prices continuing to climb, having clear tiering matters more than ever.
The real question is whether these incremental changes will be enough to justify the rumored price hikes. Samsung seems to be betting that camera upgrades and slight design tweaks will do the trick. But in a market where phones already do everything most people need, that’s becoming a tougher sell every year.
