The Galaxy S26 will be Samsung's first flagship with 16 GB of RAM. This is reported by Macquarie Research analysts, referring to supply chain data and the manufacturer's plans. A similar amount of RAM is expected for the Galaxy S26 Plus model.
For four years, the maximum amount of RAM in the basic versions of Samsung's flagship smartphones remained at 12 GB. While many Chinese manufacturers have long offered flagships with 16 GB of RAM, Samsung was in no hurry to increase this figure in mass models. Changes to the Galaxy S26 lineup should bridge this gap.
Analysts note that increasing the amount of RAM will allow even the basic versions of the Galaxy S26 to actively use functions based on artificial intelligence. Multitasking will improve, the number of applications that can be run simultaneously without losing performance will increase, and the ability to work in the background will expand.
It is not yet specified whether all Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus configurations will receive 16 GB of RAM, or only older versions will be available. For comparison, future iPhone 17 models, according to Macquarie Research, will retain the same amount of RAM — 12 GB.
Increasing the amount of RAM in the new Samsung flagships can become a significant competitive advantage against the background of maintaining the current characteristics of the main competitors.