Early One UI 8.5 build reveals some familiar designs for Samsung’s Galaxy S26 trio

Will Sattelberg | Dec 5 2025 - 8:05 am PT

With some brands getting an early jump on next year’s flagship race, all eyes are on Samsung for the eventual launch of its Galaxy S26 series. Now, an early One UI 8.5 build is giving us more confirmation on the S26’s very predictable designs.

The folks at Android Authority got their hands on Samsung’s upcoming software — which is expected to launch in beta any time now — and found evidence of the company’s next flagship trio. The Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra all appeared in silhouette form hidden within that early code, and while no one reading this is likely to be surprised by their overall appearances, it does give more credit to the expected death (or, at least, delay) of the Galaxy S26 Edge.

All three devices show up with their codenames: M1 and M2 for the S26 and S26+, M3 for the S26 Ultra. A quick glance reveals everything you need to know, as Samsung appears to be keeping its general design language unchanged for another generation. That means three vertically-aligned camera lenses on the regular and Plus models, with two additional sensors added onto the Ultra. Notably, the S26 Edge — and its Pixel-esque camera bar design — are not here, giving additional credence to the idea that the Plus has, in fact, retaken its middle-child spot over Samsung’s ultra-thin smartphone.

There isn’t much else to go off of these renders but they’re yet another sign that the Galaxy S26’s launch is rapidly approaching. Considering Samsung also has a TriFold to launch in early 2026, Unpacked is shaping up to be a pretty big occasion.