Samsung Drops 128GB Galaxy S26, But No 16GB RAM Yet

Samsung may offer faster RAM on the Galaxy S26 series, but the RAM amount will seemingly remain unchanged. A reliable industry insider reveals that all three models will have 12GB RAM across the board. The Galaxy S26 Ultra may get a 16GB + 1TB variant, but only in select regions like China. Samsung did the same with the S25 Ultra.

Galaxy S26 series to top out at 12GB RAM for most buyers

Reputed leaker Ice Universe recently revealed that the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra will feature the industry’s fastest LPDDR5X RAM, clocked at an impressive 10.7Gbps. This marks a significant jump from the Galaxy S25 series, which uses 8.5Gbps LPDDR5X RAM. The massive boost could translate into smoother performance, faster processing, and noticeable improvements in camera output.

However, anyone hoping for a bump in actual RAM capacity may be disappointed. The tipster claims Samsung isn’t increasing the RAM sizes for the Galaxy S26 lineup. The base S26 and S26+ will reportedly be available in 12GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB configurations globally. Samsung appears to be finally ditching the 128GB model, though we can’t confirm just yet.

As for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung is expected to offer 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options globally, each paired with 12GB of RAM. A special variant with 16GB RAM and 1TB storage is in the works as well, but much like the S25 Ultra, it will likely remain exclusive to China. In short, Samsung appears to be sticking to the same memory strategy as the Galaxy S25 lineup. The only notable change is that there won’t be a 128GB base model this time, if the leak is accurate.

Huawei shows the way

Meanwhile, Huawei has taken a bold leap. Its newly launched Mate 80 RS comes with 20GB RAM. Some may say it’s overkill for a smartphone, but Ice Universe claims more RAM does make a difference. They have both 12GB and 16GB RAM variants of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the former frequently runs into memory pressure as background apps accumulate, even with virtual RAM enabled.

When the phone is low on memory, reopening an app often triggers a brief “white page,” indicating that the app has been killed and needs to reload. In contrast, the 16GB variant avoids this issue entirely, keeping far more apps alive in the background and offering a noticeably smoother multitasking experience. Their takeaway is clear: the 16GB model provides a higher ceiling for background processes and overall system fluidity.

As excellent as Samsung’s software optimization may be, “real” hardware upgrades are important too. Samsung risks falling behind if it remains stagnant for too long. More details should surface as we get closer to the Galaxy S26 launch window in early 2026. For now, the upcoming flagships look like another year of modest memory upgrades wrapped in faster internals.

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