A battery that stays the same size, or possibly shrinks, compared to a phone released two years ago? That is not the kind of news anyone expects from a Plus-branded flagship.
Samsung is said to be preparing a late February launch window for its next wave of premium smartphones under the Galaxy S26 lineup. Early leaks have already suggested that this generation may not deliver major leaps forward, especially for models outside the Ultra tier. Now, a fresh appearance in a certification database appears to confirm disappointing news for the Galaxy S26 Plus.
The main detail that matters
A Samsung smartphone carrying the model number SM-947B has reportedly surfaced in records from the SGS certification database. While the listing does not reveal images or detailed hardware specifications, it does confirm one important figure: battery capacity.
According to the certification, the device is rated at 4,755mAh. That number raises immediate concerns. For context, Samsung officially lists the battery capacity of the Galaxy S24 Plus at 4,900mAh on its own website. This means the Galaxy S26 Plus could be sticking with a battery size that is already two years old, or potentially shipping with an even smaller rated capacity.
For a device positioned as a Plus model, that is a tough pill to swallow.
Battery life has become one of the most important deciding factors for smartphone buyers, especially in a market where performance gains from year to year are increasingly modest. A smaller or unchanged battery feels particularly out of place when the rest of the industry is moving aggressively in the opposite direction.
The wider comparison does not help
Looking beyond Samsung’s own lineup only makes the situation look worse. Competing flagship and near-flagship devices are pushing battery capacities well beyond what Samsung appears to be planning.
Phones like the OnePlus 15, for example, are equipped with batteries as large as 7,300mAh, offering significantly longer endurance without turning the device into a bulky brick. Meanwhile, brands such as Honor have already introduced smartphones with battery capacities reaching the 10,000mAh mark, all while maintaining a relatively slim and manageable design.
Against that backdrop, a 4,755mAh battery in a 2026 Plus-branded phone feels increasingly out of step with current expectations. You can explore how competitors are approaching battery innovation by checking out OnePlus’ official lineup or Samsung’s own device specifications.
An uncertain future for the Plus model
The Galaxy S26 Plus has had a shaky position within Samsung’s roadmap over the past several months. At one point, reports suggested that the Plus variant could be dropped entirely to make room for the Galaxy S25 Edge. Later leaks claimed that the Edge itself had been canceled, with a new Pro model expected to take its place in 2026.
That back-and-forth has fueled speculation that Samsung is still experimenting with how to structure its flagship lineup, especially as consumer buying habits continue to evolve. Despite those rumors, recent information suggests that the Galaxy S26 Plus is back on the final list of devices, though not in a form that inspires much excitement.
Design leaks point toward a familiar look that closely resembles previous Galaxy generations, while camera hardware is expected to remain largely unchanged. Under the hood, the phone is rumored to run on one of Samsung’s Exynos processors in select markets, continuing the company’s split-chip strategy.
For users hoping the Plus model would reclaim its identity as the ideal balance between size, power, and endurance, these details paint a rather restrained picture. If the battery capacity information from certification listings proves accurate, the Galaxy S26 Plus may struggle to justify its place between the standard and Ultra models in Samsung’s lineup.
