Samsung Galaxy S26 To Gain Super-Useful Extra Feature, New Report Claims
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is going to include an extra NFC antenna, mounted on the top edge of the phone, a new report claims. Here’s why this will be super.
Samsung Galaxy S25 (left) and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (right): will the S26 series make it easier to use Samsung Wallet?
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You know the scenario: you’re paying by card by tapping your phone on a retailer’s NFC terminal. It’s a satisfyingly simple process that’s much easier than digging into your pocket or purse to retrieve your wallet and then your credit card.
Except you’ll be familiar with the way it sometimes takes a little longer than you’d like, because you haven’t quite positioned the handset just right.
This can lead to an elaborate hand ballet where you move the phone up or down while the retailer, if it’s a portable terminal, starts spinning it round to allow the two devices to connect.
This is down to the positioning of the NFC coil in the phone, but a new report says that this is about to change for the better.
According to a report in ETNews, a second NFC unit antenna will be added to the next phone, expected in early 2026.
In an article headlined, “Samsung Galaxy S26, simple payment is easier,” it’s explained that it’s a measure to “relieve the inconvenience of Samsung Wallet (formerly Samsung Pay),” caused by the current NFC recognition device being next to the rear camera or at the bottom center.
On many phones you can see exactly where this is because the NFC logo appears on the phone in the right place. Even knowing this, it’s often hard to hold the phone in just the right place for the magic to happen.
“Samsung Electronics will apply a design that adds a near-range wireless communication (NFC) recognition function to the top of the next-generation smartphone ‘Galaxy S26 Series’, which will be released in the first half of next year. While keeping the NFC coil mounted next to the existing rear camera, it is likely to increase the convenience of use by adding a new NFC antenna on the top of the device,” the report says.
There’s still time for this to change, ETNews warns, but if it happens, it’ll be very useful.