- Updated: February 26, 2026
- 6 min read
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ditches Magnets: Design Shift Explained
Skip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonThe VergeThe Verge logo.Why no magnets in Galaxy S26? Samsung R&D chief explainsNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechWhy no magnets in Galaxy S26? Samsung R&D chief explainsIt’s the case problem.It’s the case problem.by Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterFeb 26, 2026, 9:57 PM UTCLinkShareGiftPhoto: Allison Johnson / The VergePart OfSamsung Unpacked 2026: everything announced at the February eventsee all updates Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.Magnet rings have changed my life. I grip and mount and satisfyingly snap awesome accessories on and off my phone all day. Even Samsung sells neat ones like these folding magnetic mirrors. But unlike Apple and Google, Samsung refuses to put the magnets inside the phone.Why?I asked Samsung’s Won-Joon Choi, the executive in charge of both R&D and operations for Samsung’s mobile business. He says the added thickness of magnets is a bad tradeoff to make, because you’re just going to buy a case anyhow.“About 80 or 90 percent of people are using a case, and cases with magnets are very popular these days,” he tells me.Samsung would rather use that extra height to give the phone a larger battery or make it thinner, he says.That doesn’t mean Samsung isn’t looking into magnets. “We’re still doing a lot of research to make sure we don’t have any sacrifice inside the phone; when we actually achieve that, we’ll integrate,” he says.Personally, I disagree with Choi’s premise. I want extra battery and magnets, and I’m willing to sacrifice thinness to get it. Phones are thin enough already, except for the ones that fold.And if Samsung took charge of the magnets like Apple, and replicated Apple’s standard pattern and strength, maybe the magnet case I use with my Galaxy S25 would properly and firmly hold onto magnetic battery packs without them rotating in place. Since there’s no magnets inside my phone, I’m at the mercy of casemakers.But I get it. Why make the tradeoff if someone will pay for a case anyhow? Seems like we need to ask Apple and Google why they chose differently.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsMobileCloseMobilePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MobileNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsSamsungCloseSamsungPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All SamsungTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMore in: Samsung Unpacked 2026: everything announced at the February eventSamsung exec confirms you can blame RAM — and other materials — for the Galaxy S26’s higher pricetagSean HollisterTwo hours agoHow the new Galaxy S26 phones compareSheena VasaniFeb 25Samsung’s mirror-covered magnetic popsocket looks like fun.Sean HollisterFeb 25Most PopularMost PopularBurger King will use AI to check if employees say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’Hands on: I’m super impressed with the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s new Privacy DisplayGoogle and Samsung just launched the AI features Apple couldn’t with SiriCorsair is halting Drop sales after March 25thHere’s how the new Samsung Galaxy S26 compares with last year’s S25The Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adMore in NewsSamsung exec confirms you can blame RAM — and other materials — for the Galaxy S26’s higher pricetagFTC declines to enforce a kids privacy law for data collected to verify users’ agesQualcomm won’t be announcing Windows gaming handhelds at GDC after allCorsair is halting Drop sales after March 25thNATO says iPhones are secure enough to handle classified dataRazer’s new laptop sleeve wirelessly charges other devicesSamsung exec confirms you can blame RAM — and other materials — for the Galaxy S26’s higher pricetagSean HollisterTwo hours agoFTC declines to enforce a kids privacy law for data collected to verify users’ agesLauren FeinerTwo hours agoQualcomm won’t be announcing Windows gaming handhelds at GDC after allSean HollisterTwo hours agoCorsair is halting Drop sales after March 25thCameron Faulkner7:34 PM UTCNATO says iPhones are secure enough to handle classified dataEmma Roth7:08 PM UTCRazer’s new laptop sleeve wirelessly charges other devicesAndrew Liszewski5:29 PM UTCAdvertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adTop Stories1:00 PM UTCThe smart lock standard that could replace your keys is finally here1:00 PM UTCBurger King will use AI to check if employees say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’3:00 PM UTCXbox is in danger. Will Microsoft fix it or kill it? VideoFeb 25Google and Samsung just launched the AI features Apple couldn’t with SiriFeb 25Hands on: I’m super impressed with the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s new Privacy Display10 seconds agoMicrosoft’s “Copilot Tasks” AI uses its own computer to get things done
Andrii Bidochko
CTO UBOS
Andrii Bidochko is an AI entrepreneur and researcher focused on AI agents, reinforcement learning, and autonomous systems. He writes about the technologies shaping the future of machine intelligence, from frontier models and agent architectures to real-world AI applications.