I’m an iPhone user, but not a ride-or-die iPhone user. When I reviewed the Motorola Razr Ultra for Mashable last year, it reminded me how much I love some of Android’s features. And with the Samsung Galaxy S26 phones rumored to arrive in late February with One UI 8.5, I’m exactly the type of person Samsung needs to woo.
Unlike many iPhone users I know, I would consider ditching my iPhone for an Android handset – if the price (and feature set) were right.
Samsung phones often leak like a faucet before their official launch, and that’s exactly what’s happening right now. We’ve already broken down everything we know about the Galaxy S26 lineup and the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked launch event. Given what we know, these are the rumored S26 features that could convince me to ditch Apple for Android.
Privacy Screen
As I wrote yesterday, the Privacy Screen has been confirmed. As you can see in an old video from Samsung leaker Ice Universe, Privacy Screen hides the contents of your screen from people around you. Usually, you have to buy a separate privacy screen to achieve this effect.
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As someone who often uses their phone on a crowded train, this is the kind of new feature that appeals to me. And like AI and folders, Samsung has once again beaten Apple to the punch.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
All S26 phones released in the United States are expected to come with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. It should also offer noticeable improvements in battery life, on-device AI computing, graphics, and overall performance. Apple is still king in the mobile world thanks to its M-series silicon, but early tests show that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is “the world’s fastest mobile system on a chip,” as Qualcomm has promised.
Free access to Google Gemini
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 was launched with an attractive offer: six months of free Google AI One Pro, normally $19.99 per month. That includes expanded access to the latest Gemini tools and cloud storage. I expect Samsung to come up with a similar offer to launch the S26 (as the Pixel phones do, with 12 months of free access).
Mashable Light Speed
Due to the global memory shortage, Samsung is rumored to be reducing its standard offering, allowing you to get double the storage without additional costs. An improved offer for AI subscriptions would make sense, and I hope we get the same or better offer this time around. Samsung already has many built-in Gemini AI features, and Apple is clearly losing the AI arms race.
Fraud detection
Until now, Google’s excellent Scam Detection feature was exclusive to Pixel Phones, but according to Android Authority, that could change with the S26 phones. This AI tool automatically informs you that you are talking to a scammer. Unlike the iPhone, it doesn’t just flag phone numbers that have been drawn. It notifies you continuously when the phone detects red flags.
Next-generation Gorilla Glass
Leaker Ice Universe also reports that the S26 line will have a new type of Gorilla Glass that will make screen protectors obsolete. The appeal of a feature like this is obvious, I think.
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Better cameras and image processing
It seems unlikely that we will get more advanced cameras with the S26 line. However, a few changes are rumored, such as a larger hole in the main camera (which may improve low-light photography) and a new 3x telephoto lens sensor. It is also possible that the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip will offer image processing advantages.
By all accounts, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Galaxy S25 Ultra are evenly matched in photos. If Samsung can prove that it has gained a significant edge over the iPhone, I would consider replacing it.
Right now, the latest iPhones have two advantages: It’s easy to shoot 4K, HDR video, and they have the best selfie camera. As a tech journalist who takes tons of photos and videos every day, that’s important to me. Samsung Galaxy phones offer 8K video, but I think that’s more of a gimmick than a practical feature. Samsung should stop chasing the shiny new thing (8K video) and focus on matching the iPhone’s capabilities here.
Appearance like Liquid Glass
I’m not a Liquid Glass hater like many of my peers in the tech world. I actually think the new design language looks very attractive. And Samsung seems ready to copy this beauty in One UI 8.5, as I reported earlier.
Cool stuff is already there in One UI 8.
Credit: Samsung
This preview of One UI 8.5 looks very similar to Liquid Glass and iOS 26.
Credit: Samsung / Good Lock
While I would love for Samsung to go the bold, new route with its mobile phone design and UI (I miss the square corners), as the iOS and Android systems get closer together, the transition becomes easier.
What really made me change? Galaxy TriFold
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
We don’t know if we’ll get a US release date for the Galaxy TriFold at the next Unpacked event, but I’m crossing my fingers. I got to play with this device at CES 2026, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
