Samsung Galaxy A18 & A08: Release Dates for the Budget Wave
Samsung's next budget phones split by connectivity: the Galaxy A18 and A08 LTE models are tipped for October 2026, with the 5G variants held back to early 2027. Here's the leaked timeline.
DEVELOPINGSamsung's next budget phones are splitting their launch by connectivity. The Galaxy A18 LTE and Galaxy A08 LTE are tipped for October 2026, while the 5G variants — the Galaxy A18 5G and Galaxy A08 5G — are held back to January or February 2027. This is one strand of Samsung's wider autumn roadmap; see the full roadmap leak for the flagships and tablets alongside it.
THE INDIA ANGLE
The staggered LTE-then-5G cadence matters most in markets like India, where the A-series is Samsung's highest-volume line. Launching the cheaper LTE models first lets Samsung hit aggressive entry-level price points ahead of the festive season, then follow up with pricier 5G versions in the new year.
The A-series is where Samsung fights hardest against Xiaomi, Redmi, realme and other value brands, so timing and price do more work here than headline specs.
WHAT'S MISSING
This is the thinnest part of the roadmap leak: beyond the launch windows, there are no confirmed specs and no pricing for any of the four models. Exact release dates within those windows are also unconfirmed.
HOW WE RATE IT
The October 2026 (LTE) and early-2027 (5G) windows sit at LIKELY based on the roadmap leak, but with less corroboration than the S26 FE or Tab S12. Specs and prices are unconfirmed. We'll update as the budget wave firms up.
Update timeline
- 2026-08-06Roadmap leak tips the Galaxy A18 LTE and A08 LTE for October 2026, with the 5G variants following in January/February 2027.