How the new Galaxy S26 phones stack up against each other on paper

The Verge · Feb 25, 2026 · Collected from RSS

Summary

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 phones introduce a slate of new AI-powered features, including some new photography tools. | Image: Samsung Samsung has just announced its new Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. While they aren't radical departures from last year's models, they bring a handful of notable upgrades. All three run on Qualcomm's Galaxy-centric Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which delivers improved performance and powers a slew of new AI-based features. This includes the ability to screen unknown calls and edit photos by typing what you want changed, along with an update to Google Gemini that can carry out certain tasks in supported third-party apps, like Uber and DoorDash, on your behalf. Starting at $899.99, the S26 is the smallest and mo … Read the full story at The Verge.

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Samsung has just announced its new Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. While they aren’t radical departures from last year’s models, they bring a handful of notable upgrades. All three run on Qualcomm’s Galaxy-centric Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which delivers improved performance and powers a slew of new AI-based features. This includes the ability to screen unknown calls and edit photos by typing what you want changed, along with an update to Google Gemini that can carry out certain tasks in supported third-party apps, like Uber and DoorDash, on your behalf.Starting at $899.99, the S26 is the smallest and most affordable of the trio. It features a 6.3-inch OLED display, weighs just under 6 ounces, and has a 4,300mAh battery. Its rear cameras include a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens. Like its siblings, it supports a 120Hz refresh rate, starts with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and includes wireless charging.The $1,099.99 S26 Plus, meanwhile, retains the same features but adds a larger 6.7-inch display and a bigger 4,900mAh battery, which in theory means it could last longer on a single charge than the S26. Still, we’d need to test both phones to see how they compare in reality, especially given the larger display on the Plus model.Then there’s the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which starts at $1,299.99. It’s the largest and most feature-rich phone in the lineup — and the heaviest, weighing close to half a pound. Its 6.9-inch display feels closer to an e-reader’s, and the 5,000mAh battery is the largest of the three phones. Its camera system is the most advanced, as well, offering a 200-megapixel main sensor, a 50-megapixel ultrawide, and two dedicated telephoto lenses with 3x and 5x optical zoom so you can zoom in farther without losing image quality. The Ultra is also the only phone to offer Samsung’s new privacy display feature, which makes it harder for people sitting next to you to see what’s on your screen, if you don’t want them to. It’s also the only model with S Pen support for taking notes.That’s just a glimpse of the main differences between the three models, though. If you want a more detailed look at the hardware defining each phone, the table below breaks down the specs. We’ve also published our hands-on impressions of the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra for those who want more insight ahead of our full reviews.Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. S26 Plus vs. S26 UltraCategoryGalaxy S26Galaxy S26 PlusGalaxy S26 UltraOSAndroid 16Android 16Android 16Display6.3-inch OLED6.7-inch OLED6.9-inch OLEDResolution2340 × 10803120 x 14403120 x 1440Max. refresh rateUp to 120HzUp to 120HzUp to 120HzDimensions (mm)149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9Weight5.89 ounces (167 grams)6.7 ounces (190 grams)7.55 ounces (214 grams)Battery4,300mAh4,900mAh5,000mAhProcessorSnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxySnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxySnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxyRAM12GB12GB12GB and 16GB (in select regions)Storage256GB, 512GB256GB, 512GB256GB, 512GB, 1TBRear cameraWide: 50MP f/1.8 / Ultrawide: 12MP f/2.2 / Telephoto: 10MP f/2.4Wide: 50MP f/1.8 / Ultrawide: 12MP f/2.2 / Telephoto: 10MP f/2.4Wide: 200MP f/1.4 / Ultrawide: 50 MP f/1.9, 120-degree FOV / Telephoto: 50MP f/2.9, 5x optical zoom; 10MP f/2.4 3x optical zoomFront camera12MP f/2.212MP f/2.212MP f/2.2Front video4K at 60fps4K at 60fps4K at 60fpsRear video8K at 30fps / 4K at 60fps8K at 30fps / 4K at 60fps8K at 30fps / 4K at 120fpsBiometricsUltrasonic fingerprint and facial recognitionUltrasonic fingerprint and facial recognitionUltrasonic fingerprint and facial recognitionWater and dust protectionIP68IP68IP68Connectivity5G (no mmWave) / Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.45G (includes mmWave) / Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 65G (includes mmWave) / Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6Wireless charging?Yes, 15WYes, 20WYes, 25WStylus support?NoNoYesPrivacy display feature?NoNoYesColorsBlack, violet, blue, white, silver, pink goldBlack, violet, blue, white, silver, pink goldBlack, violet, blue, white, silver, pink goldStarting price$899.99$1,099.99$1,299.99Verge DealsSign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we’ve tested sent to your inbox weekly.Email (required)Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sheena Vasani

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Mobile World Congress is right around the corner, but Samsung got out ahead of many rivals that will be showing off new handsets at that event by running the latest edition of Unpacked on Wednesday. At its event in San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, the company revealed the Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the base S26, the S26+ and the S26 Ultra. We've got some hands-on time with all three handsets as well, and you can read about our in-person experience with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, as well as our S26 and S26+ impressions in those articles. In addition to those, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds 4 along with (you guessed it) some AI updates. All the devices unveiled today are already available for pre-order, should you already be dying to get your hands on them. Here's a look at everything Samsung announced at the latest Unpacked: Galaxy S26 and S26+ Sam Rutherford for Engadget New-ish year, new Samsung phones. Let's deal with the out-and-out bad news first. The S26 and S26+ are each $100 more expensive than their predecessors (the RAM shortage isn't exactly helping to keep prices down). They start at $900 and $1,100, respectively, for variants with 256GB of storage. Samsung has tweaked the design a bit this time by rounding the corners to align them more with the S26 Ultra's look. The base model has a slightly larger display than the S25 at 6.3 inches, though the S26+ still has a 6.7-inch screen (albeit with a higher resolution than the S26 can handle). The S26 has a larger battery capacity than the S25 too at 4,300mAh. In North America, China and Japan, Samsung is sticking with Qualcomm chips rather than using its own Exynos 2600. If you pick up an S26 or S26+ in those markets, it will run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. The camera modules are the same as last year, but Samsung is aiming to supercharge them with upgrades elsewhere, such as ProScaler image upscaling and an MDNIe chip that's said to greatly improve color precision. There's also a vi

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Engadgetabout 13 hours ago
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: What’s changed and which one should you buy?
Following Samsung’s Unpacked event, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is available for pre-order, and it looks very familiar. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Like recent updates in the Galaxy S line, Samsung is refining its flagship rather than dramatically reinventing it. Both phones share a lot of core DNA, including compact designs, high-refresh AMOLED displays and similar camera hardware. The S26 does introduce a handful of meaningful updates, however, including a slightly larger battery and newer software out of the box. Those changes also come with a higher starting price: the Galaxy S26 begins at $899.99 compared to the S25’s $799.99 launch price. The entry model now includes 256GB of storage instead of the S25’s base 128GB. Here's how the Galaxy S26 compares with last year’s Galaxy S25 on paper and whether the newer model is worth your attention. Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: Design, display and performance Physically, the Galaxy S26 stays very close to the design Samsung established with the S25. You still get a compact handset with flat edges, an aluminum frame and IP68 water and dust resistance. The overall look and feel should be immediately familiar to anyone who used last year’s phone. The display story is similarly steady. Both phones use Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, and the S25 is rated for peak brightness of up to 2,600 nits. In everyday use, whether you are scrolling, gaming or watching video, the viewing experience should feel broadly similar between the two devices. Under the hood, the Galaxy S25 is powered globally by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset paired with 12GB of RAM. The Galaxy S26 continues to target flagship-class performance. While Samsung has made internal refinements, overall speed should remain firmly in high-end territory for routine tasks, multitasking and mobile gaming. On the software front, the S25 launched with Android 15 and One UI 7, while the Galaxy S26 ships with a ne