Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ Review: Lacking Ambition

Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ Review: Lacking Ambition

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Buy Now Multiple Buying Options Available $900 at Amazon (S26) $1,100 at Amazon (S26+) $900 at Best Buy (S26) $900 at Samsung (Both) Save this story Save this story Rating: 7 /10 There is nothing inherently wrong with Samsung's base-level flagship smartphones of the year—the Galaxy S26 ($900) and Galaxy S26+ ($1,100).

I have now spent several weeks with both handsets, and they're dutiful performers, just not very exciting.

Every year, Samsung introduces some fancy new feature, but it's almost always relegated to the top-tier Ultra model.

This year, that's the Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra , which blocks the screen from would-be snoopers around you.

I like it a lot.

Sadly, it's not available with the S26 or its bigger brother (some folks seem to hate it, so maybe that's a plus).

Either way, it especially stings considering Samsung increased prices on these base models by $100 (thankfully, base storage has finally been upgraded to 256 GB, but that's long overdue).

The Galaxy S26+ is just $200 away from the Ultra and lacks the extra 5X optical zoom camera and the 200-MP main camera.

The company even removed millimeter-wave support on the smaller S26, meaning it can no longer tap into the ultra-fast 5G networks in dense urban or high-traffic areas (if available).

If you want a top-tier Android phone with few compromises, yes, either of these phones delivers.

But you can also get a fantastic smartphone—with some even better perks—by spending as little as $799 on a device like the Google Pixel 10 .

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu I haven't felt strongly about Samsung's smartphone design language for several years (the Galaxy S21 series remains one of my favorites), and that's not changing here.

These phones look bland, with so-so color options, and if you go case-less, you'll be annoyed by how much they rock on a table when tapping the screen.

You probably will want to go with a case, though, because that's still the only way to take advantage of Qi2 charging speeds .

These phones are “ Qi2 Ready ,” meaning, unlike the Pixel 10 series , there are no native magnets built into the phone—that's what allows them to charge more precisely and faster on Qi2 chargers.