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Samsung has always had a bit of a challenge with its S-series flagships: How can it differentiate the Plus model enough that people would want to buy it over its cheaper and more expensive siblings? It’s a problem that has plagued the Plus model for years, and with the introduction of the Galaxy S25 Edge last year, it seemed like Samsung might have the makings of a compelling Plus offering for 2026.
Unfortunately, what we got was nothing as I hoped for, and Samsung hasn’t seemed to learn from its lessons with the Edge, nor does it seem interested in giving the Plus its own edge, so to speak. That’s not to say the Galaxy S26 Plus isn’t a good phone, because it is, but it’s much less compelling a buy given the upgrades its two siblings received, and with a higher $1,099 price tag, it feels like Samsung is pushing users towards the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
|
Category |
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus |
|---|---|
|
Display |
6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz |
|
Processor |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
|
Memory |
12GB |
|
Storage |
256GB, 512GB |
|
Front Camera |
12MP, f/2.2 |
|
Rear Camera 1 |
50MP (wide), OIS f/1.8 |
|
Rear Camera 2 |
12MP (ultrawide), f/2.2, FOV 120˚ |
|
Rear Camera 3 |
10MP (telephoto), 3x Optical Zoom, f/2.4 |
|
Battery |
4,900mAh |
|
Charging |
45W (wired) 20W (Qi2 wireless) 4.5W (reverse wireless) |
|
Connectivity |
5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 6 |
|
Biometrics |
Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner, Face Recognition |
|
Ingress Protection |
IP68, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (front glass), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (rear glass), Aluminum |
|
Dimensions |
75.8 x 158.4 x 7.3 mm |
|
Weight |
190 grams |
|
Software |
One UI 8.5 (Android 16) 7 years OS/security upgrades |
|
Colors |
Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White Online exclusive: Silver Shadow, Pink Gold |
At first glance, it’s actually hard to tell the Galaxy S26 Plus apart from its predecessor, which isn’t too surprising. Samsung has largely stuck to the same design cues for years on its non-Ultra S models, to the point that even the dimensions are identical to the Galaxy S25 Plus.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing; the Galaxy S25 Plus was thin enough that I questioned the need for an even thinner Edge model, given all its shortcomings. The same goes for the Galaxy S26 Plus, which feels fine in the hand if yours are big enough.
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The only major design change, if you can even call it “major,” is the camera housing on the back. Instead of three individual lenses protruding from the glass back, they now each protrude slightly from a single vertical housing. It’s a very curious change because it sticks out much more than on the S25 Plus and causes the phone to sit even more unevenly on flat surfaces, with much more wobbling than before.
Also, it’s not like Samsung changed any of the camera hardware on the Galaxy S26 Plus, so I can’t imagine why Samsung made this change other than to force us to buy new Galaxy S26 Plus cases. Go figure.
On the front, we get the same 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED display, which is plenty bright but pales in comparison to the competition’s brighter displays. Those with PWM sensitivity may also be sad to learn that Samsung hasn’t improved on this front, though it doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is the lack of a Privacy Display, because after even a brief time with the S26 Ultra, I can’t believe I’ve been living without it.
Still, content on the display looks crisp and vibrant, even on Natural screen mode. The 120Hz refresh rate is pretty standard at this point, and while I would’ve liked to see Samsung move the needle in this regard, One UI 8.5 makes it largely unnecessary.
Everything about this UI feels silky and refined, from the way the app drawer seems to flick open just as fast as your finger can swipe upwards, to smoothly flipping through apps in the multitasking view, and the notification shade and quick settings menu materializing with a pleasing translucent gradient against the background. Everything just feels so nicely animated and pleasing.
A big part of the One UI 8.5 experience is the AI features that Samsung has either introduced or upgraded, and they’re easily the best part about using this phone. Many of the new features are either directly from Google or a derivative of features we’ve already seen on the Pixel 10.
For example, Samsung takes Audio Eraser a step further than Google by allowing you to use it in third-party apps for clearer voices, something the Pixel can’t do. Call Screening also functions pretty much the same as it does on the Pixel, and the Now Bar and Now Brief feel like two halves of the At a Glance widget.
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There’s also Now Nudge, which is essentially Samsung’s version of Magic Cue and presents relevant on-device information based on the context of a conversation. During my initial hands-on, it was able to suggest and gather photos from Australia when someone asked for them via text. However, after two weeks, Now Nudge has only appeared once or twice.
In one instance, I received a text invite to a graduation, with the details included in the link preview image. Now Nudge recognized the information and “nudged” me to create a calendar event, while also reminding me that I have another calendar event scheduled for the same day and time, which I actually found pretty helpful.
To further showcase how helpful and proactive AI can be, Samsung also launched the new Gemini screen automation with the Galaxy S26 series, which lets Gemini take the reins and work in the background to order food, groceries, or rideshares with minimal user input. I’ve tried it a few times, and it works surprisingly well. I asked it to order “my usual” from McDonald’s, and I watched it search through a few of my recent orders to see which foods I get most often, add them to the cart, and even remove items that were no longer available at my location.
You can stop Gemini screen automation at any point to make changes, or it will pause itself if it needs input from you, such as clarification on a drink size. It’ll fully stop before checkout, allowing you to make the final confirmation, which I appreciate.
All in all, I’m quite impressed with Gemini’s capabilities, although I wish I could order an Uber with multiple stops (for now, it only lets you go from point A to point B).
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Bixby also got an upgrade and can now understand natural language to help you navigate your phone. It’s nice to see Samsung give Bixby some love, but it feels like a futile effort as Gemini overshadows it and other assistants.
Unfortunately, Samsung Keyboard is still horrible, and I wish it weren’t necessary to use some of Samsung’s more useful features, like chat translation. That said, if you can go without this particular feature, I highly suggest just switching to Gboard.
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The cameras haven’t changed either. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as you can still get some good shots from the Galaxy S26 Plus, especially in good lighting conditions, but I do wish Samsung had given it some resolution bumps or at least wider apertures as it did with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Regardless, you shouldn’t be disappointed by the camera quality, as images appear plenty detailed and vibrant, without overdoing it. I feel like the dynamic range could be better, but I haven’t taken a photo I didn’t like with the main 50MP sensor. The ultrawide and telephoto sensors also perform well, and images look quite good at up to 10x zoom, although things start to fall apart beyond that. And compared to the Galaxy S25 Plus, it seems Samsung has slightly improved the digital zoom, which is nice to see.
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Horizontal lock is a new feature that I find most interesting, allowing you to keep an incredibly steady video no matter how shaky your movements are. In fact, you can flip the S26 Plus completely around, and it will still retain the horizon, which is kind of wild to see.
The Gallery app received some nice improvements, like the upgraded Photo Assist. This is one of my favorite features, as you can use natural language to do things like change your clothing, add or remove items from an image, or even blend in elements from other photos. I can take a photo of a hat I like and tell Photo Assist to add it to a picture of me, and it will intelligently place it on my head. I can also swap out a photo of a donut for a healthier option, like a bowl of yogurt.
It won’t make more granular edits like lighting or color changes; for that, you’ll need Help Me Edit in the Google Photos app, but it’s a fun feature nonetheless.
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Powering all of this is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 “For Galaxy,” which performs as well as a flagship chipset should, especially with 12GB of RAM. Apps open quickly, multitasking is a breeze, and graphics-intensive games like Honkai: Star Rail and Endfield run pretty smoothly, even at the highest settings.
Unfortunately, the battery remains at just 4,900mAh. I say “just,” but while I do wish Samsung had opted for a larger or even thinner silicon-carbon battery, the S26 Plus still manages to get through a full day without issue, averaging 6-8 hours of screen time in my use. Battery size isn’t a problem per se, but more recent flagships like the OnePlus 15 are averaging two days of battery life, which would be nice to see here.
Charging is also largely unchanged, and you’ll wait over an hour to fully charge the battery at 45W wired charging. And while wireless charging did see a small bump from 15W to 20W, you’ll still need a case to make the most of Qi2.
But the lack of a silicon-carbon battery or built-in magnetic charging really speaks to the Galaxy S26 Plus as a whole and Samsung’s unwillingness to change. Sure, there’s a new chipset, but the Plus feels like Samsung resting on its laurels and giving us the bare minimum with just a chip upgrade and new software. Many of the changes I wanted to see just aren’t here, and Samsung is charging more for it, which sort of doesn’t add up.
As a result, the Plus is once again overshadowed by the Ultra, and this genuinely good phone will once again be relegated to the awkward middle child. It deserves more than that, and I really hope Samsung can figure out what to do with future Plus models to help them stand out, because as it stands now, I can maybe recommend the Galaxy S26 Plus, but the Ultra feels like the better buy.
A big phone with a big heart
The Galaxy S26 Plus is currently one of the most powerful smartphones on the market, with a strong set of cameras, a large display, and all-day battery life to power the latest AI features from Google and Samsung.
