5 phones you should buy instead of the Galaxy S26 Ultra

After months and months of leaks and rumors, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is finally here. And it’s, er, exactly what we expected it to be.

Samsung’s latest ultra-flagship is a confirmation that Samsung doesn’t want to fix what isn’t broke, and the S26 Ultra’s design and specs are a testament to that ethos.

Very little has changed between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the S26 Ultra, which is both a blessing and curse.

But regardless of that, it’s undeniable that the S26 Ultra is one of the most powerful phones of the year, and you might be looking at one with your hand tightly curled around your credit card.

But don’t pull that financial trigger just yet, as there are a number of phones you should be considering instead.

Here are the five phones you should buy instead of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

OnePlus 15

The OnePlus 15 is one of the few phones that can go toe-to-toe with the S26 Ultra and come up grinning.

Samsung’s phone may sit atop the mountain, but it shares that summit with OnePlus’s best, and as such, it’s hard to pick between the two of them.

Let’s talk specs. Both phones have the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, up to 1TB of storage, and either 12GB or 16GB of RAM. Those are monstrous specifications, and neither is likely to let you down in terms of pure power.

The S26 Ultra has an edge in camera specs, thanks to its 200-megapixel main lens and extra telephoto lens, but the OnePlus 15’s shooters are still more than capable.

It’s a bit more even when we look at the display specs, though. The OnePlus 15 has a 165Hz refresh rate, but the S26 Ultra is brighter.

But the battery is where the OnePlus pulls away hard. Not only is the 7,300mAh battery cell much larger than the S26 Ultra’s 5,000mAh, but it also has 120W wired charging, and 50W wireless charging, eclipsing the Ultra’s 60W wired and 25W wireless charging.

The battery makes the OnePlus phone a real contender, and frankly, if we’re talking about what makes the phone unique, a longer-lasting battery knocks the S Pen into a cocked hat.

Then there’s the final clincher: the price. The OnePlus 15 retails for less than the S26 Ultra, which makes it a real bargain, specs considered.

8.5/10

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Display type

LTPO 165Hz

Display dimensions

6.78-inches

Display resolution

2772 x 1272

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Samsung’s own roster contains a number of S26 Ultra alternatives by itself, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the most notable of those.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of Samsung’s most impressive devices, packed with top-tier specs, and a cutting-edge foldable body.

These are both powerful smartphones, but the S26 Ultra is technically more powerful.

The Z Fold 7’s Snapdragon 8 Elite is a generation behind the Ultra’s processor — but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s less capable. It still won’t let you down.

Camera specs are similar, though the Ultra’s cameras are better and more numerous. The Ultra also has an edge in battery size and charging rate too.

But we all know the Z Fold 7’s real advantage; it’s the folding form factor. Open up the device, and you shift from a 6.5-inch display to a mini-tablet sized 8-inch display.

It’s a game-changer, and the best way to view videos and photos on a phone. Going back to a regular device after using a foldable phone is tough.

It’s no longer Samsung’s most expensive phone — that’s now the TriFold‘s domain — but it’s still an expensive device. It’s one of the few phones to be more expensive than the S26 Ultra, but that really is for a reason.

It’s an exceptional piece of tech, and the one to buy if you want a real taste of the future of smartphones.

8.5/10

SoC

Snapdragon 8 Elite

Display type

Dynamic AMOLED

Display dimensions

6.5-inch external, 8-inch internal

RAM

12GB or 16GB

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL isn’t the phone to buy if you want something with the Ultra’s processing power. But it still has a lot going for it, especially if you’re looking for AI tricks and a phenomenal camera.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL’s Tensor G5 chip isn’t up to the same strength as the Ultra, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think it’s up to the task of anything you could ask from it.

While the new Tensor chip is keyed to AI performance, it’ll still run any game, app, or process you need it to.

But yes, the biggest Pixel is all about AI. Samsung is catching up with One UI 8.5, but what Samsung is introducing now, Google has had for ages.

With AI-powered call screening, recording, and even sifting through your Gmail for helpful information, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is the AI phone.

It also helps that the Pixel’s camera is so good, too. The Ultra may have bigger specs, but Google has always sprinkled fairy dust on its phone cameras, and this year’s Pixels are no different.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL isn’t a phone with the power of a rampaging bull, like the S26 Ultra, but it uses its strengths in different ways. If that appeals to you, then this Pixel is a great choice.

9/10

SoC

Google Tensor G5

Display type

Super Actua

Display dimensions

6.8-inches

Display resolution

2992 x 1344

Moto Razr Ultra 2025

We’ve already highlighted one foldable phone, but there’s always room for another one.

The Moto Razr+ 2025 is, quite simply, the best flip smartphone you can buy at the moment. If a flip phone tickles your fancy, this is what you should buy instead of the S26 Ultra.

It’s important to note you’re getting a downgrade. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor is still a capable chip, but it’s nowhere near the level of the Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

The Razr+’s 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM is much more in line with what you’ll expect from the Ultra, though.

Again, the Ultra’s cameras are better, though the Razr+’s are still decent, and the battery and charging specs are also slightly lower, though with the weaker hardware there’s less of a strain on the battery anyway, so it should mostly even out.

But the Razr+’s real selling point is, you guessed it, its fold. The clamshell fold means it doesn’t become a massive tablet-like display like the Z Fold 7, but it does mean it can fold down into a package much shorter than the usual phone.

Even better, the outer 4-inch display is far more useful than you might expect. It’ll run a number of apps on it quite well, and you’ll be able to do more with it than you would have thought. And when you need it to, it unfolds into a regular-sized phone.

The Moto Razr+ 2025 is the phone to pick up if you think a clamshell folding phone would match your vibe — but not only that. It’s a very capable smartphone in its own right, and an excellent alternative to the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

SoC

Snapdragon 8s Gen 3

Display type

AMOLED, pOLED

Display dimensions

6.9″ main, 4″ external

Display resolution

2640 x 1080 main, 1272 x 1080 external

Samsung Galaxy A56

You probably didn’t expect to see such a cheap phone on this list, but we’re throwing in a wild card at the end.

Usually, you’d see us recommend last year’s version of the same phone as an alternative, and yes, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a good alternative. But the Samsung Galaxy A56 beat that phone to be the phone that most impressed our reviewer Stephen in 2025.

It’s obviously not as powerful as the S26 Ultra, nor will it have the same camera capabilities, or all the same advanced features. But it does have one thing. It has enough.

The Exynos 1580 is a powerful enough chip for most, and it’ll run most games just fine. The 5,000mAh battery is solid, and the 45W charging beats the Z Fold 7, amusingly enough.

The cameras are a bit of a letdown, and any time you see a macro lens you should pause, but it’s never going to be perfect at the price.

It’s the price that’s the biggest draw here. Instead of dropping four figures on the S26 Ultra, pause for a moment and wonder if a truly good phone that costs much less would work just as well for you. Because it might, and that’s worth all the money saved.

SoC

Exynos 1580

Display type

AMOLED

Display dimensions

6.7-inches

RAM

8GB