I get it; you’re a long-time Samsung fan, and you’ve been eagerly waiting for the brand to deliver decent upgrades with the Galaxy S26 Ultra this year. Maybe you wanted to see newer camera sensors, a sleeker design, a bigger battery that uses silicon-carbon tech, or even something as routine as Qi 2 magnets integrated into the device.
However, Samsung once again chose to play it safe, delivering a phone that barely qualifies as an iterative upgrade. Sure, there are subtle design changes and the usual hardware tweaks, but I’d argue that the S26 Ultra isn’t that different to the Galaxy S23 Ultra when it comes to the fundamentals.
While Samsung is content to rehash the same phone year after year, that isn’t the case with other phone brands. Chinese manufacturers are pushing the boundaries of phone tech, and if you’re willing to try move away from Samsung — as daunting as that sounds — there are plenty of great alternatives available.
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Find X9 Pro
The Find X9 Pro is my go-to recommendation if you’re ready to upgrade this year. The phone has amazing cameras, powerful internals, and a huge battery. Of course, that’s standard on most flagships these days, but the Find X9 Pro just does things a little better than its rivals, and that’s the reason I used the phone for the better part of four months. Usually, I’d just use a Pixel as my daily driver, but the X9 Pro’s software is good enough that it proved to be a viable alternative — OPPO didn’t put a foot wrong with this phone.
I also like the design, and the X9 Pro has a really good in-hand feel. The phone has proven to be durable in the four months I used it; after taking close to a dozen tumbles, I don’t see any visible damage whatsoever. The MediaTek-powered internals are just as powerful as the latest Qualcomm-based phones, and honestly, there aren’t many flaws to point out. The one point of contention is that the X9 Pro has limited global availability, but it is on sale in the U.K. and select western markets, so that’s good to see.
The main reason you’ll want to consider the Find X9 Pro is the cameras; thanks to a new imaging engine and closer collaboration with Hasselblad, OPPO took things to a new level, and the phone takes groundbreaking photos and videos. The main lens comes alive in challenging scenarios, the tele shooter is great at 3.7x and doubles as a portrait lens, and even the wide-angle is pretty good. After taking thousands of photos in six countries, I’m convinced that the Find X9 Pro has one of the best cameras of any phone.
The Find X9 Pro is the upgrade you want; the phone clearly holds its own against the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the cameras are on an entirely different level.
Vivo X300 Pro
I’ll admit that the Find X9 Pro is a better all-rounder, but when it comes to the cameras, Vivo’s X300 Pro is at the top of my list. Vivo has done a tremendous job with its camera efforts over the last two years, and I prefer the brand’s color science and tuning. While the camera sensors aren’t too different to the Find X9 Pro, Vivo just has a bit of an edge with its tuning algorithms, and in this category, even a slender advantage makes a difference.
The X300 Pro nails the technicalities; the cameras take stunning photos in just about any lighting scenario, and the portrait shots in particular are among the best of any phone available today. There isn’t much to fault with the rest of the phone; it has the same caliber of internals as the Find X9 Pro, and a huge battery. The only annoyance is that the model sold in western markets has a smaller 5,440mAh battery, while the Asian model gets a 6,510mAh battery.
Vivo also overhauled its software with the X300 Pro, rolling out OriginOS globally. The interface is sleeker, has better fluidity, and extensive customizability. While the X300 Pro isn’t available in North America, the cameras alone make it a huge upgrade over the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and Vivo is doing a decent job bringing the device to select western markets.
The X300 Pro proves that Vivo knows how to make a fantastic flagship, and the cameras may just be the best out of any phone you can buy today.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
I didn’t think I’d enjoy using the Xiaomi 17 Ultra as much as I did; Xiaomi addressed a lot of the lingering software issues, and the cameras are even better this year. Xiaomi is the only brand that’s still using a 1-inch sensor on its main camera, and the 17 Ultra is a true imaging powerhouse.
But what I like even better is that the brand ironed out issues with its tuning algorithms, leading to better-quality photos across the board. And I like the design this year; the green model looks exquisite, and thanks to a bigger battery, I didn’t have any issues using the 17 Ultra while traveling.
Xiaomi’s software still isn’t quite as good as its Chinese rivals, but I’ll admit that it is better than previous years. Another upside is that the 17 Ultra is available in the U.K. and other western countries, and while it costs the same as the S26 Ultra, you get much better cameras.
The 17 Ultra looks good, takes great photos, and costs the same as the S26 Ultra; if you’re in a country where it’s available, it is a better choice.
Pixel 10 Pro XL
While I like using Pixels, I know that Google’s phones do things differently to every other brand. You don’t get anywhere as much customizability, and the interface takes a bit of getting used to. Google’s insistence on AI also means that the Tensor G5 isn’t quite as powerful as its MediaTek and Qualcomm rivals, so the Pixel 10 Pro XL doesn’t handle demanding games anywhere as well.
That said, if you need a phone with plenty of useful AI features and great cameras, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is the closest alternative to the Galaxy S26 Ultra in North America. Of course, if you’re a longtime Samsung rival, you may not like the UI, but what’s undeniable is that the Pixel’s AI features are a tier above everyone else, and while you don’t get a massive 1-inch sensor, Google continues to do an excellent job tuning its cameras, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL takes fantastic photos.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL is a viable alternative to the Galaxy S26 Ultra in North America, and while you don’t get as much customizability, Google’s AI and camera efforts continue to be outstanding.
