Samsung is nothing if not consistent.
Just as it has for many years, the company is starting the year with a new generation of Galaxy S phones. Rumors about remixing the lineup didn’t pan out, so there are still three versions: the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. It’s the Ultra, with its whopping $1,300 price tag, that makes up the largest chunk of Samsung flagship sales—even though you can get a perfectly serviceable smartphone for a third of the price. The S26 Ultra serves a different market than a budget phone, though.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is big, powerful, and overflowing with features. It can be a bit too much at times, particularly if you don’t care for mobile AI. It’s expensive, but you get long support and just about everything you could want from a smartphone in 2026. Still, with other smartphone makers scaling back amid skyrocketing component prices, the S26 Ultra may end up looking like a good value in hindsight.
Let’s be honest: $1,300 is a lot of money for a phone. But Samsung isn’t trying to compete with the Moto G series here. The Ultra is for people who want the best camera system, the brightest screen, and the fastest performance—and who are willing to pay for it. The S26 Ultra delivers on all those fronts, with a refined design that feels more premium than last year’s model.
What surprised me most was the software experience. Samsung has been pushing its Galaxy AI features hard, and I was skeptical. But some of them are genuinely useful. The real-time translation in messaging apps works surprisingly well, and the photo editing tools that let you remove objects or adjust lighting are actually better than Google’s Pixel equivalents in some cases. That said, Samsung still buries too many settings in menus, and Bixby remains a thing that exists.
The camera is the star here. The 200MP main sensor is overkill for most situations, but the computational photography does a fantastic job of balancing detail and noise. Low-light shots are crisp, and the telephoto lens gives you real optical zoom at 10x—not the digital crop other brands try to pass off. Portrait mode still struggles with hair edges sometimes, but it’s improved.
Battery life is solid. The 5,000mAh battery easily gets through a full day of heavy use, and charging speeds are finally competitive at 45W wired and 25W wireless. It’s not Oppo or Xiaomi levels of fast, but it’s good enough that you won’t feel tethered to a charger.
One thing that bugs me: Samsung still includes a ton of duplicate apps. You get Samsung’s own browser, calendar, notes, and store alongside Google’s versions. It’s clutter that most people don’t need, and it eats into that 256GB of base storage faster than it should.
Privacy is a bigger focus this year. Samsung has a dedicated Knox Vault that isolates sensitive data like biometrics and passwords. There’s also a new “Private Share” feature for sending files with expiration dates and screenshot protection. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s nice to see a major OEM taking privacy seriously without locking everything behind a subscription.
The S26 Ultra is not for everyone. If you’re happy with a Pixel 10 or an iPhone 17 Pro, you’re not missing much. But if you want the most feature-packed Android phone money can buy, this is it. Whether that’s worth $1,300 is up to you.
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