Samsung Galaxy S26 review

The Samsung Galaxy S26 phone is a brilliant handset that brings all the best of the Samsung Galaxy S26 range to a nicely sized and powerful handset. It’s the entry point device of the Galaxy S26 mobile family and includes three rear cameras, a beautiful display and a processor designed to keep up with your daily needs.

Sitting alongside the Samsung Galaxy S26+ and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra phones, the base model Samsung Galaxy S26 may be attractive to you if you’re after a smaller but powerful enough handset with great photography and day-to-day reliability.

Read on below to see why we recommend this Samsung phone. Alternatively, you can read our Samsung Galaxy S26+ review or our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review.

Keen to learn more about the phones? Read our Introduction to the Samsung Galaxy S26 range and our Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25 comparison.

Samsung Galaxy S26: specs

• Specification Samsung Galaxy S26
• Display 6.3" Full Dynamic AMOLED 2X
• Processor Exynos 2600
• Cameras
  • 50MP (Wide)
  • 10MP (Tele)
  • 12MP (Ultrawide)
  • 12MP (Front)
• Size 149.3 x 71.4 x 6.9mm
• Weight 167g
• Battery 4,300mAh (Typical) (1)
• Colours
  • Cobalt Violet
  • Sky Blue
  • Black
  • White

• Powerful new Exynos 2600 processor
• 12GB RAM
• Four sleek colourways
• IP68 rated(2)

The Samsung Galaxy S26 phone continues the lineage of the Galaxy S range by keeping the phone fresh and premium. This includes refinement across the handset’s core feature set, including its processor (which has been swapped to the Exynos 2600 compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 in the Galaxy S25) and a slight increase to battery size.

Games play extremely well on the S26, with the incredible performance aided by a redesigned Vapour Chamber that spreads heat more efficiently.

The phone comes fitted with a slightly larger display than that in the Samsung S25 phone, with the S26 also receiving some dimensional changes – it's taller and wider than the S25, but slightly thinner.

The phone’s colours have also received a 2026 refresh, with the Samsung Galaxy S26 available in Sky Blue, Black, Cobalt Violet and White.

At a convenient size and lower cost than the Samsung Galaxy S26+ and the S26 Galaxy Ultra, the Samsung Galaxy S26 mixes the best of the new Galaxy S range into a well-rounded handset.

• 50MP main camera
• 10MP telephoto camera
• 12MP ultrawide camera
• 12MP selfie camera

Samsung’s cameras are reliable, high quality and capable of capturing a gorgeous amount of colour and light in any photo. While the Galaxy S26 hasn’t received a massive camera set redesign, the phone has been given an improvement to its video abilities.

Samsung has introduced Super Steady Horizontal Lock , which keeps your video recording smooth when the phone is moving. Think about if you’re at a concert, or if you’re recording video while running – the phone is able to keep a steady picture going without producing a shot that bounces around.

• 6.3” Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
• 1080 x 2340 resolution
• 2600 nits peak brightness

The display of the Samsung Galaxy S26 hasn’t received a major overhaul compared to the Galaxy S25, however it has increased in size – up to 6.3” over 6.2”. The phone comes fitted with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and has a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. A 120hz refresh rate makes the phone’s animations smooth and responsive, while also allowing for impressive gaming performance .

The Samsung S26 phone is a tremendous device that can keep up with your day-to-day needs. It’s well sized as the smallest device in the Samsung S26 family, and includes some of the best features of the generation at the most accessible price point.

This is a perfect phone for people that desire a well sized handset or like to have a device from the latest and most impressive generation of Samsung smartphones yet.

Device disclaimers

1. _{Typical value tested under third-party laboratory conditions. Typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard. 2. Galaxy S26 devices have an IP68 rating based on lab test conditions. These devices are dust resistant and water resistant for submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Not advised for beach or pool use. Ensure the charging port is dry before charging. Please refer to your device's user manual for further care instructions and limitations.}