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He Galaxy S26 series It’s official and currently available for pre-order, but in the lead-up to the official launch, there’s one important question you need to ask yourself: should you buy a Galaxy S26? Well, the answer depends on what you’re looking for and the phone you’re updating from, so it’s not a simple “Yes” or “No.”
I’ve already had time to test each of the phones, this is my first-hand view and thoughts on the S26 series and why you should or shouldn’t buy them.
Why you should buy a Galaxy S26
Here are the top five reasons why I think the Galaxy S26 series is worth buying:
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Generation 5
The Snapdragon 8 Elite was already a powerful chipset, which became even more powerful with the Galaxy variant. However, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which launched in September last year, promises a 20% performance boost over its predecessor, including improved graphics and better CPU and GPU efficiency.
You can consult our Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Comparisonwhich shows how big a jump that is, especially in single-core performance.
He Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy goes a step further, as Qualcomm and Samsung collaborated on the chip “to optimize Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy for the latest Galaxy AI experiences.” So not only will you get incredible performance in everyday tasks and games, but the chip should enable impressive AI performance on the device.
Privacy screen
He Privacy screen is one of the most impressive new hardware features introduced with the Galaxy S26 series. The way it works is that you can hide the contents of your screen when viewed from the sides, meaning you won’t have to worry about viewers seeing your saucy photos or messages. Think of it as a built-in privacy screen protector for your Samsung phone.
However, this is actually much more granular than that, because unlike a privacy screen saver, which is always in effect, the Privacy Screen is customizable. You can set it so that it only works when you open certain apps or when you receive notifications, that way the rest of the screen is visible in addition to the notification itself.
This is because the Privacy Screen works at the pixel level, allowing for greater control over its operation. The downside is that this feature is exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, meaning you have to opt for the top-of-the-line model.
AI for days
Thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, the Galaxy S26 series is much more capable, especially when it comes to AI. For example, Gemini is capable of perform tasks on your behalflike shopping online or ordering an Uber, without you having to do much. And just before finishing the process, it will ask you to confirm any purchase so you can make sure everything was done correctly.
Now Nudge is another example of how AI is becoming more proactive. Similar to magic sign in it Pixel 10 SeriesNudge can now display information based on the context of what you’re doing. If someone sends you a message asking for the address of an event you’re attending or photos you took while on a trip to Australia, Now Nudge will appear with that address based on events on your calendar or a button that will take you directly to a set of images taken in Australia. This way, you won’t have to search for information or photos; AI does it for you.
The Galaxy S26 series also comes with tons of new AI editing features, like making it easy to use generative AI to change aspects of a photo, add elements from one photo to another, etc. Think of it as Samsung’s version of Ask for photos in it Google Photos app, which makes it more natural to edit an image, especially if you don’t know how to fix or enhance it yourself.
More storage
The entry-level S series phone has been stuck with 128GB of storage for years. However, we’re reaching a point where that’s no longer enough for a flagship phone. Fortunately, Samsung listened to our request and increased the base storage on the Galaxy S26.
You now have 256GB of storage to start, and that’s before any promotions. In fact, if you are trying Pre-order the Galaxy S26 seriesYou can probably get the base 512GB model for the same price you’d pay for the 256GB model.
Battery and charging upgrades
Samsung has been notably cautious about its batteries and charging speeds, meaning we haven’t seen the needle move much in recent years. That finally changes this year, however, as Samsung increased both battery size and charging speeds on the Galaxy S26 series, but not all models received the same updates.
For example, the Galaxy S26 increased to 4,300 mAh, up from 4,000 mAh for the model. Galaxy S25but without changes in the loading speed. The Galaxy S26 Plus received an increase in wireless charging speed from 15W to 20W, but battery capacity and wired charging remain the same.
Finally, the Galaxy S26 Ultra received the most changes, with an increase in wired charging speeds from 45W to 60W, which Samsung says should charge the phone’s 5000mAh battery to 75% in just 30 minutes. Additionally, the S26 Ultra now supports Qi2 wireless switching speeds of up to 25W, which is a pretty significant jump from 15W.
That said, you’ll still need a case to take advantage of Qi2 magnetic charging.
Who should buy a Galaxy S26?
If you’re someone who doesn’t upgrade frequently and has an older model, like one that’s at least two or three years old, the Galaxy S26 is probably a good buy. The Privacy Screen is already an attractive feature for those who like to maintain a more private life.
The chipset upgrade is also a good reason, and if you want the latest AI features and software capabilities, these are the phones for you. Plus, the extended software update promise means that once you have these phones, you’re pretty much set for up to seven years, assuming the chipset and battery can last that long.
Why you shouldn’t buy a Galaxy S26
Of course, there are a few reasons why you might want to think twice before purchasing the Galaxy S26 series, depending on your needs:
Price increases
He Galaxy S26 series It comes with a lot of upgrades, but that means it will also come with some price increases. Samsung has managed to keep prices relatively the same since the Galaxy S21 series, with only the S24 Ultra getting a price increase. Like, it’s the base and Plus that are getting price increases.
Both models now cost $100 more than their predecessors. That means the base starts at $899 while the Plus starts at $1,099. Is it worth it to you? Does this move you away from the Galaxy S26 series, or perhaps closer to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, as the gap between it and the Plus has narrowed?
The cameras have practically not changed
Unfortunately, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the only model that received notable camera changes. The 200MP main camera and 50MP telephoto camera have wider apertures, meaning they should handle low-light situations better. However, the remaining specifications of the camera remain largely unchanged.
This also applies to the base and Plus models, which didn’t receive the same aperture changes as the Ultra (or any sensor changes, for that matter), so you don’t get the benefit of better low-light videos or photos. It almost makes the price increase seem like it’s not worth it.
On the plus side, Samsung says the visuals should improve now that it has switched from a hardware-based ISP to an AI-based one. Additionally, it has also applied its ISP AI to the selfie camera, which means the selfie quality should improve. Let’s hope it’s enough.
These are not the battery upgrades we expected
While we’re happy to see improvements in battery capacity and/or charging speeds on Samsung phones, it still seems like Samsung is lagging behind. The Galaxy S26 Ultra retains its 5,000 mAh battery, which Chinese OEM flagships far exceed 6,000 mAh and go up to 9,000 mAh or more.
Samsung’s reluctance to use silicon-carbon batteries is becoming more evident as consumers demand longer battery life from their smartphones. The same goes for charging speeds, with Samsung still behind even Motorola, which offers 68W charging on the Razr Ultra 2025 and 90W charging on the Motorola Signature.
Who shouldn’t buy a Galaxy S26?
If you have a recent Samsung flagship, such as a Galaxy S25 and S24, or even a Pixel 10I see little reason for you to jump to the S26 series, unless you really want that privacy screen. Plus, if you’re not interested in having all the latest AI features, the Galaxy S26 series probably isn’t worth the splurge, especially considering the recent price hikes for the base and Plus model.
If you are looking for a phone with excellent cameras, long battery life and fast charging, there are many options out there from other companies outside of Samsung, Appleand Google.
