The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is either someones goldilocks phone or the forgotten middle child

Date:
Sun, 05 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus doesnt stop itself from being a great smartphone, but we should have had more.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus: Two-minute review The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is exactly
what I expected it to be: a solid mid-tier Android smartphone that does
enough to be great but doesnt quite make it to excellence. Powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset for Galaxy, the S26 Plus topped even the most premium competitors on performance. Jumping into games like Destiny Rising on the highest graphics is a breeze, and you can
genuinely expect to enjoy performance that's largely comparable to the best gaming phones on Samsung's latest flagship middle child. The S26 Plus' 6.7-inch display is just as bright and colorful as the S26 Ultra's, highlighting all of the gorgeous colors in my favorite media content. Its premium svelte design is stunning in certain colorways, too, and the near bezel-less face makes for an immersive viewing experience.

The battery life is decent, but not the best. I got a full days use out of
the phone's 4,900mAh cell, needing to charge it toward the end of the night. The 45W fast charging makes the process pretty seamless, though. But the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and some of its competitors offer longer battery life. (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) Then theres the cameras, which are solid overall, but shouldve gotten a boost, especially considering that the S26 Plus received a $100 / 100 / AU$150 price bump over the Galaxy S25 Plus , bringing its tag to $1,099 / 1,099 / AU$1,849.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is a great Android phone, but its not the best.
If youre looking for something thats exactly this size, then the S26 Plus
will serve you well, but if you dont mind going up or down a size, you might find a better deal elsewhere. Again, that doesnt remove all the great qualities that the Galaxy S26 Plus has to offer; it just means that its competitors do it better, albeit at varying prices. Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: price and availability (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) From $1,099 / 1,099 / AU$1,849 Launched on March 11, 2026 The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus launched on March 11, 2026 in a prismatic spray, offering six different colorways and two variants of storage. You can purchase it directly from Samsung or any of the companys retail partners. Get daily insight,
inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

At its starting price $1,099 / 1,099 / AU$1,849 you can get the Galaxy S26 Plus with 256GB of storage. Thats a $100 / 100 / AU$150 price hike compared with its predecessor. Bumping up to 512GB will cost you $1,299 / 1,279 / AU$2,149. Thats an $180 / 179 / AU$1,849 increase.

In other words, Samsungs larger 6.7-inch phone is becoming less affordable, and thats pretty frustrating if youre someone who needs it. The iPhone Air is just a wee bit smaller (6.5 inches), but it costs less ($999 / 999 / AU$1,799). The iPhone 17 Pro Max sizes up to 6.9 inches and starts at $1,199
/ 1,199 / AU$2,149, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL sits at 6.8 inches for $1,199 / 1,199 / AU $1,999.

So, yes, the price hike is frustrating, but the Galaxy S26 Plus sits in this weird niche space between price and size in relation to its premium competitors, so theres still some solid value here. Value score: 4 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus specs Header Cell - Column 0 Header Cell - Column 1

Dimensions:

158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm

Weight:

190g

Display:

6.7-inch AMOLED (3,120 x 1,440) up to 120Hz

Chipset:

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

256GB, 512GB

OS:

Android 16

Primary camera:

50MP main (f/1.8)

Ultra-wide camera:

12MP ultrawide (f/2.2)

Telephoto camera:

10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4)

Front Camera:

12MP selfie (f/2.2)

Battery:

4,900mAh

Charging:

45W wired, 25W wireless

Colors:

Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White (Online only: Silver Shadow, Pink Gold) Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: design (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) Mostly the same as the Galaxy S25 Plus Gorgeous colors Cameras are elevated For better or worse, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus looks pretty much the same
as its predecessor (and its predecessors before that). Its the exact same
size and weight as the S25 Plus, at 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 millimeters and 190g. Im not mad about this, though. Its thin build and round corners still give that svelte premium feel. The Galaxy S26 Plus also comes in a variety of colors.

Our review unit came in White, which is boring sorry, not sorry. Theres
Black and Silver Shadow, which fall in the same meh camp, but the more precious colors are Pink Gold, Sky Blue, and Cobalt Violet (my favorite).
Tech products that offer more than shades of gray are a solid win.

The biggest design difference between the Galaxy S26 Plus and its predecessor is the appearance of its cameras. Now, the phone's rear module is slightly elevated on a platform. Apart from that, everything else is the same. The power and volume buttons are on the right, there are microphones on the top edge, and the bottom holds room for the USB-C port, SIM slot, speaker, and microphone. (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus still features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for protection against drops
and scratches, but the S26 Ultra features Gorilla Glass Armor 2, which prioritizes reducing reflections as well as durability.

However, just like the S26 Ultra, the Plus is rated for IP68 water and dust protection. That means the device is completely dust-tight and can withstand immersions in water beyond one meter (up to three). I wouldnt go testing this in the bathtub, though. But if you happen to drop it, the S26 Plus should be fine.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus still looks great. It would be nice for Samsung to get more experimental with its design, but the Galaxy lineup still cleans up nicely. Design score: 4 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: display (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) 6.7-inch AMOLED 3120 x 1440 resolution 120Hz refresh rate 2600-nit peak brightness If youre looking for a stunningly bright floating piece of glass on which to watch all your favorite content, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus 6.7-inch AMOLED delivers just that.

With a near bezel-less screen and a peak brightness of 2600 nits, its 3,120 x 1,440 resolution display makes everything in the background practically fade away (fun fact: the phone actually defaults to 2,340 x 1,080 to save
battery). The cutout for the selfie camera is always going to be mildly distracting, but it's pretty tiny.

In Destiny Rising , the ethereal valley that leads to Haven popped against
the gorgeous blues and pinks on the horizon. While its not necessarily a gaming phone by trade, the Galaxy S26 Plus put in the work to make the world of Destiny look good.

With the S26 Plus adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, the navigation experience felt super smooth, and it also allows games to climb up to 120fps (although
Destiny hovered around 60fps).

The S26 Plus screen is just as good as the Ultras, with one exception the Privacy Display on the latter phone, which adjusts the screen so people
around you cant see what you see. You wont get this extra layer of privacy on the middle child in Samsungs lineup. I wouldnt necessarily weep over it, though. There are privacy screen protectors that can accomplish the same thing. Display score: 4.5 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: cameras (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) 50MP main (f/1.8) 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4) 12MP selfie-cam Up to 8K/30fps video The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus camera suite is effectively unchanged from the previous generation. On the rear, you get a 50MP main, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP 3x telephoto camera, while the front sports a 12MP selfie camera.

I took a lovely trip to the park and put the Galaxy S26 Plus cameras to work. One common occurrence I noticed while taking photos is that the ultra-wide camera captured slightly bolder colors, and its most noticeable when looking at the sky. Meanwhile, the other rear cameras captured more flat images. They dont lack color per se. It seems like it would be a more natural representation, but the images captured by the 50MP main and 10MP 3x
telephoto cameras were just faintly duller than real life.

However, when it came to clarity, all of the rear cameras excelled at capturing highly detailed images. Its easy to get high-resolution photos, but its another thing when a camera sensor can focus on exactly what you need it to, providing both a sharp and clear image. Naturally, the 10MP 3x telephoto lens was better at this than the rest, capturing the individual notches in
the wood of a gazebo from far away.

Im also impressed by the S26 Ultra's digital zoom, which can go up to 30x. Youll rarely be using it all the way turned up, but there are several shots where I needed to crank past 3x to get a full image of something. Despite using a digital zoom, images like the birdhouse (as you'll see below) looked great. Although youre losing a decent amount of detail the further you zoom in.

However, a really cool image I captured was around dusk, when there was still some blue in the sky, but the moon was out. The standard lens couldnt capture any detail because of the surrounding light, but zooming in 30x allowed the camera to focus on the moon. The S26 Plus is not winning any awards in astronomy photography, but being able to capture the craters on the moon was cool.

Overall, then, the S26 Plus' camera array is solid as is, but the biggest issue its facing is the tech itself. The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is close in price, and it sports a 48MP ultra-wide camera and a telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. For that aforementioned price hike, we shouldve had at least some upgrade to the camera array, but were stuck with the same hardware as last years model. Hopefully, thisll change in the future (without another price hike). Camera score: 3.5 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: camera samples Image 1 of 48 (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: performance (Image
credit: Future/Rami Tabari) Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset is fiercely competitive Overall punchy performance Like its siblings, the Galaxy S26 Plus is outfitted with a Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 8 Elite 5
chip that's specifically designed for Galaxy phones. Whatever Qualcomm and Samsung cooked up is supposedly meant to work better overall for the system. Well, running the standard Geekbench overall performance test proved that it outpaced its predecessor. It also beat the scores of Apple s A19 Pro.

Getting into the crunchy numbers wont tell you the real story, though. I played around with the S26 Plus for a week, and it reflected my inputs with incredible speed. I navigated through games, responded to emails, and voice chatted with friends with no noticeable slowdown.

I jumped into Destiny Rising in performance mode, and the game ran at a
smooth 60fps. It kept up with my wild spray-and-pray tactics as I tore
through the opening area. I didnt see any screen tearing, and despite not being branded a gaming phone, the S26 Plus didn't suffer any performance drops.

However, I did notice that under a little pressure, it does get warm near the cameras. Its not dramatic, but something to keep in mind if youre out in the sun using your phone. Ive had smartphones overheat on me at the beach, for instance.

Overall, even as the middle child of the Galaxy lineup, the S26 Plus is
highly competitive with the best out there. Performance score: 5 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: software (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) AI everywhere More personal suggestions Unreliable generative AI features The Galaxy S26 Plus ships with Android 16 dressed up in Samsungs One UI 8.5 suit. Of course, its packed with a bunch of AI features that you may not ever use, many of which are facilitated by Samsungs Galaxy AI as well as Perplexity, Bixby, and Google Gemini. Its very much a choose your Pokmon situation.

Despite my reservations with AI, one of my favorite features is the automatic call screening, which Pixel phones have been doing for years now. But its
nice not having to answer marketers or scammers on a Galaxy phone.

There is a new Galaxy AI feature called Now Nudge. Its designed to constantly read whats on your screen and suggest relevant actions, like creating a calendar event or sharing photos. Itll also recall information, like saved contacts or location details.

Then theres Now Brief, located at the bottom of the lock screen. Opening it will give you the weather, your calendar for the day, and whatever bleak news update is going on in the world. These features were useful for sure, but I dont think youre missing anything by not using them.

Youve also got generative AI tools like Photo Assist and Creative Studio. Im not a fan of generative AI tools, but for personal use, these are fine. The former is helpful for editing photos. I tried using it to change my hair color, and it worked well, except the original quality of the image became fuzzy. I tried recreating my epic goth D&D character in Creative Studio, but apparently, using goth was inappropriate. Then I tried creating a fantasy warrior, and it showed me a fantasy setting instead. Then I asked it to
simply create a woman and her dog it only made the dog. Creative Studio isnt averse to creating people because one of the default prompts is to create a wedding couple. For my testing, however, it was incredibly unreliable.

Google is rolling out its Agentic features for Gemini. These will allow your smartphone to do more background tasks. For example, you could ask Gemini to call you an Uber, and all you need to do is review its work and accept. Its great in theory, but its still under development. With more apps to follow, we'll get a better picture of its utility in Gemini in the future.

If you dont want to use Google Gemini, you can use Bixby instead, which can accomplish similar tasks thanks to its being directly connected to Perplexity AI.

There are a lot of features packed into the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus. Well, Id argue too many. And its unlikely one person will use them all. You could
argue that Samsung is covering all its bases, but if youre not big on AI to begin with, it can get overwhelming. Software score: 4 / 5 Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: battery life (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) 4,900mAh battery 45W fast charging No magnets Despite its smaller battery, the Galaxy S26 Plus managed to last me quite a while throughout the week before needing to
charge. With very limited use, I got over two days out of it. When it came to focused use, it lasted the whole day before I had to plug it in. In both use cases, the S26 Plus was set to max resolution and refresh rate.

The S26 Plus also charges remarkably fast. It features 45W charging, and it took only an hour to fully charge with Super Fast Charging 2.0. It does come with 25W wireless charging, but the back isnt magnetic, so youd need to get a case to make use of magnetic charging accessories.

While the S26 Plus served my purposes, its not the most long-lasting smartphone out there. The S26 Ultra comes with a battery thats larger by just 100mAh, but despite the small difference, it lasted longer in my testing than the S26 Ultra by quite a few hours.

Regardless, thanks to the efficiency of Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, the Galaxy S26 Plus will get you through the day before you need to charge it at night. Well, keep in mind the intensity of use. If youre burning through Destiny Rising , then youll be burning through your battery. Battery score: 4 / 5 Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus? Swipe to scroll horizontally Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus design hasnt changed at all, but Im not mad about it. Its still a svelte piece of machinery with an array of gorgeous colors.

4.5 / 5

Display

This is exactly the kind of colorful and bright display you want in a
6.7-inch smartphone. With its near bezel-less screen, its like looking at a floating image.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Qualcomms Snapdragon Gen 8 Elite 5 chip for Galaxy phones is an absolute
beast and lets the Galaxy S26 Plus crush its more premium competition.

5 / 5

Camera

Its tough to harshly judge the Galaxy S26 Plus camera array since its pretty solid in a vacuum, but the tech is behind the competition right now, so you can do better.

3.5 / 5

Battery

The Galaxy S26 Plus 4,900mAh battery will last you through most of the day with more focused use, but its still not as long-lasting as other
smartphones.

4 / 5

Software

The Galaxy S26 Plus may be flooded with AI, but you cant say it doesnt have features. If youre willing to use them, they can be useful.

4 / 5

Value

Even with the price hike, the Galaxy S26 Plus still offers decent value. But Im still not happy about it.

4 / 5 Buy it if... You want a quality mid-sized Android phone One of Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus greatest strengths is its size. It sits somewhere between lower- and higher-end premium phones, making it great for someone looking for that goldilocks size of 6.7 inches. Its also got the high-end performance to battle its more premium competitors. You want a large phone with a pretty display The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus isnt the largest phone out there, but its still packed with a hella gorgeous display, boasting a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. You just like Samsung Samsung makes some sleek products, and if youre already a fan of the design language, which hasnt changed for better or worse, then the Galaxy S26 Plus is a no brainer. Its size sits at a comfortable medium. Youll also get the utility of being able to connect to other Samsung products. Don't buy it if... Youre looking for a budget phone Especially considering the price hike, the middle child of the Galaxy S26 lineup is not very affordable. If youre on a budget, Id look elsewhere, to something like the Google Pixel 10a. You want more out of your cameras The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus camera array is solid, but there are phones with better camera specs out there, like the S26 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and Pixel 10 Pro XL. Just beware youll be paying more for it. Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: also consider The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is a strong mid-tier smartphone, but you could get more elsewhere if you're willing to pay a bit extra. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra The Samsung S26 Ultra is by far Samsung's
best Galaxy S phone yet, and while it doesn't reinvent the iconic Android handset, it moves its design, power, AI, and creative capabilities in a positive direction and without raising the price. People will be talking
about the Privacy display and Super Steady video for some time to come. Sure, there might be too many AI options on board, but overall, the S26 Ultra is a winner and easily one of the best smartphones of the year.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review Apple iPhone Air The iPhone
Air is Apples boldest design refresh in years its almost impossibly thin at 5.64mm, yet still sturdy thanks to the use of titanium and Ceramic Shield.
Its 6.5-inch ProMotion display and iOS 26s Liquid Glass makeover feel purpose-built for this form factor even after a week of use, this still
feels like Apples most exciting design refresh in years. Battery life is
solid if not class-leading, and the single 48MP camera limits flexibility,
but for those who value design and portability above all else, its sexy and stunning and maybe a new kind of Pro.

Read our full Apple iPhone Air review Google Pixel 9 Pro XL The Pixel 9 Pro XL is just a bigger Pixel 9 Pro, but that's good enough. It doesn't have exclusive camera features or extra RAM for a boost; it's just got a bigger display and a bigger battery. That means the Pixel 9 Pro is an even better pick this year, but it also means that you can choose your Pixel based on the size you like, not the features you need.

Read our full Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus Review test period = 1 week Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback Tools used = Geekbench 6 First reviewed: April 2026 Price comparison: Find the best deal for your next phone Contract Deals Sim Free Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Contract Deals Sim Free See all prices (481 found) Filter Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) gift Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (256GB Black) 24 months data 25GB 29 upfront Monthly 38.99 /mth 29 upfront 38.99
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