Samsung Galaxy S26+ Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

Samsung Galaxy S26+ - Expensive and Conservative

Korean company Samsung has once again decided to play it safe and released an updated S26 series of flagship smartphones with minimal changes from its predecessors. The mid-range model also received a performance boost, but also retained the accumulated list of shortcomings. Let's explore why today's review subject can be both a good and a bad choice.

The new model's appearance is almost identical to that of previous series. Many users will appreciate the clean and minimalist design of the tempered glass back panel, metal frame, and neat camera module. However, it's hard not to notice the noticeable bezels around the display with its integrated fingerprint scanner and the overall dull exterior. Among the additional advantages, we highlight IP68 water resistance. The 6.7-inch AMOLED display delivers crisp content at a resolution of 3120x1440 pixels. It also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and a decent brightness of 2600 nits, though far from record-breaking. However, some issues with color calibration and a pronounced PWM effect make the AMOLED panel less impressive compared to its competitors.

The technical specifications include the most powerful combination to date: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 CPU, 12GB of RAM, and an Adreno 840 GPU. AnTuTu scores are close to four million points; throttling is present, but only on paper. The available power is still more than sufficient for any task, and all resource-intensive games maintain a stable frame rate at all graphics settings. The 4900mAh battery capacity no longer meets current audience demands, as competitors from China are ready to impress with batteries of 6500mAh and more. Ultimately, battery life is modest, around 7-8 hours of active screen time. Charging power is also unremarkable. A wired 45W charger and a wireless 25W charger will still require leaving the device near a power outlet or power bank for 40-50 minutes. Storage is limited to 256GB/512GB.

Photography capabilities are similar to those of its more compact and cheaper sibling, which is rather disappointing. The main 50MP GN3 sensor and the 10MP S5K3K1 telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, both equipped with hybrid image stabilization, as well as the 12MP wide-angle lens from Sony, are not terrible. However, competitors often exhibit less noise, blur, and other artifacts. NFC contactless payments, eSIM and 5G support, and an IR port round out the device's list of advantages, but it's certainly not the best value for the money.