Samsung Galaxy S26
MSRP $899.00
“A refined design, clean software program, and powerful on a regular basis efficiency make the Galaxy S26 simple to love, however its dated cameras, sluggish charging, and protected upgrades boring the enchantment.”
Execs
- Compact and comfy flagship design
- Brilliant, clean AMOLED show with uniform bezels
- Exynos 2600 performs effectively in real-world use
- One UI 8.5 stays certainly one of Android’s richest software program experiences
Cons
- Digital camera {hardware} feels dated for the value
- 25W charging is tough to defend in 2026
- Battery life is respectable, not dependable
- No magnet for Qi2 wi-fi charging
Over time, I’ve shifted my each day driver throughout all types of manufacturers, Android skins, and ecosystems. However premium Galaxy telephones have all the time had a smooth nook in my coronary heart, even after they weren’t profitable spec-sheet wars. So selecting up the Galaxy S26 felt acquainted in one of the simplest ways.
It slipped proper into my routine like an previous favourite.The issue is that familiarity solely will get you thus far.
With all eyes on the Galaxy S26 Extremely, Samsung’s different premium fashions have quietly been pushed into the background, although they’re nonetheless the extra approachable alternate options to the corporate’s $1,300 flagship.
And whereas the usual Galaxy S26 doesn’t get any of the flashy new {hardware} bits, I nonetheless went into this overview hopeful. Hopeful that Samsung’s ordinary magic was nonetheless right here, and that this wasn’t only a cleaner-looking, costlier rerun.
As a result of with the value hike in play, that query hangs over the entire cellphone: is the Galaxy S26 nonetheless the default Android flagship for individuals who need one thing compact and premium, or is that this lastly the yr the place skipping it for one thing just like the iPhone 17 begins to make extra sense?
Samsung Galaxy S26 specs
Dimensions149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2mmWeight167gShow6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz Display screen Decision2340 x 1080 at 411ppiChipsetExynos 2600RAM 12GBStorage256GBOSAndroid 16 OS primarily based OneUI 8.5Rear Cameras50MP foremost / 10MP Telephoto / 12MP UltrawideEntrance Digital camera12MPBattery & Charging4,300mAh / 25W wired / 15W wi-fi
Galaxy S26 design: Appears will be deceiving
Fast take: Samsung’s 2026 base flagship nonetheless feels nice in hand, however the brand new digital camera bump is only for present.
At a look, the Galaxy S26 appears to be like similar to its predecessor. The thickness and weight are practically an identical, and many of the modifications really feel measured in millimeters somewhat than any significant redesign. Flip it over, although, and Samsung clearly desires you to suppose one thing larger has modified. The raised digital camera housing, borrowed visually from the Galaxy S26 Extremely, gives the look that there’s some main {hardware} bounce hiding beneath.
There isn’t.
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Because the specs clarify, the precise digital camera {hardware} doesn’t precisely scream main improve. So whereas the brand new look does freshen issues up just a little, it additionally feels a bit deceptive. Somebody much less conscious of Samsung’s yearly refresh cycle may simply assume this can be a way more camera-focused cellphone than it truly is. And that’s type of the problem with the Galaxy S26 as a complete. It appears to be like extra formidable than it really is.
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That stated, the fundamentals nonetheless land. It is a very comfy cellphone to make use of on daily basis. The combination of glass and steel nonetheless feels premium, and the comparatively mild physique makes it one of many simpler flagship telephones to stay with. I additionally actually favored the Cobalt Violet model Samsung despatched over.
It’s simply the very best coloration of the bunch for my part, and it brings a quieter type of aptitude. I’d even go so far as saying it feels just a little impressed by the iPhone 17 Professional’s Deep Blue end.
My solely different actual grievance is that this cellphone is absurdly slippery with no case. Mix the slick end with the light-weight body, and the Galaxy S26 has a behavior of feeling prefer it desires to flee your hand on the first alternative.
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Samsung hasn’t lower corners on sturdiness, at the least. You get Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on each the back and front, wrapped in an Armor Aluminum 2 body. There’s additionally an IP68 score, which implies it ought to survive water submersion as much as 1.5 meters. That’s all customary flagship stuff, nevertheless it does reinforce that the S26 nonetheless belongs in Samsung’s premium lineup, even when the upgrades really feel modest elsewhere.
The unboxing expertise, unsurprisingly, is as barebones as ever. No case, no charger, and never even a pre-applied display protector. That’s not surprising in 2026, particularly from Samsung, nevertheless it nonetheless deserves the side-eye.
Design rating: 7/10
Galaxy S26 show: No fancy privateness tips, only a strong AMOLED
Fast Take: A clean, brilliant, reliable panel with the type of polish Samsung normally will get proper.
Samsung is aware of methods to make a very good AMOLED panel, and the Galaxy S26 continues that custom. The cellphone now has a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X show, which makes it a contact taller than earlier than and brings it nearer in measurement to the iPhone 17. Even so, it nonetheless sits firmly in that “compact sufficient” zone, particularly in comparison with bigger flagships just like the Galaxy S26 Extremely. So I by no means discovered it annoying to make use of one-handed.
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The display will get brilliant too, peaking at 2,600 nits, so visibility open air was by no means an issue throughout my use. And whereas uniform bezels aren’t precisely a headline function, I’m glad Samsung stored them. It provides to the cellphone’s sense of symmetry and deliberate design. It’s a type of small particulars that doesn’t change your life, nevertheless it does make the entire thing really feel extra polished.
By default, the show pushes vibrant colours within the traditional Samsung approach, although you possibly can change to a extra pure profile if that’s your desire. HDR10+ help additionally makes the Galaxy S26 a strong little media machine for Netflix and different streaming apps.
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Would I’ve favored a sharper 1.5K panel right here? Completely. However Samsung does attempt to make up for it with ProScaler, which helps sharpen textual content and pictures. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor can also be quick, dependable, and positioned excessive sufficient to really feel pure.
Nonetheless, it’s not an ideal display package deal. In contrast to extra inexpensive rivals just like the OnePlus 15, Samsung doesn’t provide any eye-care extras like DC dimming or high-frequency PWM dimming. On a cellphone on this bracket, that omission is price noting.
Show Rating: 7/10
Galaxy S26 efficiency: Reconnecting with the Ex-ynos
Fast take: Samsung’s Exynos comeback is significantly better than anticipated, even when it nonetheless doesn’t fairly win the argument.
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With the Galaxy S26 sequence, Samsung has introduced its high-end Exynos chip again into the highlight. And in case you’ve adopted Galaxy telephones for some time, you’ll know why that obtained individuals groaning virtually instantly. Older Exynos-powered Galaxy flagships constructed up a status for trailing behind Snapdragon variants in efficiency, effectivity, and thermals, generally by a margin that felt genuinely annoying.
This time, although, Samsung has achieved a significantly better job.
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The Exynos 2600 appears to be like like a good first impression. It’s constructed on a 2nm course of, which instantly makes it sound just like the extra superior choice in comparison with the 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 powering the US and Chinese language Galaxy S26 variants. In follow, it nonetheless doesn’t absolutely leapfrog Qualcomm’s greatest, however the hole now not feels embarrassing.
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In Geekbench 6, the Galaxy S26 posted a single-core rating of three,036 and a multi-core rating of 10,534, which instantly tells you this isn’t some half-hearted flagship chipset. It additionally scored round 2,859,177 factors in AnTuTu, with the GPU alone crossing the 1,029,110 mark. Although Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-powered telephones just like the OnePlus 15 do edge forward in artificial benchmarks.
These are nonetheless the sorts of numbers you anticipate from a correct top-end cellphone, and extra importantly, that’s the way it performs in on a regular basis use. Apps open rapidly, animations keep fluid, and gaming efficiency is strong sufficient that I by no means felt like I used to be utilizing a “lesser” model of Samsung’s flagship.
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Graphics efficiency is strong, too. In 3DMark Wild Life Excessive, the Galaxy S26 returned a rating of 6,366 with a median body charge of 38.13fps. In Metal Nomad Mild, it scored 3,095 with a median of twenty-two.93fps, whereas Photo voltaic Bay Excessive landed at 1,932 with a median body charge of 13.51fps.
s-core Geekbench 6 efficiency. / Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Tendencies
Zenless Zone Zero, which may expose a weak cellphone fairly rapidly, ran at largely steady 60fps on max settings, with solely the occasional stutter displaying up right here and there. That’s a reasonably good outcome for a compact flagship, particularly one utilizing an Exynos chip that folks have been able to doubt from the beginning. Efficiency on PUBG Cellular was additionally fairly sturdy.
In Extremely Excessive FPS mode, the sport normally hovered over 110fps, and efficiency stayed fairly steady. Pushing graphics all the way in which up drops the sport to the 60fps cap, however the expertise nonetheless remained clean and constant. So sure, the Galaxy S26 can completely recreation. However the extra fascinating half is the way it behaves when the load sticks round.
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That’s additionally the place issues get just a little extra combined. Within the 3DMark Wild Life Excessive Stress Check, the cellphone recorded a greatest loop rating of seven,040 and a lowest loop rating of three,766, which works out to 53.5% stability. That’s not disastrous, nevertheless it does let you know the cellphone is keen to throttle as soon as warmth begins piling up. The loop graph makes it fairly clear that the Galaxy S26 can get sizzling when pushed.
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The best temperature I recorded was 48 levels Celsius, although that was just for a brief stretch. Extra generally, whereas stress testing and gaming, it hovered nearer to the 45-degree mark. As compared, the OnePlus 15 hardly ever went previous 50 levels, with the gaming temps normally being round 37 levels.
In easier phrases, the Exynos 2600 does enhance closely over its predecessors, nevertheless it doesn’t fairly really feel just like the one which rewrites the Exynos status in a single day.
Efficiency Rating: 8/10
Galaxy S26 battery: Samsung pushes energy optimization
Fast take: Nice optimization helps, however the tiny battery and sluggish charging nonetheless really feel misplaced in 2026.
In the event you’ve been taking note of Chinese language smartphones these days, you’ll know battery sizes have began getting ridiculous in the absolute best approach. We’re now seeing compact-ish telephones cram in cells that used to belong in tablets, and the result’s battery life that may comfortably stretch right into a second day. The OnePlus 15T is an ideal instance of that development.
The Galaxy S26, in the meantime, sticks with a 4,300mAh battery.
Subsequent to one thing just like the 15T and its 7,500mAh cell, Samsung’s quantity appears to be like virtually comically small. And but, I’ve to provide credit score the place it’s due: Samsung’s optimization right here is legitimately spectacular. Regardless of the comparatively tiny battery, the S26 holds up higher than the spec sheet suggests.
I used to be in a position to pull round just a little over 5 hours of screen-on time, which isn’t superb, nevertheless it’s respectable sufficient when you take into account the battery measurement and flagship internals. The expertise does range relying on what you’re doing. Streaming, scrolling by means of social media, and common lighter use don’t drain it too badly.
However when you begin leaning on the cameras, recording video, gaming, or spending extra time on mobile knowledge, the battery drain is noticeable. The cellphone tries exhausting to maintain up, and most days it does, however I nonetheless wouldn’t name it carefree battery life.
Battery drain below gaming load was first rate, although not particularly spectacular. Throughout gaming periods lasting over an hour, the battery dropped by roughly 25%.
Is it dependable? Principally, sure. Is it reassuring? Not fairly.
In the event you’re heading out for an extended day, touring, or simply have a tendency to make use of your cellphone closely, an influence financial institution nonetheless looks like good insurance coverage. That’s probably not what I wish to say a couple of premium flagship in 2026.
Charging solely makes the compromise really feel worse. The Galaxy S26 is caught with 25W wired charging, which now feels miserly not simply in comparison with Chinese language rivals, however even Apple’s newest iPhone 17.
The truth that some Galaxy A-series telephones cost quicker makes it even tougher to defend. A full top-up takes over an hour, and on a cellphone with a battery this small, that’s frankly underwhelming. It virtually looks like Samsung deliberately stored charging slowly so the hole between the usual S26 and the bigger fashions wouldn’t look too dramatic.
Battery Rating: 6/10
Galaxy S26 cameras: New era, ageing habits
Fast take: The primary digital camera nonetheless carries the crew, however the remainder of the setup feels more and more behind the occasions.
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The Galaxy S26’s digital camera {hardware} is, for essentially the most half, the identical story as final yr. So no matter enchancment you get right here comes right down to tuning, processing, and ISP modifications somewhat than any significant leap in uncooked {hardware}. And truthfully, that sums up the expertise fairly effectively. The cameras are tremendous. Succesful, even. However for a premium cellphone in 2026, “tremendous” doesn’t really feel like sufficient anymore.
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There’s nonetheless a flexible triple-camera setup right here on paper, with a foremost, ultrawide, and telephoto digital camera, however the primary sensor is doing many of the heavy lifting. It’s the one you possibly can depend on. In daylight, it provides you the type of traditional Samsung tuning with brilliant, colourful, and social-media-ready pictures. However these aren’t all the time the sharpest.
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That acquainted “Samsung look” is again too. Hotter tones, punchier colours, and pictures that always look extra thrilling than life like. That works effectively for fast uploads and informal sharing, although it doesn’t all the time replicate the scene precisely as you noticed it. Publicity dealing with is usually strong, nevertheless it sometimes pushes issues just a little too brilliant, which may flatten distinction in sure scenes.
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Low-light efficiency is respectable sufficient, nevertheless it additionally reminds you the place the {hardware} limitations are. The Galaxy S26 does a good job controlling noise, although you’ll desire a regular hand at night time. A bigger foremost sensor would’ve helped right here, particularly for a cellphone that also desires to put on the flagship badge confidently.
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That’s what actually sticks with me right here. This setup isn’t dangerous. It simply feels lazy. Samsung’s picture processing is doing quite a lot of the work, and whereas the ISP enhancements assist, the {hardware} itself feels overdue for a critical refresh. The Galaxy S22 was the primary cellphone on this line to make use of this common setup, and in 2026, Samsung nonetheless appears completely happy to maintain using it.
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Video follows the same sample. The primary digital camera is as soon as once more the very best of the lot, delivering steady, detailed footage with strong consistency. You possibly can shoot as much as 8K at 30fps, although realistically most individuals will persist with 4K at 30fps or 60fps. The ultrawide and telephoto video high quality is noticeably rougher, with extra noise and visual jitters. One new trick this yr is Horizon Lock, and whereas it’s not as polished as what you get on the Galaxy S26 Extremely, it’s nonetheless a enjoyable little function that may imitate a gimbal-like impact surprisingly effectively.
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Selfies proceed Samsung’s home fashion too, with heat tones, vibrant colours, and pores and skin tones that look flattering greater than correct. Once more, nice for a fast story add, much less so if realism is your precedence.
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For round this type of cash, a reduced Pixel 10 Professional gives a extra convincing flagship digital camera expertise. And that, greater than something, is the Galaxy S26 digital camera story in a nutshell. It nonetheless will get the job achieved. It simply now not feels nice.
Digital camera rating: 6.5/10
Galaxy S26 software program: Samsung’s One UI 8.5 has loads to like
Fast take: One UI 8.5 stays certainly one of Android’s richest software program experiences, even when not each AI trick earns its place.
Let’s begin with the fundamentals first. The Galaxy S26 sequence, at present working OneUI 8.5, will get seven years of Android OS upgrades and safety updates. That’s among the best commitments you will discover within the Android section on the market. Is it any good, although?
Samsung’s smartphone software program is an acquired style. You’ll both love exploring it (learn: Good Lock, DeX, and AI) or simply miss the tranquility of vanilla Android on Google Pixel telephones. And iPhones. Uncooked OS aesthetics, or an completely redefined expertise that’s distinctive — that’s broadly the selection.
On the Galaxy S26, it simply works. The place the {hardware} performs it protected, One UI 8.5 steps in to maintain issues feeling recent—or at the least polished sufficient that you just don’t discover the dearth of change elsewhere. And to its credit score, it’s actually clean.
Animations are fluid in that oddly satisfying approach—open the app drawer, and it snaps into place prefer it’s studying your thoughts. Multitasking feels easy, apps glide as an alternative of switching, and even flattening the notification shade comes with this smooth translucent gradient that screams, “We care about aesthetics.”
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It’s the type of polish that makes you overlook you’re primarily utilizing a really refined model of what you’ve already used earlier than. Considered one of my favourite options is the side-panel, the vertical bar that pops up once you slide inward from the left or proper edge.
It’s a neat place to place your most frequently-used apps and instruments with out cluttering the house display. The imaginative and prescient is obvious. You don’t must swipe throughout the app library or dig into the Settings app for the stuff you incessantly go to in your cellphone.
AI In every single place… However Is It Anyplace Helpful?
In fact, it’s 2026, so no cellphone launch is full with no beneficiant sprinkle of AI—and Samsung has gone all in. Plenty of these options really feel… acquainted. That’s as a result of a lot of them are both straight from Google’s playbook or closely impressed by what we’ve already seen on Pixel units.
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Take Audio Eraser, for instance. Samsung really does one thing fascinating right here by letting you employ it in third-party apps, which is a real step up. It’s one of many uncommon moments the place Samsung doesn’t simply copy homework—it provides further credit score.
Name Screening? Very Pixel-like. Now Bar and Now Temporary? Principally, Samsung’s tackle the “At a Look” widget, however break up into two options. As a result of, why not? It’s helpful within the sense that each morning you get up and instinctively attain in your cellphone, you get a fast overview of the day’s deliberate actions and occasions.
Then there’s Now Nudge, which sounds thrilling on paper—context-aware options primarily based in your conversations. In actuality, it looks like that one buddy who solely reveals up when it’s handy. It largely works in messages, ignores emails fully, and even when it ought to kick in, it typically simply… doesn’t. Not a lot of a nudge, truthfully.
And at last, Now Temporary—the function that guarantees a personalised each day rundown of your life. Samsung pitches it as good, adaptive, and useful. In follow, it’s solely helpful in case you’re comfy handing over a beneficiant chunk of your private knowledge—and even then, the payoff feels underwhelming.
It’s much less “your life, intelligently organized” and extra “a mildly fascinating notification you’ll in all probability ignore.” There’s a complete slate of different AI-powered tips, a few of which turn out to be useful once in a while.
Name Help helps with real-time translations and even has a built-in robotic name assistant to deal with calls in your behalf. I like the Interpreter function, which allows voice and text-based conversations in several languages. Writing Help is actually Samsung’s tackle Apple’s Writing Instruments.
From photograph modifying and notification summarization to internet shopping and well being knowledge evaluation, Samsung has baked AI virtually in all places on its cellphone. The innovation is nice, nevertheless it comes at a price: the burden of discovery. Except these options bounce into motion proactively, you’re unlikely to find all of them.
Plus, you’re not shopping for a cellphone swayed by its AI chops. Now Nudge is the exception. It proactively pops up with a nugget of helpful data, after which slides off. It’s a bit haphazard, however when it really works, it’s a pleasing sensible shock. It’s not distinctive, although, because the Google Pixel’s Magic Cue function got here out earlier, and it really works extra reliably, too.
However there’s a silver lining right here. Just a few, really. I’ll begin with privateness, which is an clearly large threat with AI. Samsung will allow you to course of all of the AI duties in your cellphone, and none of it ever leaves your machine. In the event you’re on the fence about Now Nudge popping up in all places with intelligence pulled out of your knowledge, you possibly can deal with that, as effectively.
You possibly can grant it permission to entry your knowledge on a per-app foundation. Assume your pictures should stay non-public? You possibly can disable Now Nudge for the Gallery app. Individually, for the system-wide AI implementation often called Private Intelligence, it’s simple to disable it wherever you need, and you can too wipe private knowledge reminiscent of cellphone quantity, identify, electronic mail deal with, passport particulars, and extra.
Gemini Automations is yet one more function that provides a glimpse of the function. It’s at present restricted to some apps and markets, proper now, nevertheless it’s fairly spectacular. You merely summon Gemini, inform it “e-book me an Uber to LAX,” and it’ll work within the background to get the job achieved. You don’t need to open and work together with the Uber app.
The ecosystem will take a while to mature, owing to the apparent safety dangers and the random AI failures inside even essentially the most mundane apps. However the foundations for such on-phone, AI-driven chores are prepared inside Android. And it’s solely a matter of time earlier than builders flick the change and the on-device Gemini Nano mannequin interfaces with them to conversationally deal with each day chores for you.
That future is just not fairly right here but, however the glimpses positive are. And to Samsung’s credit score, One UI is maintaining with the altering tide of occasions and racing with Google’s personal telephones to remain forward. The place Samsung takes the lead is with a devoted hub for automations and routines, which is far simpler to deal with than Shortcuts on iPhones.
Moreover, the Good Lock modules provide an additional sprint of customization that you just gained’t discover on any mainstream cellphone. Notistar is my favourite one of many bunch, whereas Sound Assistant is a detailed second. In the event you’re selecting a Galaxy S26 cellphone, Good Lock is a pilgrimage you should undertake.
Software program rating: 8/10
Last take: Do you have to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S26?
The Galaxy S26 is a type of telephones that’s very simple to love and just a little tougher to advocate with out an asterisk. Samsung nonetheless nails the core expertise in all of the ways in which have made Galaxy flagships really feel reliable for years. It’s compact, premium, clean, acquainted, and polished in a approach that quite a lot of rivals nonetheless battle to copy.
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The show is excellent, the design is comfy, and the Exynos 2600 is way extra competent than many individuals in all probability anticipated. In day-to-day use, that is nonetheless a genuinely nice flagship.
However the cracks are getting tougher to disregard. The digital camera {hardware} feels stale, the battery life is first rate somewhat than spectacular, and the 25W charging feels borderline petty at this level. Add within the worth hike, and the Galaxy S26 begins to look much less like the apparent compact Android flagship and extra like Samsung daring you to maintain shopping for on familiarity alone.
In the event you already love the Galaxy system and desire a smaller flagship that merely works, this nonetheless delivers. However in case you have been hoping for a extra formidable improve, or higher worth in opposition to what rivals are providing, that is certainly one of Samsung’s most secure flagship releases in years — and never fully in a great way.
Why not strive
- Apple iPhone 17: In the event you prioritize a refined compact flagship with sturdy on a regular basis reliability, the iPhone 17 is the obvious various, particularly for these within the Apple ecosystem.
- Google Pixel 10: The Pixel 10 is one other clear suggestion with out spending too aggressively. It doesn’t carry any flashy specs, nevertheless it gives a well-recognized model polish with strong digital camera tuning.
- Google Pixel 10 Professional: That is in all probability essentially the most harmful various to the Galaxy S26 proper now. With Pixel 10 Professional costs already easing in some markets, it begins to appear to be the extra “flagship” expertise for this worth. Pair that with a succesful digital camera system and up to date reductions, and the Pixel 10 Professional is a strong rival.
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How we examined
The Samsung Galaxy S26 was part of my each day routine for round a month, working it on the newest obtainable One UI 8.5 construct through the overview interval. My testing included the standard routine of social media, messaging, calls, streaming, digital camera use, navigation, and common on a regular basis app utilization to get a correct sense of what the cellphone is like to really stay with.
The cellphone was hooked to a 5G (sub-6GHz) community always. I additionally spent loads of time gaming on the machine, checking thermal conduct throughout longer periods, and working benchmark checks to see how the Exynos 2600 compares in each artificial numbers and real-world responsiveness. Battery observations have been primarily based on combined each day use throughout Wi-Fi and mobile.
