Samsung announced three new flagship series smartphones recently, and we’re here to compare two of them. In this article, we’ll be comparing the Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S26+. These two phones are very similar, just like their predecessors were. Think of the Galaxy S26+ as a larger variant of the Galaxy S26. Yes, there are some differences, mainly implemented due to the size difference, but they’re extremely similar.
Do note that, at this point in time, we did not review either of the two devices, but we did spend time with them. More info is coming on both, though. We’ll kick things off by listing the specs of both phones, and will then compare them across a number of other categories. That includes design, display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio categories.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S26
Samsung Galaxy S26+
| Samsung Galaxy S26 | Samsung Galaxy S26+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm | 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm |
| Weight | 167 grams | 190 grams |
| Display | 6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | 1-120Hz (adaptive) |
| Resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 3120 x 1440 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy / Samsung Exynos 2600 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy / Samsung Exynos 2600 |
| RAM | 12GB (LPDDR5X) | 8GB/12GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0) | 256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0) |
| Main camera | 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) | 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.94-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.94-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) |
| Periscope telephoto camera | N/A | N/A |
| Selfie camera | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.2-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size) | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.2-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size) |
| Battery size | 4,300mAh | 4,900mAh |
| Charging | 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready), 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included) | 25W wired, 20W wireless (Qi2 Ready), 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included) |
| Colors | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold |
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S26+: Design
If you take a look at their designs, you’ll notice that they look the same. Yes, the Galaxy S26 is smaller than its sibling, but that’s the only visual difference. Design-wise, they’re the same. You’re getting a flat display on both phones, with a centered display camera hole up top. The bezels are both thin and uniform on both devices. The frame is flat, and the devices are made out of aluminum and glass.
You’ll spot the volume up and down buttons on the right-hand side of both phones. Below those two keys, the power/lock key sits. If we flip them around, you’ll see three vertically-aligned camreas placed on top of a camera island. All of that is located in the top-left corner. An LED flash sits right next to the cameras. The backplate is flat on these two smartphones.
Yes, both of these phones are quite slippery, which was to be expected considering the build materials. The Galaxy S26 is notably smaller, though. It’s considerably shorter and narrower, while they have almost identical thickness. The Galaxy S26 is also quite a bit lighter at 167 grams, compared to 190 grams of the ‘Plus’ model. Both of these phones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S26+: Display
The Samsung Galaxy S26 features a 6.3-i9nch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display. This panel is flat, and it has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. HDR10+ content is supported here, while the peak brightness is 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio here is around 90%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. You’re getting a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels, and Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display protects this panel.
The Galaxy S26+, on the other hand, has a 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panel. That display is also flat, and it also has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. HDR10+ content is supported, and this panel has the same peak brightness as the Galaxy S26, 2,600 nits. The resolution is higher here, it’s 3120 x 1440 pixels. Screen-to-body ratio is around 91%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. This display is also protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
These two displays feel very similar to use, actually. Yes, the Galaxy S26+’s panel is sharper, but considering the size of the Galaxy S26’s display, you won’t really notice the difference. The colors are very similar, and the brightness as well. Using the Galaxy S26’s panel literally felt like using a smaller version of the Galaxy S26+’s display. Yes, there are better displays out there, but these two are excellent, and not many people will have something to complain about.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S26+: Performance
These two smartphones are actually fueled by the same processors. Why plural? Well, because in some markets Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is used, while in others Samsung’s Exynos 2600 is utilized. Qualcomm’s chip is a slightly overclocked version of the regular model, which is already Qualcomm’s most powerful chip. The Exynos 2600 is a flagship chip from Samsung. Qualcomm’s chip is a 3nm unit, while Samsung’s is a 2nm ordeal.
Do note that we’ve had the chance to use both phones in their Qualcomm variant, not the Exynos 2600 variant, unfortunately. So we cannot say how well the phones perform with that offering. What we can say is that the performance with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, based on first impressions, was really good. Both phones were snappy, and the performance was great in general. More information about that is coming.
We cannot really comment on gaming thus far, but we have high expectations for both smartphones. In fact, we do expect that the gaming performance will be the same considering the internals. The thermals may be a bit different, though, due to the size difference, though that’s just a guess. It remains to be seen.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S26+: Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S26 features a 4,300mAh battery on the inside. The Galaxy S26+, on the other hand, has a 4,900mAh battery. The size difference is considerable, and so this battery capacity difference is to be expected. The Galaxy S26 has to power a considerably smaller display. These battery capacities are not exactly amongst the best out here, though, as competitors from China use silicon-carbon batteries and are capable of squeeing a lot more capacity in the same size.
With that being said, we were unable to fully test the battery life thus far. What we can say, however, is that things are better than they look. We’re not expecting either of these two phones to break records in terms of battery life, but both of them will seemingly offer solid battery life. Power users may be disappointed in the end, however. We’ll see, more info is coming.
What about charging? Well, wired charging remained the same on both, as it was on their predecessors. The Galaxy S26+ did get an improvement in the wireless charging department. The Galaxy S26 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy S26+, on the other hand, supports 45W wired, 20W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Neither phone includes a charger in the box.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S26+: Cameras
What about cameras? Well, in that regard, things are identical here. Both phones have the same triple camera setup on the back and the same selfie camera. Things in that regard remain unchanged compared to the Galaxy S25 series, actually. We were expecting to see upgraded hardware on both phones up to a point, but then the rumors hinted that that’s not happening, and it turns out they were right.
You’ll be getting a 50-megapixel main camera (1/1.56-inch sensor size), along with a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto snapper (1/3.94-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom). On the front, a 12-megapixel selfie snapper sits. Samsung didn’t even tweak the lens aperture, as it did on some Galaxy S26 Ultra cameras.
We cannot really comment on the camera performance just yet. We do not expect it to be much different than what their predecessors offered, due to the same camera hardware. A new chip is here, however, and the company’s processing could have been tweaked a bit, so some improvements may be visible. More info is coming, but one thing is for sure, these two phones will essentially provide the same results.
Audio
What about audio? Well, both phones have stereo speakers, and they’re good on both ends. No, they’re not the loudest or the best out there, but they’re both loud enough and good enough.
There is no audio jack on either of these two smartphones. You can connect your wired headphones to their Type-C ports, though, if you’d like. Alternatively, Bluetooth 5.4 is available on the Galaxy S26, while the Galaxy S26+ offers Bluetooth 6.0 support.
The post Phone Comparisons: Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S26+ appeared first on Android Headlines.
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