The Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus were introduced. Here are their full specifications and prices.
Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S26 series of smartphones yesterday in San Francisco. This was one of the most anticipated events of the year, but the biggest news—and not good news for consumers—is the price hike: the base model now costs $899, at least $40 more than the S25 with the same storage capacity, and the 128 GB option has been eliminated. For comparison, the iPhone 17 with 256GB of storage costs $830. This comparison doesn't reflect well on Samsung.
There's another point likely to upset European users: Samsung is reverting to a dual-core processor system. The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus sold in the US use the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5G processor, while those in Europe use the Exynos 2600 (2nm). Samsung claims this represents a significant leap forward, but past experience doesn't inspire confidence. Exynos models have suffered for years from performance issues, overheating, and poor battery life compared to their Snapdragon counterparts. It's difficult to justify paying more for a less powerful chip.
- Samsung Galaxy S26: The smallest in the family
The Galaxy S26 is the entry-level model and comes with some improvements compared to last year. The screen size has increased slightly from 6.2 to 6.3 inches, with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel and a 120Hz refresh rate. It also features Gorilla Armor 2 protection on the front, a clear upgrade from the Victus 2 protection in the S25. The design is almost the same: an aluminum body, measuring 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm and weighing 167 grams.
As for the cameras, there's nothing new to report: a 50MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, just like the previous generation. The battery capacity has increased from 4,000mAh to 4,300mAh, but charging remains at 25W wired and 15W wireless, which is hardly sufficient in 2026. There's no charger included in the box, and the device doesn't support Qi2 magnetic charging. It runs One UI 8.5 based on Android 16, with a 7-year update guarantee. The price is €999 for the 256GB version.
- Technical specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S26:
- Display: 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 1-120 Hz
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite 5th Generation (USA) / Exynos 2600 2nm (Europe)
RAM and storage: 12GB + 256GB / 512GB
-Rear cameras: 50 MP, f/1.8 aperture, 12 MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 aperture, 10 MP telephoto, f/2.4 aperture, 3x optical zoom
- Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.2 aperture
Battery: 4300 mAh, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging
Operating system: One UI 8.5, Android 16, with 7 years of update support.
- Water resistance: IP68, Gorilla Armor 2
Connectivity: 5G Sub6, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, UWB
Dimensions: 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm, 167 g
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, a larger screen and bigger battery, but also at a higher price
The price of the S26 Plus has increased from $1,000 to $1,099 for the 256GB version, a $100 increase over the S25 Plus. The display has been upgraded to a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with a QH+ resolution (3120 x 1440 pixels) and the same Gorilla Armor 2 protection. Its dimensions are 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm, and it weighs 190 grams.
The camera system is identical to the standard S26: 50MP + 12MP + 10MP with 3x optical zoom, with no noticeable changes. The battery capacity remains at 4900mAh, but wireless charging has been improved to 20W, up from 15W in the previous model, while wired charging remains at 45W. Bluetooth 6 and 5G mmWave have also been added, features not available in the base model. Software-wise, it's identical to its smaller sibling: One UI 8.5, Android 16, and a 7-year warranty. In Europe, it uses the Exynos 2600 processor instead of the Snapdragon, as previously mentioned. Price: €1249 for the 256GB version.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus Specifications
- Screen: 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, with a resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite 5th Generation (USA) / Exynos 2600 2nm (Europe)
RAM and storage: 12GB + 256GB / 512GB
- Rear cameras: 50 MP, f/1.8 aperture, 12 MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 aperture, 10 MP telephoto, f/2.4 aperture, 3x optical zoom
- Front camera: 12 megapixels, f/2.2 aperture
Battery: 4900 mAh, 45W wired charging, 20W wireless charging
Operating system: One UI 8.5, Android 16, with 7 years of updates.
Water resistance: IP68, Gorilla Armor 2
- Connectivity: 5G Sub6 + mmWave, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Near Field Communication (NFC), Ultrafast Wi-Fi (UWB)
Dimensions: 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm, 190 g
Both models come equipped with three smart assistants: Google Gemini, Bixby, and Perplexity. Samsung presents this as an "open multi-agent ecosystem," though many will likely see it as simply unnecessary add-ons. Pre-orders begin today, and sales start on March 11.