Samsung today presented the new Galaxy S26 series in San Francisco. The event was one of the most anticipated of the year, but the great news – and not exactly good for the pocket – is the price rise: The base model costs 899 dollars, at least 40 more than the S25 with the same storage, and on top of that the 128 GB option disappears. To give you an idea: a 256 GB iPhone 17 costs $830. The comparison does not turn out well for Samsung.
There is another point that is going to sit badly among European users: Samsung returns to the double standard of processors. The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus sold in the US feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, while in Europe we get the Exynos 2600 (2nm). Samsung defends that it is a great generational leap, but recent history does not help much to believe them: the Exynos versions have had performance, temperature and autonomy problems for years compared to their equivalents with Snapdragon. Paying more to get a worse chip is difficult to defend.
Samsung Galaxy S26: the most compact of the family
The Galaxy S26 is the entry model and arrives with some tweaks compared to last year. The screen grows slightly, from 6.2 to 6.3 incheswith a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 120 Hz, and debuts Gorilla Armor 2 protection on the front, which is a clear step forward compared to the Victus 2 of the S25. The design is practically the same: aluminum chassis, 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2mm and 167 grams.
There are no surprises in cameras: 50 MP main f/1.8, 12 MP wide angle and 10 MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, the same as the previous generation. The battery rises to 4,300 mAh from 4,000 mAh, although the charge remains at 25W wired and 15W wireless, which in 2026 begins to fall short. No charger in the box or Qi2 magnets. It comes out with One UI 8.5 on Android 16 and promises 7 years of updates. Price: 999 euros for 256 GB.
Samsung Galaxy S26 technical sheet
- Screen: 6.3″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2,340 x 1,080 px, 1-120 Hz
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (US) / Exynos 2600 2nm (Europe)
- RAM and storage: 12GB + 256GB / 512GB
- Rear cameras: 50 MP f/1.8 · 12 MP wide angle f/2.2 · 10 MP telephoto f/2.4, 3x zoom
- Front camera: 12MP f/2.2
- Battery: 4,300 mAh · 25W wired · 15W wireless
- Software: One UI 8.5, Android 16, 7 years of updates
- Endurance: IP68, Gorilla Armor 2
- Connectivity: 5G Sub6, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, UWB
- Dimensions: 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2mm 167g
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus: more screen and more battery, but also more price
The S26 Plus goes from $1,000 to $1,099 in its 256 GB version, an increase of $100 compared to the S25 Plus. The screen goes up to 6.7 inches Dynamic AMOLED 2X with QHD+ resolution (3,120 x 1,440 px) and the same Gorilla Armor 2 protection. Dimensions: 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm and 190 grams.
The camera system is identical to that of the base S26: 50 MP + 12 MP + 10 MP with 3x zoom, without anything new to highlight. The battery stays on 4,900 mAh but improves wireless charging up to 20W, compared to 15W of the previous model, and continues with 45W wired. It also adds Bluetooth 6 and 5G mmWave, which the base model does not include. In software, the same as its little brother: One UI 8.5, Android 16 and 7 years of support. And in Europe, Exynos 2600 instead of the Snapdragon, as we have already said. Price: 1,249 euros for 256 GB.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus technical sheet
- Screen: 6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3,120 x 1,440 px, 120 Hz
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (US) / Exynos 2600 2nm (Europe)
- RAM and storage: 12GB + 256GB / 512GB
- Rear cameras: 50 MP f/1.8 · 12 MP wide angle f/2.2 · 10 MP telephoto f/2.4, 3x zoom
- Front camera: 12MP f/2.2
- Battery: 4,900 mAh · 45W wired · 20W wireless
- Software: One UI 8.5, Android 16, 7 years of updates
- Endurance: IP68, Gorilla Armor 2
- Connectivity: 5G Sub6 + mmWave, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, NFC, UWB
- Dimensions: 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3mm 190g
Both models include three AI assistants as standard: Google Gemini, Bixby and Perplexity AI. Samsung presents it as a «open multi-agent ecosystem»although many will probably see it as just more bloatware. The software improvements are real—fraud detection, text-based photo editing, screenshot analysis—but it's hard to justify them as an argument for a price increase when the hardware has barely evolved. It seems Samsung is confident that its dominant position in Android is enough to keep us paying more for increasingly incremental upgrades. The pre-sales start today same and free sale begins on March 11.
