Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. S26+ vs. S26 Ultra: Comparing the three new phones

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the company is once again leaning heavily on AI, camera upgrades and refined hardware to move the lineup forward. While the overall design remains familiar, there are some meaningful differences between the three models, particularly when it comes to display tech, charging speeds and camera hardware.

Across the board, the S26 family is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip and runs Android 16 with One UI 8.5. Samsung is also doubling down on Galaxy AI features like Now Brief, Now Nudge and upgraded Circle to Search, positioning the new phones as more proactive assistants than before.

As usual, though, the Ultra model is where Samsung is pushing the envelope the furthest. It gains the most advanced camera system, faster wired and wireless charging and the company’s new built-in Privacy Display tech. Pre-orders are available now, with official sales starting on March 11. If you’re trying to decide which model makes the most sense for your needs (and budget), here’s how the three devices stack up on paper.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S26

Samsung Galaxy S26+

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Price (MSRP)

$899.99

$1,099.99

$1,299.99

Dimensions

71.7 x 149.6 x 7.2 mm

71.7 x 149.6 x 7.2 mm

78.1 x 163.6 x 7.9 mm

Weight

167g

190g

214g

Screen size

6.3 inches (FHD+)

6.7 inches (QHD+)

6.9 inches (QHD+)

Screen resolution

2340 x 1080

3120 x 1440

3120 x 1440

Screen type

Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1–120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness

Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1–120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness

Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz adaptive refresh (1–120Hz), Up to 2,600 nits peak brightness

SoC

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy

RAM

12GB

12GB

12GB or 16GB

Battery

4,300 mAh

4,300 mAh

5,000 mAh

Charging

25W (wired), 15W (wireless)

45W (wired), 20W (wireless)

60W (wired), 25W (wireless)

Storage

256/512GB

256/512GB

256/512GB, 1TB

Rear camera

50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto

50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto

200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x periscope telephoto

Front camera

12MP

12MP

12MP

Video capture

Up to 4K 60fps, 8K 30fps

Up to 4K 60fps, 8K 30fps

Up to 4K 120fps, 8K 30fps

Water and dust resistance rating

IP68

IP68

IP68

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 7

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 6.0

OS

Android 16 with One UI 8.5

Android 16 with One UI 8.5

Android 16 with One UI 8.5

Colors and finish

Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)

Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)

Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky Blue / Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung exclusive)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s26-vs-s26-vs-s26-ultra-comparing-the-three-new-phones-181047172.html?src=rss