This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The Galaxy S26 Ultramight be the Samsung flagship to buy next year. And that won't be because it is one of the best flagships of 2026. The South Korean giant appears to be kneecapping the regular models just so the Ultra variant can shine.
Samsung will make the Galaxy S26 and S26+ worse so the Galaxy S26 Ultra can feel less underwhelming
The base Galaxy S26 models might not even be worth considering.
You can count the rumored updates for the regular models on one hand. The base model will have a somewhat larger 6.3-inch display, a new chip, higher 256GB starting storage, and a bigger 4,300mAh battery. It's also expected to be a hair thinner and slightly heavier.
The Plus model will allegedly only feature a new chip and could be a smidge heavier.
The Galaxy S26 and S26+ will hardly bring anything new to the table.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will be better in comparison. The phone will likely come with a better display material, screen privacy protection tech, a more powerful chip, faster wired and wireless charging, a svelte body, innovative AI features, and upgraded camera hardware.
While the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be a bigger upgrade than the Galaxy S26 and S26+, compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it won't offer a drastically better experience.
Samsung phones will compete with each other
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro, and likely most other flagships of 2026, will outshine the Galaxy S26 Ultra. That's because the Galaxy S25 Ultra was already not a massive upgrade, and by offering minimal improvements Samsung will just be nudging flagship buyers toward competition.
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The only customers the Galaxy S26 Ultra will appeal to are those who don't want to venture outside of the Samsung or Android ecosystem. The regular Galaxy S26 models are only going to help that cause, since they will be worse in comparison.
Is Samsung's complacence the reason the Galaxy S26 will suffer?
Despite being a minor upgrade, the Galaxy S26 series is expected to cost more than the Galaxy S25 lineup. Samsung insider Ice Universe believes Samsung has lost its way by putting profits over specs, and is calling for a boycott.
Since the Galaxy S25 is one of the best phones you can buy today, the Galaxy S26 series will still top many other phones even with minor improvements. However, if Samsung sticks with this strategy of minimal changes, it might lose its relevance in the high-end market.
Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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