Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus vs Galaxy S25 Plus: Too similar?
The Samsung Galaxy S26 family is just a couple of weeks away, and after some wild rumors, it seems that we're getting another Galaxy S26 Plus model. Initially, the rumor mill cancelled the model in favor of the Edge, but the latest info suggests that Samsung uncancelled the Galaxy S26 Plus, and we're going to get another iteration of the middle child in Galaxy's family.
According to the latest leaks, the S26 Plus will follow in the footsteps of the previous model, the Galaxy S25 Plus, offering a big-screen, big-battery alternative to the vanilla S26, but at a very affordable price when compared to the Ultra model. Speaking of following in the S25 Plus's footsteps, we're gonna make a preliminary comparison, as it will be very interesting to see all the upgrades and ultimately decide if this model is worth it, especially if you're upgrading.
The information is still based on leaks and rumors, but we'll try to compare these two phones in all the important categories, including design, display and camera tech, battery life, and hardware and software performance.
Galaxy S26 Plus vs Galaxy S25 Plus expected differences:
| Galaxy S26 Plus* | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Similar design, oval camera bump | Flat sides, front and back design, separate holes for the cameras |
| Similar 6.7-inch display, potentially brighter | 6.7-inch screen, dynamic LTPO 120Hz refresh rate, 2600 nits peak |
| Exynos 2600 chipset, or Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Probably the same camera system, potentially ultrawide upgrade | 50MP main camera, 10MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide |
| Similar RAM and storage variants | 12GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB onboard storage |
| Similar battery capacity and charging speeds | 4,900 mAh battery, 45W fast wired charging |
| Different colors (including orange) | Wide variety of color options |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Almost identical
A leaked design render of the Galaxy S26 Plus | Image by OnLeaks
The first leaked renders of the Galaxy S26 Plus popped up online a couple of days ago. There's nothing radical, the phone falls into the same design pattern that other devices from the Galaxy S26 series are expected to sport.
We have the same flat sides, back and front, the new pill-shaped camera bump, and the same rounded corners. If you put these leaked renders next to a photo of the Galaxy S25 Plus, the main difference will be the camera bump.
| Galaxy S26 Plus* | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Thickness 7.35 mm | Thickness 7.3 mm |
| Dimensions 158.4 x 75.7 mm | Dimensions 158.4 x 75.8 mm |
| Weight Around 190 grams | Weight 190 grams |
The information about dimensions and materials is scarce at the moment, but we expect the Galaxy S26 Plus to be very close to its predecessor. There is a rumor placing the thickness just a hair over the S25 Plus, but overall we expect nearly identical dimensions and weight.
In terms of materials, Samsung probably won't make any "sudden movements" with the S26 Plus, relying instead on the old and tested aluminum and glass formula. In terms of colors, the Galaxy S25 is available in quite a wide variety of hues, including Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold, Coral Red, and Blue Black (some of these are Samsung.com exclusives). We've only seen the orange render of the S26 Plus so far.
Display Differences
Given the latest leaked dimensions of the Galaxy S26 Plus are almost identical to the ones of its predecessor, we can deduce that the former will sport the same 6.7-inch AMOLED screen, at least in size.
There's no info about the display tech involved, but we expect similar panels, with the same 1440 x 3120 resolution, resulting in the same 513 PPI pixel density. The refresh rate of the display in the S26 Plus will most likely also mimic the 120Hz dynamic refresh rate of the S25 Plus. The only difference might come in brightness as new materials are constantly developed pushing those boundaries.
| Galaxy S26 Plus* | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Size 6.7" | Size 6.7" |
| Brightness 3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 2600 nits (peak) |
*rumored
Speaking of brightness, the Galaxy S25 Plus is plenty bright. The phone managed to output 2391 nits of brightness, which is impressive. We can't wait to see how the S26 Plus will perform in our display tests.
The biometrics are expected to remain the same - namely, an under-display fingerprint scanner. Samsung has been using this tech for a couple of generations now, and it works like a charm.
Performance and Software
Exynos again?
There's some information that Samsung will use different chips again depending on the market. The Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to feature the latest Qualcomm silicon—the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in North America and China—while Europe and the rest of the world will get the Exynos 2600.
Our Galaxy S25 Plus sample features the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which makes it one of the fastest phones among peers. We can't wait to see how the Exynos 2600 will fare against the last-gen Snapdragon, so stay tuned for tests.
Our Galaxy S25 Plus sample features the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which makes it one of the fastest phones among peers. We can't wait to see how the Exynos 2600 will fare against the last-gen Snapdragon, so stay tuned for tests.
| Galaxy S26 Plus* | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Exynos 2600 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Process 3nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 12/128GB 12/256GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
In terms of software, we don't expect any surprises here. Samsung will ship the Galaxy S26 family with Android 16 on board and the relevant OneUI interface on top. Galaxy AI will also make an appearance, but you will have the option to use Gemini as well.
The software support situation is identical—expect seven years of major OS updates for the Galaxy S26 Plus, just like on the previous generation. This gives a one-year advantage in longevity for the newer phone being... well, newer.
The software support situation is identical—expect seven years of major OS updates for the Galaxy S26 Plus, just like on the previous generation. This gives a one-year advantage in longevity for the newer phone being... well, newer.
Camera
No changes
The rumor mill is surprisingly silent when it comes to the camera system of the Galaxy S26 Plus, probably because this model was in peril until recently. Given our experience from the past couple of generations though, we don't expect any huge upgrades in the camera hardware, compared to the S25 Plus.
We might get a new ultrawide, as this is something of a trend recently (Apple upgraded the ultrawide in the iPhone 17), but there are no credible rumors about this.
| Galaxy S26 Plus* | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" | Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" |
| Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" | Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" |
| Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.94" | Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67mm) 1/3.94" |
Of course, nowadays algorithms play a huge part in how images look, so we shouldn't rule out a different score in our camera benchmark for the Galaxy S26 Plus. Speaking of scores, the S25 Plus managed to score 147 (out of 158), which is a very impressive result for a phone that's not marketed as a "camera" device. We will test the S26 Plus once it arrives in our lab and also include some side-by-side samples.
Battery Life and Charging
Another copy-paste?
This is becoming a trend in this comparison, but it seems that we won't be getting any battery capacity or charging upgrades on the Galaxy S26 Plus. The S25 Plus features a 4,900 mAh battery, which is not small, but with all silicon-carbon models coming out recently (pushing the 8,000 mAh threshold), it starts to look outdated.
In our battery test the Galaxy S25 Plus scored 7h 36m which put it in 43rd place among phones tested in the past 2 years. It's not a terrible result, but nothing to write home about. It will be interesting to see how efficient the new chipset inside the S26 Plus will actually be and compared directly the two.
| Galaxy S26 Plus* | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Battery size 4,900 mAh | Battery size 4,900 mAh |
Charging speeds 45W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C | Charging speeds 45W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C |
The charging situation is another area where we don't expect major changes. The Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to mimic the 45W wired and 15W wireless charging speeds of its predecessor. The S25 Plus charges from zero to full in 1 hour and 11 minutes, so we expect similar results from the S26 Plus.
Specs Comparison
|
|
| Samsung Galaxy S26+ | Samsung Galaxy S25+ |
Design
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 158.4 x 75.7 x 7.3 mm (~8.55 mm with camera bump) | |
| Weight | |
| 190.0 g | |
Display
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.7-inch | 6.7-inch |
| Type | |
| Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
Hardware
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite SM8750-AB (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/512GB | 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/512GB |
| OS | |
| Android (16), up to 7 OS updates | Android (15), up to 7 OS updates |
Battery
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4900 mAh | 4900 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 45.0W Wireless: 15.0W | Wired: 45.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
Camera
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung GN3 Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm | 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung GN3 Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Sensor name: Sony IMX564 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm | 12 MP (Ultra-wide) Sensor name: Sony IMX564 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 1.4 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 10 MP (Telephoto) Sensor name: Samsung S5K3K1 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 67 mm Sensor size: 1/3.94" Pixel size: 1.0 μm | 10 MP (Telephoto) Sensor name: Samsung S5K3K1 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 67 mm Sensor size: 1/3.94" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
| Front | |
| 12 MP | 12 MP |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | |
|---|---|
| 5.4 | 5.4 |
| WLAN | |
| a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax | a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax |
| USB | |
| Type-C, USB 3.2 | Type-C, USB 3.2 |
| Sensors | |
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Hearing aid compatible | |
| M3/T4 | M3/T4 |
| Location | |
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Other | |
| NFC, Ultra Wideband (UWB) | NFC, Ultra Wideband (UWB) |
See the full
Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Samsung Galaxy S25+ specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
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Summary
It's still quite early, and we don't have a lot of info about the Galaxy S26 Plus. But at this point in time, it seems that Samsung is just refreshing the S25 Plus with a new chipset. Whether or not that's really the case, we still don't know.
It will be hard to persuade anyone to upgrade from the S25 Plus to the S26 Plus if the above turns out to be the case, so we will wait and scoop for more info.
It will be hard to persuade anyone to upgrade from the S25 Plus to the S26 Plus if the above turns out to be the case, so we will wait and scoop for more info.
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