Samsung Galaxy S26 Review: Great combo of compact size and big battery, but is it really an upgrade?
If you’re one of those people who is tired of today’s bulky and ‘brick’-sized smartphones, Samsung’s base flagship series has always been a great relief. Taking this series forward, Samsung has launched Samsung Galaxy S26 in India in its premium range.
This time, while maintaining the compact design that fits easily in the hand, the company has increased the battery and added a new processor. But is this phone, which comes at a starting price of ₹87,999, really worth replacing your old phone?
Let us know the 3 biggest features of this premium device and 2 such bitter shortcomings which Samsung never mentions in advertisements.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Review: 3 big features
1. Master of Ergonomics (Feather-light and slim design)
Nowadays, while all the flagship phones are crossing 200 grams, the Galaxy S26 weighs only 167 grams and its thickness is only 7.2 mm. Its satin-finish back glass gives a premium feel when held in hand and it also does not leave fingerprints on it. With a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, it is the best one-handed use compact flagship phone in the market right now.
2. The magic of big battery even in compact size
The biggest weakness of small-sized phones has always been their battery life. But this time Samsung has done wonders by fitting a bigger 4300mAh battery in the phone without increasing its thickness (which is about 10% more than the previous model). Due to the efficient processor (Exynos 2600 / Snapdragon 8 Elite) with new 3nm/2nm architecture, this phone can easily backup one to one and a half day.
3. Now even the base model has 12GB RAM and 7 years warranty
Samsung has finally stopped being stingy and now only the base variant of this phone comes with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage (UFS 4.0), which means now the hassle of 128GB is over forever. Apart from this, the company is providing 7 years of Android and security updates on it, which means this phone is ready to support you till 2033.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Review: 2 shortcomings
1. ‘Zero’ upgrades in camera hardware (same old stuff)
If you are a photography enthusiast and are expecting something revolutionary, you will be disappointed. This time too, Samsung has used the same old 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP 3x telephoto camera sensors. Yes, due to the new processor, its AI features and image processing have improved a bit, but there is no big difference in night time photo quality and zoom capability as compared to last year.
2. ₹88,000 phone still has sluggish charging at 25W!
This is really beyond comprehension. Even in the year 2026, where budget phones are offering 80W and 100W charging, Samsung is still stuck on 25W wired charging in its premium phones. It takes more than one and a quarter hour for the phone to be fully charged. Additionally, while its bigger brother (the S26 Ultra) gets an anti-reflective ‘Gorilla Armor’ screen, the base model has to settle for the same old Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Our straight and honest decision
The Samsung Galaxy S26 is a well-balanced and premium compact phone, but it’s not for everyone:
- Buy it: If you want a premium phone that fits comfortably in your palm, has an amazing display, good battery life and which you want to use without any replacement for the next 5-6 years.
- Leave this: If you are already using Galaxy S24 or S25, then you will not feel any difference in camera and everyday performance. In such a situation, upgrading will be a waste of money for you.
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