Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ First Impressions: Sticking To Tried-And-Tested Formula, But No 'Wow' Factor

Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26+ stick to a familiar design but deliver strong performance, AI features and reliable cameras, even if the Ultra steals the spotlight.

Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26+ retain a familiar design while packing refined performance and AI-driven features for everyday flagship users.

Source : ABP Live/Shayak Majumder

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• Camera systems are identical: 50MP wide, 10MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide.

Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ First Impressions: Samsung has just announced its 2026 flagship lineup, the Galaxy S26 series, which comprises three models: Samsung Galaxy S26, Samsung Galaxy S26+, and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. While the Korean tech giant has gone all out on the top-end Galaxy S26 Ultra, which has set he bar high with its industry-first inbuilt privacy display feature, the same cannot be said for the vanilla Galaxy S26 or the mid-tier Galaxy S26+.

However, if you like Samsung phones or are looking to upgrade your older model from a couple generations ago (or even looking to switch from any other brand to this one), fret not, as the Galaxy S26 series are genuinely great phones. Just that big brother Ultra simply outshines. Let's take a closer look at the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+. 

Sticking To The Classics

See, I've always liked Samsung's no-nonsense design language. Almost every one uses covers anyways, so how your phone will look like will eventually depend on your taste in back panels. If you compare the S25 series and S26 series side by side, you may not be able to differentiate between the two. Is that a bad thing? Depends on where you stand.

The Galaxy S26 comes with a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED display while the Galaxy S26+ sports a 6.8-inch one. The latter is marginally smaller than the top-end Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Both the phones feel good in hand. They don't feel super slippery, and they do feel well-balanced, which is always appreciated.

However, as the headline suggests, there is no 'wow' factor in the overall design language that would make you stand back in awe. Understand this, the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26+ are your workhorses. They are designed to feel familiar and get your tasks done in a jiffy. With a plethora of AI-led features inside, these two phones are sure to stand up to the occassion when the need arises. But more on that in ABP Live's detailed review later on.

The optics remain the same for both phones as well. The Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26+ come with a 50MP wide, a 10MP telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide camera, delivering you great photos, when you compare with other premium phones such as the iPhone 17 or the Pixel 10. 

What About The AI Features?

Let’s talk about the brains inside this familiar shell. With a nifty little feature called Now Nudge, Samsung wants your phone to feel less like a device you constantly manage and more like an assistant that quietly keeps up. The idea is simple: timely, relevant suggestions that pop up when you actually need them, not when you are trying to focus on something else. It works sort of like the helpful nudges we get on stock Android OS on Google's own Pixel phones, but this has an 'agentic' touch to it, trying to be that eager little beagle who would love nothing better than to help make your life better.

Then there’s the upgraded Bixby, now positioned as a proper conversational device agent. And no, this is not the old “tap, repeat, correct command” routine. You can now speak in natural language and adjust settings or navigate your phone without memorising exact phrases.

Samsung has also doubled down on AI editing tools. Expect smarter photo and content edits that do more of the heavy lifting for you.

On top of that, you get real-time features like Now Brief and an enhanced Circle to Search, making quick lookups and contextual actions even more seamless. Integration with agents like Bixby, Gemini and Perplexity goes deeper this time, turning the Galaxy S26 into a bit of a multi-assistant powerhouse.

If you have anything older than the Samsung Galaxy S24 series or any other phone at least 2-3 years old, the new Samsung Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ is well worth the upgrade.