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Samsung S26: Small Phone, Big AI, Dated Camera
30 Apr
Summary
- The S26 offers a fast, AI-loaded experience with reasonable battery life.
- Its camera system remains largely unchanged since 2022.
- The phone is praised for its compact size and light weight.
Samsung's compact flagship, the S26, continues to impress with its speed, AI capabilities, and reasonable battery life, though its camera performance lags behind competitors. Priced at £879, it offers double the starting storage of its predecessor, alongside a slightly larger 6.3-inch display that maintains a compact footprint. The design is praised for its comfortable grip and light 167g weight.
Internally, the S26 utilizes Samsung's Exynos 2600 chip, offering performance only slightly behind Qualcomm's top-tier processors. The phone runs on Android 16 with Samsung's One UI 8.5, featuring numerous AI tools like 'Now Nudge' for proactive suggestions and robust call assistance. Software updates are guaranteed until February 2033.
However, the camera system, featuring a 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP telephoto lens, has seen no significant upgrades since the S22. While capable in good light, it struggles in low-light conditions and cannot match the camera quality of similarly priced rivals. Video recording is strong, and the selfie camera is exceptional, but the rear cameras show their age.
Despite its dated camera, the S26 remains a strong contender for those prioritizing a small, light, and AI-powered smartphone with a long software support lifespan. The lack of Qi2 magnet support is a minor omission in an otherwise solid package.
