Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus vs Galaxy S25 Plus: Too similar?
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There's a slight design difference in the camera bump | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung has lifted the curtain before its next Galaxy S26 series phones, and the players on the scene are familiar ones. Alongside the vanilla Galaxy S26 and the Ultra mode, we have the Galaxy S26 Plus.
The next iteration of the middle child, the big-screen, big-battery, not-super-expensive model, once again joins the S-series ranks. The Galaxy S26 Plus comes equipped with new silicon and features a slightly different design but mostly follows in the footsteps of the previous generation.
Speaking of following in the S25 Plus's footsteps, today we're going to pit those two against each other and find what's changed and what upgrades the S26 Plus has brought to the table, and most importantly, should you upgrade to the Galaxy S26 Plus if you already own the previous model?
Galaxy S26 Plus vs Galaxy S25 Plus main 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 |
| Faster Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip (Exynos in some regions) | Last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite, still plenty powerful |
| The same camera system, no upgrades | 50MP main camera, 10MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide |
| The same RAM and storage variants (no base 128GB variant) | 12GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB onboard storage |
| Identical battery capacity faster wireless charging at 20W | 4,900 mAh battery, 45W fast wired charging, 15W wireless |
| Different colors (including orange) | Wide variety of color options |
Table of Contents:
Also read:
Design and Size
Almost identical
Not much has changed in the past couple of years when it comes to Galaxy S-series design. Samsung sticks to its design philosophy and language, and flagships from different generations look quite similar.
The Galaxy S26 Plus is a stark example of the above. We have the same flat sides, back and front as the previous generation, with the new pill-shaped camera bump being the only design difference. In terms of size and weight, the Galaxy S26 Plus and the Galaxy S25 Plus are identical.
| Galaxy S26 Plus | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Thickness 7.3 mm | Thickness 7.3 mm |
| Dimensions 158.4 x 75.8 mm | Dimensions 158.4 x 75.8 mm |
| Weight Around 190 grams | Weight 190 grams |
In terms of materials, Samsung used the good old metal-and-glass sandwich on the Galaxy S26 Plus. The aluminum frame is the same, but the protecting glass over the display and on the back is now Gorilla Armor, in contrast to the Victus 2 on the Galaxy S25 Plus. So, a slight upgrade in terms of durability and scratch-resistance.
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).
The colors of the three Galaxy S26 series models are identical this year; this includes the Galaxy S26 Plus, of course. It's available in Black, White, Cobalt Violet, and Sky Blue with two exclusive colors available via the Samsung Store — Pink Gold and Silver Shadow.
The colors of the three Galaxy S26 series models are identical this year; this includes the Galaxy S26 Plus, of course. It's available in Black, White, Cobalt Violet, and Sky Blue with two exclusive colors available via the Samsung Store — Pink Gold and Silver Shadow.
Display Differences
Another area where the Galaxy S26 Plus seems almost identical (more tests needed) to the Galaxy S25 Plus is the display. We have the same 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with the same 1440 x 3120 resolution, resulting in the same 513 PPI pixel density as the predecessor.
The dynamic refresh rate of 1-120Hz is also the same, and Samsung cites the same peak brightness of 2600 nits on the Galaxy S26 Plus.
| Galaxy S26 Plus | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Size 6.7" | Size 6.7" |
| Brightness 2600 nits (peak) | Brightness 2600 nits (peak) |
Speaking of brightness, the Galaxy S25 Plus is plenty bright. The phone managed to output 2391 nits of brightness, which is impressive. Given we're looking at the same display panel on the Galaxy S26 Plus, we expect similar numbers. Our meticulous display tests are finally finished! Let's check them out!
As we suspected, we're talking about the exact same panel here. The differences in brightness, color accuracy, and color temperature are all very similar between these two phones, inside the normal margin of error.
The display of the Galaxy S25 Plus was already quite bright, and even though we would've enjoyed a boost in brightness in the new model, it's still a great AMOLED panel.
The biometrics are also the same on these two phones — namely, an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. Samsung has been using this tech for a couple of generations now, and it works like a charm.
Performance and Software
Snapdragon and Exynos split again
Samsung has decided to use different chips once again for the Galaxy S26 Plus depending on the market. The phone comes equipped with the latest Qualcomm silicon — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in North America, Japan, and China — while Europe and the rest of the world 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've finished our testing, and the verdict is out! Check out the benchmarks below the table!
Our Galaxy S25 Plus sample features the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which makes it one of the fastest phones among peers. We've finished our testing, and the verdict is out! Check out the benchmarks below the table!
| Galaxy S26 Plus | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Exynos 2600 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Process 3nm 2nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
It looks like this year's Exynos 2600 is pretty much on par with last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite, at least when it comes to single-core performance. In the multi-core tests and also the graphics benchmark, the S26 Plus outperforms its predecessor, but not by a huge margin. This is disappointing to some extent and erases one of the few reasons to upgrade, if you already own the S25 Plus.
In terms of software, there are no surprises. Samsung ships the Galaxy S26 family with Android 16 on board and the relevant One UI interface on top (One UI 8.5). Galaxy AI makes an appearance once again, but you have the option to use Gemini as well.
The software support situation is identical — 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 — 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 camera situation is a bit disappointing. For yet another year we don't have any upgrades to the hardware, and the Galaxy S26 Plus features the exact same cameras found on the Galaxy S25 Plus.
The main camera uses a 50MP sensor, there's a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3X optical zoom. You can see more details about the camera system in the table below.
| 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" |
PhoneArena Camera Score:
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.
Main Camera
The side-by-side samples pose a very interesting question. How much weight a camera hardware has in modern smartphone photography? Because, even though the hardware is exactly the same, there are clear differences between the images taken with the S26 Plus and the ones shot with the S25 Plus.
The color tonality is shifter toward the warmer tones in the new model, and there's less oversharpening, but this leads to softer photos. The main camera images from the S26 Plus also look a tad overexposed, and this becomes even more apparent in the night shots.
Zoom Quality
Zoom photos are again very similar, with a tad more contrast and colors popping out in the S26 Plus samples. Overall, the level of detail, dynamic range, and white balance are almost identical.
Ultra-wide
In terms of the ultrawide samples, the S26 Plus once again produces a tad brighter images, and colors pop more in them. However, in low-light conditions, there's a little bloom in the bright objects, and sometimes the image comes out unnaturally bright.
Selfies
The selfies are almost identical, but it's worth noting that even though the focal length and field of view are the same, the selfie from the Galaxy S26 Plus feels a bit wider, and Vics seems to be further away from the camera. Strange.
Battery Life and Charging
Same wired, faster wireless charging
This is becoming a trend in this comparison, but there aren't any battery capacity 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. The S26 Plus comes equipped with the same 4,900 mAh cell, and let's see how it fares in our battery test with the new and more efficient silicon inside the S26 Plus. Results are below.
| Galaxy S26 Plus | Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Battery size 4,900 mAh | Battery size 4,900 mAh |
Charging speeds 45W wired 20W wireless charging USB-C | Charging speeds 45W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C |
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
The results show once again that the Snapdragon has better efficiency than the Exynos. The difference isn't big but it's there. The S25 Plus fares better in our browsing and gaming tests, and takes the second place only in the YouTube streaming benchmark.
The charging situation is mostly unchanged. The Galaxy S26 Plus mimics the 45W wired charging speeds of its predecessor and has a slightly faster 20W wireless charging support. The S25 Plus charges from zero to full in 1 hour and 11 minutes, and the S26 Plus does so in 1 hour and 3 minutes. Not a huge difference here either.
Specs Comparison
|
|
| Samsung Galaxy S26+ | Samsung Galaxy S25+ |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm (~10 mm with camera bump) | 158.4 x 75.7 x 7.3 mm (~8.55 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 190.0 g | 190.0 g |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.7-inch | 6.7-inch |
| Type | |
| Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy SM8850-1-AD (3 nm) International version - Exynos 2600 |
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 |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4900 mAh | 4900 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 45.0W Wireless: 15.0W | Wired: 45.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
| 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, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung S5K3K1 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 67 mm Sensor size: 1/3.94" Pixel size: 1 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 |
| Bluetooth | |
|---|---|
| 6.0 | 5.4 |
| WLAN | |
| Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax | 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
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
The S26 Plus looks and feels nearly identical to the previous generation. It has the same screen, the same battery, the same camera system, and the same size and weight as the Galaxy S25 Plus.
The only minor upgrades concern the new chipset and the slightly faster wireless charging. The camera bump now has an oval shape as opposed to the separate cutouts for the cameras on the previous generation, and that's pretty much it.
If you already own the Galaxy S25 Plus (or the S24 Plus for that matter), there's little to no reason to reach out for the Galaxy S26 Plus. If you're coming from an older generation or looking to dip your toes into Samsung's ecosystem, the S26 Plus could be a decent choice.
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