Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25: More base storage
The Galaxy S26 is finally here! How does it compare to the previous generation?
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The Galaxy S26 looks very similar to the Galaxy S25 | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy S26 series! The wait is over and we have three models to choose from — the vanilla Galaxy S26, and the Plus and Ultra models. There's no Galaxy Edge this year and all the rumors about a Pro model turned out false.
The new base Galaxy S26 model comes with slight upgrades here and there, nothing major. The screen is slightly bigger, the chipset has been upgraded, and the battery is larger. This inevitably raises the question — should you upgrade if you own the last-generation model?
Today, we're comparing the freshly announced Galaxy S26 and the last-gen Samsung Galaxy compact flagship — the Galaxy S25.
What are the changes? Read on to find out!
What are the changes? Read on to find out!
Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25 main differences:
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Similar design, slightly different camera housing | Small and compact, separate cutouts for the rear cameras |
| Faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset | Last generation Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, still plenty of power |
| Bigger 6.3-inch display | 6.2-inch screen, more compact phone |
| 12GB of RAM | 12GB of RAM on all memory configurations |
| Base onboard storage starts at 256GB | 128GB base storage |
| Bigger 4,300 mAh battery | Slightly smaller 4,000 mAh battery |
| 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging speeds | The same charging speeds on this model as well |
Table of Contents:
Also read:
Design and Size
Back to oval one
The design of the Galaxy S26 is unmistakably Samsung and also very close to the design of the previous model. The only visual difference lies in the design of the camera housing. Samsung has added a pill-shaped shape around the three cameras, after several generations with separate camera cutouts on the back.
Speaking of previous generations, the Galaxy S25 features the aforementioned separate camera holes design, and it's also a bit more compact, thanks to the smaller screen. The Galaxy S26 comes equipped with a 6.3-inch display (up from 6.2 inches on the S25), which makes the new phone a tad bigger.
Interestingly, the thickness is the same at 7.2 mm, even though the Galaxy S26 has a bigger battery. The weight is also kept almost the same, the new phone is just 5 grams heavier than the Galaxy S25.
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Thickness 7.2 mm | Thickness 7.2 mm |
| Dimensions 149.6 x 71.7 | Dimensions 146.9 x 70.5 |
| Weight 167 grams | Weight 162 grams |
In terms of materials, the Galaxy S26 relies on the same glass-metal sandwich as the previous generations, including the S25. The Gorilla Armor 2 protecting the S26 front and back is an upgrade from the Victus 2 on the S25, and we have the same aluminum frame as the one used on the previous generation.
In terms of colors, the Galaxy S26 is available in Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black and White, with two additional exclusive colors - Pink Gold and Silver Shadow. The Galaxy S25, on the other hand is available in Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold, Coral Red, and Blue Black.
Display Differences
Modern flagships are growing bigger and bigger each year, and the Galaxy S26 is following the same trend. The phone comes equipped with a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display, featuring a 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution (411 PPI), a 1-120 Hz dynamic refresh rate and cited peak brightness of 2600 nits.
The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, features a slightly smaller 6.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with the same 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, resulting in around 416 PPI pixel density. Samsung cites the same 2600 nits of peak brightness for that model as well, and in our display test we measured 2394 nits at 20% APL, which is an impressive result.
The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, features a slightly smaller 6.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with the same 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, resulting in around 416 PPI pixel density. Samsung cites the same 2600 nits of peak brightness for that model as well, and in our display test we measured 2394 nits at 20% APL, which is an impressive result.
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Size 6.3" | Size 6.2" |
| Brightness 2600 nits (peak) | Brightness 2600 nits (peak) |
Looking at the display test results above, the display panels in both phones look almost identical. The 0.1-inch difference is, well, the only difference we could find. Both the S26 and S25 managed to output around 2400 nits in our brightness test, the color reproduction is top notch on both, and the minimum brightness is less than 1 nit. Overall great AMOLED panels on both phones.
The under-display fingerprint sensor can be found on both devices - it's an ultrasonic one, working fast and reliably.
Performance and Software
Snapdragon for some, Exynos for others
The Samsung Galaxy S26 serves as a testbed for the Exynos 2600 chipset in Europe and some other regions of the world, but in North America, China and Japan, the phone comes equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, just like the Ultra model.
The Snapdragon is a real powerhouse and early benchmarks show Geekbench 6 single- and multicore scores around 3800 and 12400 respectively. Nevertheless, the Exynos variant of the S26 could be more energy efficient, as it's made using 2nm manufacturing technology, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is a 3nm chip. It's also worth mentioning that Qualcomm optimizes and overclocks its Snapdragon chips for the Galaxy lineup, hence the moniker "for Galaxy."
In comparison, the Galaxy S25 features the previous version of that silicon, the first "Elite" chip from Qualcomm. The phone managed 3031 and 9621 in the same Geekbench 6 single- and multicore tests. Time for the big reveal - benchmark scores below!
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| 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 12/128GB 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
Well, the Exynos 2600 is faster than the Snapdragon 8 Elite but not by much. Single-core score is surprisingly close, and in most day-to-day activities this is the one that matters. The multi-core performance is also pretty close, with the graphics scores clearly in favor of the Exynos 2600. In real-life though, you won't feel any meaningful difference between these two phones, both are flagships, both are fast and smooth.
In terms of RAM, the new model features the same 12GB as the S25. There were some initial rumors suggesting we might be getting 16GB of RAM on the vanilla model, but they didn't turn out to be true. There's a change in base storage from 128GB to 256GB - Samsung ditched the 128GB model, but also bumped up the price of the new base variant starting at 256GB now.
The Galaxy S26 is running Android 16 out of the box with Samsung's OneUI 8 on top, or version 8.5 to be exact. Both the S25 and the S26 are coming with a seven-year software support pledge, but the S26 will be supported one year longer, being the newer device.
Camera
No upgrades sadly
Samsung has been reluctant in bringing camera upgrades to the base model in the past couple of generations, and this remains unchanged in this generation as well, sadly.
The Galaxy S26 features the exact same camera hardware as its predecessor, and while there might be some software optimization and new algorithms on board, the sensors and lenses are the same as the one used in the Galaxy S25.
Speaking of, the S25 features a triple camera system on its back, including one 50MP wide camera, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide. The front camera is a 12MP snapper, and it's the same on the S26 as well.
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| 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:
The Galaxy S25 scored 147 (out of 158) in our composite camera benchmark, and we expected this score to go a bit higher on the S26, mainly due to software optimizations and new AI tricks. As you can see, our prediction was a valid one, even though both phones sport the same camera systems, the Galaxy S26 managed to score 2 point higher overall. But scores are scores, time for some real-world samples.
Main Camera
The samples from the main cameras of both phones look almost identical, especially in good lighting conditions. There's a good level of detail, a wide dynamic range, and natural colors. The S25 samples look more natural and less saturated, while the S26 brings more pop in the colors, especially the grass from the last two samples.
There's a slight tone shift in low-light photos, and the warmer colors of the S26 start to stand out more. Overall, though, there's no huge difference in image quality.
Zoom Quality
The same goes for telephoto samples - the overall quality is very comparable, but the Galaxy S26 produces images with brighter, more vivid colors. Whether or not that's your thing, it's another question. In terms of details, resolutions, focus and sharpness, both phones perform really well.
Ultra-wide
The ultra-wide camera hasn't been upgraded in years, and while a 50MP main camera can withstand the sands of time, 12MP start to look outdated on an ultrawide. Many other brands are moving to 50MP ultrawide sensors in their camera setups, but Samsung is procrastinating.
That said, the samples aren't bad. They look quite good, and the difference between the S26 and its predecessor lies mainly in color tone and exposure. The new model tends to boost the colors more and produce brighter images.
Selfies
Selfies are almost identical, with one strange difference - the framing looks as such that Vics seems to be farther away in the S26 shot, even though the field of view and focus length numbers are identical between both phones.
That said, good natural selfies with good skin color and a lot of resolved detail.
Battery Life and Charging
300 mAh more
The Galaxy S26 comes equipped with a 4,300 mAh battery. And while this is an upgrade compared to the 4,000 mAh cell inside the Galaxy S25, it's still on the lower side by modern flagship standards. The world is slowly adopting silicon-carbon tech (the OnePlus 15 is expected to feature a huge 7,300 mAh battery), and Samsung is lagging behind.
The Galaxy S25 managed a battery life estimate of 7h 6m, which put it at 66th place among phones tested in the past 2 years. You can see the composite score below, the Galaxy S26 managed 6 hours and 37 minutes, which is a very strange result, despite the 300 mAh advantage.
| Galaxy S26 | Galaxy S25 |
|---|---|
| Battery size 4,300 mAh | Battery size 4,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C 2.0 | Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C 2.0 |
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
The scores above might have something to do with the Exynos 2600 processor inside the Galaxy S26, as Samsung's silicon is normally less efficient than its Qualcomm counterpart. Nevertheless, the result is baffling. We'll re-run our tests and report back.
Charging speeds has been carried over from the previous generation as well, which is a bit disappointing. The Galaxy S25 supports 25W of wired charging power and fills its battery from zero to full in 1 hour and 22 minutes. The S26 was able to achieve very similar times at around 1 hours and 16 minutes - no big difference here.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs overview of the two phones. For a detailed Galaxy S26 vs Galaxy S25 specs comparison follow the link.
|
|
| Samsung Galaxy S26 | Samsung Galaxy S25 |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm (~10 mm with camera bump) | 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm (~8.45 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 167.0 g | 162.0 g |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.3-inch | 6.2-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)/128GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB |
| OS | |
| Android (16), up to 7 OS updates | Android (15), up to 7 OS updates |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4300 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 25.0W Wireless: 15.0W | Wired: 25.0W 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 (HDR) | 12 MP (HDR) |
| 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 new Galaxy S26 is here and it looks and feels just like its predecessor. There are some minor upgrades to the battery, camera bump design, and, of course, a new and faster chipset inside, but overall, nothing major, compared to the previous generation.
We're not sure if the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will be enough to justify an upgrade, especially from the Galaxy S25. Next to its predecessor, the S26 looks like a minor step up, and you probably shouldn't upgrade if you already own the S25. On the other hand, if you're coming from an older Galaxy or switching from an iPhone, the S26 is a decent choice.
It's also worth noting that this year the S26 moves to 256GB base storage and a starting price of $899.99, so it's $100 more expensive than the S25 with 128GB base memory.
It's also worth noting that this year the S26 moves to 256GB base storage and a starting price of $899.99, so it's $100 more expensive than the S25 with 128GB base memory.
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