The state of the Galaxy S26: too cool to ignore, yet too flawed to recommend

It’s mind-blowing that a flagship device that could start at $800 could be humiliated by a $500 mid-ranger – a device by the same phone maker, on top of that! – yet here we are. Allegedly. I really hope that a last-minute leak comes to clarify that the S26 model moves past the 25W charging speeds.

No new cameras either

So, we’re getting a brand-new camera setup on the Galaxy S26 as a compensation for the lousy charging speeds, right? Right? Wrong…

As of now, the consensus is that the vanilla S26 model will utilize the same rear and front camera setup like its predecessor. Only the telephoto could get an updated 12 MP sensor instead of the current 10 MP, but that’s not confirmed.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 arrived with a new selfie camera that can take landscape photos while being held vertically. How cool is that?

Speaking of the iPhone 17, there’s a point to be made right now.

It’s thinner and lighter than the iPhone 17. So what?!

The Galaxy S26 is claimed to be one sleek handset. In fact, if rumors hold true, it could be slimmer and lighter than Apple’s iPhone 17. The base Galaxy S26 reportedly weighs 164 grams with a 6.9 mm profile, while the iPhone 17 comes in at 177 grams and 7.95 mm.

That’s great, but in 2025, the two super slim phones from Apple and Samsung: the iPhone Air and the Galaxy S25 Edge, didn’t sell well. In fact, I’m pretty sure most of the Internet uses the term “flop” when talking about this wasp-waisted duo.

So, if the Galaxy S26 really is a whole millimeter thinner than the iPhone 17, would it matter that much to you?

The OnePlus 15 alternative

Image by PhoneArena

So, what $800 phone can you buy instead of the Galaxy S26? That is, of course, if Samsung doesn’t raise prices for the Galaxy S26 family next year – something that could very well happen, despite contradicting rumors. The S26 could start at $850 or $900.I’ll suggest the OnePlus 15 – it’s fresh, it’s capable, it’s got a huge battery that charges superfast. Yeah, on the outside, it looks generic (I’d understand if you hate it), and it doesn’t come from a world-famous company like the Galaxy alternative. It starts at $900 in the US, but the global ROM variant can be found for ~$630 via China-based retailers that ship it worldwide. You’ll just have to bite the bullet, if you’re on a tight budget.

Let’s hope for another rumor soon

The Galaxy S25 Plus for reference. | Image by PhoneArena

“The greatest enemy will hide in the last place you would ever look” is a quote that describes the current situation almost perfectly. Samsung is about to shoot itself in the foot, and nobody seems to be bothered about it. Even the iPhone 17 offers faster charging speeds.

Equipping your mid-ranger with a feature that’s almost twice as good as the one on your flagship is not cool. In fact, it’s a bit demoralizing, and I sincerely hope another rumor comes soon to claim 45W charging speeds on the S26.

Amen!