The Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus give you the same great camera setup, in two different sizes (and two different price points). Does the S26 Plus do enough to warrant the price, and if youre spending this much money, is it worth going up to the S26 Ultra? This is what I aim to find out in my review of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus.

　　If youre looking at the S26 Plus compared to the S25 Plus the S26 Plus has a wider (23mm) selfie camera compared to 26mm on the S25 Plus, as well as an improved processor and faster wireless charging, as well as a refreshed design. The battery and wired charging, as well as the screen remains the same, so you may want to skip this one if you already have the S25 Plus. Like the S26, and S25 Plus, the S26 Plus starts with 256GB as the base level of storage.

　　If youre new to this phone, dont know anything about the S24 Plus or S25 Plus then keep reading. Samsung phones are super popular in the US, UK and Europe, and for good reason, they get the job done, give reliable results, are easy to use, and often offer some impressive features, especially in the S series. For most people the camera setup will be very impressive, and the phones are always in our list of the best camera phones for photography.

　　The S26 Plus, like the S25 Plus before it is a more wallet friendly option from Samsung compared to the top-of-the-range S26 Ultra. However, it would be nice if the S25/S26 series got the 5x lens, and anti-reflective screen coating from the Ultra, plus long overdue macro shooting features.

　　At a glance 50MP f/1.8 24mm equivalent, PDAF, OIS main camera 12MP f/2.2 13mm equivalent, FF, ultra-wide camera 10MP f/2.4 67mm equivalent, PDAF OIS telephoto camera 12MP f/2.2 23mm equivalent, PDAF, selfie-camera 8K 30/24p video main (4K from others) 6.7inch 2600nits (peak), 120Hz, HDR10+, Dynamic AMOLED 4900mAh battery (45W wired, 20W wireless charging) 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3mm, 190g The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is part of Samsung’s flagship S series range of phones, with the largest S26 Ultra at the top, with the S26 and S26 Plus under this offering a triple camera setup.The S series comes with things like wireless charging, DeX (desktop experience use it as a fully fledged computer with a screen and keyboard/mouse if you want), 7 years of updates, and waterproofing as standard (plus a 3 year warranty in the UK).

　　How I test camera phones I review smartphones from the perspective of choosing one for its photography and camera performance. I look at what the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus offers, and the features included for photography and video, paying particular attention to the cameras on the phone, photo editing capabilities, as well as the output from each different lens. Other specifications such as the screen and battery life are also taken into consideration, but I won’t comment on things such as gaming or call-quality.

　　Features The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus has a triple camera setup on the back with a 12MP ultra-wide camera, 50MP wide-angle main camera, and 10MP telephoto camera, as well as a 12MP selfie camera on the screen side. The camera setup is practically identical to the setup on the S25 Plus, but with an updated and wider selfie camera.

　　Starting at the top with the ultra-wide-angle camera this is a 12MP camera (0.6x) with f/2.2 aperture, but unfortunately there is no auto-focus (AF), which rules out using this lens for macro photography, as it simply won’t be able to focus.

　　In the centre of the 3-camera array is the 50MP main wide-angle (1x) camera, and as expected this is the best camera on the phone with the largest sensor and brightest aperture (f/1.8), as such it is likely to be used the most. It gives a 24mm equivalent field of view, and comes with optical image stabilisation (OIS) as well as phase-detection auto-focus (or PDAF for short). Optical image stabilisation will help keep shots sharp when using slower shutter speeds, for example when shooting in low-light.This camera uses pixel-binning to output 12MP photos, although you can select the higher resolution if you want.

　　And finally on the back is the third camera at the bottom, is the 10MP telephoto camera, thankfully, this also has OIS, and offers a 3x telephoto reach, equivalent to 67mm, with f/2.4 aperture, and phase-detection auto-focus (PDAF). This camera, despite the 10MP sensor, outputs 12MP images to match the image size of the other cameras.

　　On the front theres the 12MP selfie-camera cut out in a circle at the top of the screen, which includes auto-focus (AF), a 23mm equivalent wide-angle view, and an f/2.2 aperture, as well as support for 4K video recording.The main camera can record 8K video, whereas the other cameras can record 4K video.

　　Samsung S26 vs S26 Plus models The camera units on the S26 and S26+ (S26 Plus) are identical. Where the difference lies is in the physical size of the phone, with the S26+ featuring a larger 6.7inch screen, compared to the 6.3inch screen on the S26. The S26+ also offers a higher resolution screen as a result. Theres roughly a $200 / £200 price difference between the smaller S26 and the larger S26 Plus when looking at the same storage options, but this can vary depending on offers.

　　Another area of difference is in battery life the S26+ benefits from the larger size coming with a 4900mAh battery, compared to the 4300mAh battery on the S26 theres also a difference in charging speed with the Plus supporting 45W wired charging, compared to 25W charging on the non-plus wireless charging is also quicker on the Plus. Which you choose will most likely come down to personal preference, but the good news is that both offer the same camera system, so your photos wont be affected.

　　S26 Plus vs S26 Ultra There is a similar jump in price between the S26 Plus and S26 Ultra, and as theres a roughly $200 / £200 price difference (with the same storage, depending on offers), therefore it might make sense to step up to the full-fat S26 Ultra if you can afford it and want the extra features.

　　The S26 Ultra has a 3x telephoto camera, like the S26 and S26 Plus, but adds in a 50MP 5x telephoto camera. The ultra-wide-angle camera on the S26 Ultra also features a higher resolution (50MP), as well as auto-focus allowing for macro shots using this camera. And finally the main camera is a 200MP unit, with larger sensor, brighter aperture (at f/1.4 compared to f/1.8), and is slightly wider at 23mm (compared to 24mm).

　　There are screen and battery differences as well as a stylus included with the S26 Ultra. The screen is larger at 6.9inches with privacy features, and improved scratch resistance. The battery on the S26 Ultra is a 5000mAh unit, with faster 60W charging (and 25W wireless charging), and finally 4K video is supported up to 120fps compared to 60fps on the S26 Plus.

　　Handling and Design Like the S26 , the S26 Plus feels very well built, and has a stylish silver/blue band made of metal running around the sides of the phone with a premium look and feel.

　　An issue I have with Samsung phones, is that they don’t provide any kind of screen protection in the box, which means you need to be careful with the screen, unless you install your own screen protector. A lot of budget phones come with a thin screen protector in a box, that helps keep your phone scratch free for longer. Scratches can still happen without a screen protector, even with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection as found on the S26 Plus.

　　The 6.7inch screen has a relatively thin border, and this remains the same width all the way around the phone (something that budget phones often lack), with a neat curve in the corners. The screen is flat all the way over, with completely flat screens having benefits that outweigh the more stylish look of curved screens namely easy of use.

　　The S26 Plus reviewed is the light Sky Blue colour option. There are some nice colour options available (including Sky blue, Black, White and Cobalt Violet), but there are additional exclusive colours available on Samsung’s website (Silver shadow and Pink gold).

　　The phone performs well with snappy response, a bright, clear screen, and stereo speakers that are impressively loud and clear. The software is nicely designed, and Samsung promise 7 years of security and OS updates. With a Geek bench (multi-core) score of over 10,000 this phone is quite likely to be more powerful than most peoples old computers and with Samsung DeX you can actually use it as a computer hooked up to a compatible screen if you wanted to.

　　Battery life is the same as the previous mode, with 4900mAh, but this is still below the likes of the budget Pixel 9a/10a with 5100mAh. In use, it still easily lasts a day of use, but is unlikely to last much into the next day of course, your mileage may vary.

　　The Photo app The photo app starts off with the basic photo mode, being extremely easy to use with very quick access to the Portrait, Photo and Video modes, however if you want more control you can find that in the MORE option. Pro mode gives you manual controls, and you can add Expert RAW which gives another way to shoot raw photos if needed you can also shoot raw+JPEG/raw in the Pro mode (if you enable this in advanced settings).

　　Almost all the usual shooting modes are available as youd expect including portrait, video, Pro video, food, panorama, slow motion, hyperlapse, and portrait video in addition to the modes mentioned above. However, rather disappointing is the removal of the dedicated night mode which was useful for improved night photos. Dual rec, and single take are also no longer available as dedicated modes instead Dual record options can be found in the video mode settings.

　　There are a huge range of filters available in the photo mode, and theres even a whole range of film filters (both colour and black and white) such as classic film, pop film, aura film, retro film, cinematic film, modern film, vivid film, and noir film (as well as other filters without the word film at the end). These can be customised with adjustable film grain options as well for the authentic film look. You can build your own filter, copy a style from an existing photo, and even download additional filters from Samsung.

　　Photo editing options include a good range of settings, and you can also use Samsung Galaxy AI to edit photos, with photo assist, drawing assist, audio eraser, and weather wallpaper to name just a few of the AI features included. Its also possible to add background blur to portraits, once you find the settings, at the very end of the editing options. Of course, just because these AI features are here, doesnt mean you have to use them, and there are all the usual editing features as well (such as level, brightness, saturation, shadow adjustment etc).

　　Like all Samsung phones Ive used, you can quickly double-press the power button, and this will open the camera app, ready to shoot. Double press it again, and it will switch from the rear camera to the selfie camera (and vice-versa). Press the volume button(s) up or down, and you can use this to take a photo. This makes it really quick and easy to take photos, without having to unlock the phone first.

　　Performance You get pleasing colours from all cameras, especially when shooting in good light. In low-light, the best results can be found by using the main camera. Speaking of the main 50MP camera, it outputs 12MP images on default settings, and images have good levels of detail (but not outstanding).

　　Along with 0.6x, 1x, 2x, 3x options on-screen, you can also zoom beyond 3x telephoto zoom, with the camera offering up to 30x digital zoom, however we wouldnt recommend using this as the results lack detail and give a blurred image. Up to 10x zoom can give reasonable results, depending on what youre taking photos of and where you plan on sharing them.

　　Low-light and night photography In low-light the camera will automatically activate the Night mode if the camera decides its dark enough to need it. However, if the camera doesnt think its dark enough, then night mode cant be manually selected. If it becomes available it does give you the option for a longer exposure, but this setting disappears if the camera decides night mode isnt needed. Its all quite frustrating, and doesnt make it easy for you to be in control of the night mode.

　　If you do manage to enable it then the phone will use a longer shutter speed, and a lower ISO setting, giving lower noise, more detail, and a cleaner image, although you may prefer the colour and general exposure of the standard auto mode photo. In low-light the main camera gives the best results, thanks to the larger sensor, and brighter aperture (along with OIS). In comparison the ultra-wide-angle camera struggled with noise and colour.

　　Close up photography Unfortunately, because theres no auto-focus on the ultra-wide-angle camera the phone doesnt let you use the ultra-wide for macro photos. In an ideal world, the phone would have a telephoto camera with good close-up performance, like some other phones from the likes of Vivo, Xiaomi, etc.

　　Taking close-ups with the main camera can work relatively well, as long as you don’t get too close to the subject (care is always advised with animals). If you do, you’ll spot a lot of blur around your image, as the camera will crop from the main camera.

　　Another option is switching to manual/pro mode, so that you can select the telephoto camera, and this forces the camera to use the lens you selected and you can get reasonable close-up photos that look less distorted. If left in auto mode you may be left wondering what the camera has done but you can tell the difference by checking the EXIF information. If the phone has let you use the 3x telephoto camera, then your aperture will be shown as f/2.4. If the phone has cropped from the main camera, the aperture will show as f/1.8.

　　Using the ultra-wide-angle camera, noise is relatively well controlled, and images look well-corrected with minimal distortion visible. Images can look a little bit soft if you view them at 100%, but I dont know of many people who do this (other than people who review cameras). Youll get better results on bright sunny days, and ideally want to avoid shots with darker corners, as noise is more visible in these situations.

　　Using the telephoto camera, photos look good, with nice levels of detail considering the “low” resolution of a 10MP sensor. Photos are saved as 12MP images to match the photos you take with the other cameras on the phone.Lens flare can be an issue on all of the camera, but move or reframe the shot and most of the time you can get rid of it (if you want), or you can use it to give a more creative looking photo.

　　With a 12MP selfie camera, and auto-focus, shots are clear and detailed in good light, with the AF system ensuring the main subject has the correct focus point. This is often one of the first things to go missing from more budget orientated phones, so it’s nice to see auto-focus here, as expected. This also benefits vlogging when using the selfie camera for video recording.

　　The first time you use the selfie camera you get a Warm or Neutral option. Once you answer, it seems like the only way to ever get back to this setting is to go to the option to reset all camera settings.

　　Video options are well covered, with 8K available from the main camera, and 4K available from all the other cameras (including the selfie camera). There are plenty of options including stabilisation (on by default), as well as “Super steady” / Super Steady with horizon lock options, and a smooth zoom slider feature to help when zooming in and out. There’s also HDR video recording as standard, plus numerous audio options (in advanced settings). Video quality looks really good, and if you’re looking for a camera for YouTube, you’ll find there are a lot of people out there that use Samsung phones for video recording. You can also record Log in Pro video mode if you want!

　　Value for money The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is available for around $1099 (RRP) / £1099 for the 256GB version but it is often on offer this puts it in between mid-range and flagship phones, making the S26 look like a great deal. Somehow the 3x optical zoom lens doesnt feel like it competes so well with Google and Apple phones, with 5x optical zoom instead. The phone also looks weak in comparison to the S26 Ultra, but if thats too expensive then, the S26 Plus could be the best option if this is your budget, and you want a Samsung phone. Theres also a 3 year warranty in the UK.

　　If youre looking for competitors that offers similar features, then youre probably looking at the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, as the most obvious options. Other options include the Oppo Reno 16 Pro (albeit without wireless charging), and the Xiaomi 17T Pro (although the selfie camera lacks auto-focus). If youre looking for a cheaper option with similar features (generally speaking) the Samsung FE series is worth looking at, such as the S25 FE and S26 FE if/when Samsung release that, or even the S25 Plus, which is now impressive value for money.

　　Verdict If youre someone looking for a smaller Android smartphone, with a good range of cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S26 offers an excellent all-round package. There’s very little to complain about, now that the phone comes with 256GB as standard. Its also a big step up from the A57 in Samsungs budget range.

　　Like the S26, the S26 Plus has the same issue with macro photography, as there is no dedicated macro mode on this phone, but until Samsung offer periscope macro they’re not going to match (or beat) other brands. Its also a huge shame that the dedicated night mode has disappeared from the mode options (automatic night mode is still available, but why remove a genuinely useful feature?).

　　Look past these issues, then you get a phone thats a pleasure to use, with 256GB storage, with a nice screen and design, giving you a phone that lasts many years, thanks to Samsung offering 7 years of updates. Its perhaps easy to overlook the S26 and S26 Plus from Samsung, but its actually a rather impressive package that gives a whole lot more than just a camera phone.

　　Whilst the S26 Plus is a great all-round phone, there are a few areas wed like to see improved, and if you have the extra $200/£200 needed to go up to the S26 Ultra, then it is well worth it.

　　Related reading:

　　Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: a minor upgrade, but still class-leading Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Review A folding phone thats finally good enough for photographers Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review a class-leading Android Do you want to win some great prizes for your photography? Enter your photos in our International Amateur Photographer of the Year competition. Free entry for photographers aged 13-21.

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