Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra SM-S948UZKAXAA Black 256GB

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera is best-in-class, and its battery life and display are among the best on the market. The privacy screen and AI tools genuinely add value, but the massive size and inflated prices from shady vendors are turnoffs. If you can find it at a sane price, it's the Android phone to beat.

With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and 12GB of RAM, this thing flies. App switching is instant, and 8K video exports don't make it break a sweat. Gaming is buttery smooth even with maxed-out graphics, thanks to that adaptive 120Hz display. Our testing puts it in the top 5% of all phones for raw speed, and that tracks. The only mild nitpick is that some competitors now offer 16GB of RAM, so heavy multitaskers might eye that gap, but for 99% of people, performance is overkill in the best way.

Next to the iPhone 17, Samsung pulls ahead on zoom versatility and that S Pen, while Apple still edges it out on video consistency and software ecosystem. The OnePlus 15 charges twice as fast, but its camera can't keep up with this kind of detail. And if you're eyeing the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro for gaming, know that the S26 Ultra nearly matches its gaming chops while delivering a camera that's in a totally different universe. The Google Pixel 10a is no contest here—this is a flagship through and through.

Here's the weird part: we've seen this phone listed anywhere from $1100 to over $21,000. The reasonable price is around $1100 unlocked, which puts it in line with other top-tier flagships. If you're paying much more than that, you're getting fleeced. Stick with trusted retailers like Best Buy where you'll find the standard price and a price match guarantee, otherwise you might end up funding someone's vacation.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is Samsung throwing everything it's got at the wall, and honestly, most of it sticks. The camera system is absurdly capable, the battery just won't quit, and the new privacy display is a genuinely smart trick. It's big, it's heavy, and it demands a lot of pocket space, but if you want the most feature-packed Android phone on the planet, this is where the conversation starts.

The AI features are more than just marketing fluff this time. Photo Assist lets you clean up or completely reimagine images with a quick prompt, and Now Nudge actually manages to surface the right info at the right time. Pair that with the S Pen tucked inside, and you've got a device that automates enough of the busywork to let you focus on what you're doing. It's the kind of phone that makes older flagships feel a little slow.

If you want a phone that fits comfortably in one hand or don't care about having the best camera system possible, this isn't for you. The compact design score is one of the worst we've seen, so those with small pockets or a preference for lightweight devices should look at the standard S26 or something like the Pixel 10a.

Buy this if you're a photography nut who wants the absolute best smartphone camera right now, or if you're a power user who'll actually use the S Pen, AI tricks, and multitasking muscle. It's the most complete Android experience you can buy, as long as your hands are big enough to hold it.