Samsung Galaxy S26 S26+ Cobalt Violet 512GB

The S26+ is one of the fastest phones we've ever tested and its battery outlasts almost everything on the market. But its camera is just average and the screen doesn't stand out, making that $1810 price a hard sell. You're paying for top-tier performance and endurance, not a class-leading display or photo experience.

The Galaxy S26+ posts a performance score that puts it in the absolute top tier of every phone we've ever tested, landing in the 97th percentile. That means app launches, multitasking, and heavy games all happen in the blink of an eye, and you'll be hard pressed to find a faster daily driver. Battery life is equally ridiculous, clocking in among the best we've seen, with our tests showing it outlasts 95% of the competition. Combine that with top-tier connectivity like Wi-Fi 7 and a 5G modem that's basically futureproof, and you've got a powerhouse that never leaves you hanging.

But not everything matches the price. The camera system, while perfectly capable, sits right around average in our database, and the display is exactly middle of the pack for color accuracy and brightness. That's a tough pill to swallow at $1810, especially when you consider the phone's ruggedness score is a disappointing 42.5 out of 100. You're paying for speed and stamina, not photographic brilliance or drop-it-and-forget-it durability. Samsung happily leans into Galaxy AI, with features like Now Nudge and Photo Assist, and while they can be handy, they don't transform the core experience.

Under the hood, the combination of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12GB of RAM is an outright beast. In our benchmark suite, this phone sits comfortably ahead of last year's flagships and ties the very best on the market today. App switching is instantaneous, 4K video editing on the device doesn't stutter, and demanding games run at high frame rates without breaking a sweat. We saw a 72.9 out of 100 in our gaming tests, which is solid but tells you the S26+ favors raw compute over dedicated gamer cooling, so an ASUS ROG Phone will still edge it out for marathon sessions.

The 512GB of UFS storage is generous and means you won't be clearing out photos and videos anytime soon. Paired with that 5G and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, downloads and streaming feel borderline instant. If you're coming from a two-year-old Galaxy or a midrange phone, the leap in responsiveness is dramatic, you'll notice apps that used to take a beat to load now appear the moment you tap.

At $1810, the S26+ demands a premium price, but the value really depends on what you care about. For sheer processing power and battery endurance, you're getting best-in-class performance that'll stay snappy for years. However, you can snag a Pixel 10 Pro XL for less and get a vastly superior camera, or a OnePlus 15 with nearly identical internals for several hundred bucks cheaper. You're paying a Samsung tax here, and what you get in return is a battery champ and AI tricks, but not a complete flagship package.

When you stack the S26+ against its main rivals, it's a mixed bag. The iPhone 17 can't touch Samsung's battery life and ties it in raw speed, but Apple's camera system and display blow the S26+ out of the water. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is even more lopsided: Google's computational photography makes Samsung's 50MP main sensor look dated, and the Pixel's screen is noticeably better, though the S26+ wins on charging speed and horsepower. The OnePlus 15 delivers the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and a very similar experience for a lower price, but its battery doesn't last as long. Hardcore mobile gamers should look at the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro instead, which sacrifices some battery for a faster display and better cooling. The S26+ is the endurance runner of the bunch, but it stumbles in the creative and visual departments.

Skip the S26+ if camera quality or display wow-factor are high on your list. The photo and screen performance are firmly average, and at this price you can get a Pixel or iPhone that shoots noticeably better pictures and looks more vibrant. The phone's ruggedness score is also one of the lowest we've measured, so anyone who's clumsy or works outdoors will want something tougher, and probably a rugged case to go with it.

Buy the Galaxy S26+ if your top priorities are raw speed and battery that won't quit. It's a performance monster that multitasks like a champ and will easily outlast your longest days. But you have to be okay with a camera that's merely fine and a display that doesn't pop like a true flagship should. If you can live with those trade-offs and the steep price, it's a reliable powerhouse. Photographers, cinephiles, and bargain hunters should look elsewhere.