6 reasons why I chose the Samsung Galaxy S26 over the S26 Ultra

For most of my adult life, I’ve been drawn to larger phones like the iPhone Pro Max and Samsung’s Ultra models. But in the last few years, I have spent time with many compact devices – Samsung Galaxy S25, OnePlus 13s, and now the Samsung Galaxy S26. And I have to admit, switching to something smaller feels refreshing.

That said, compact phones usually come with their fair share of compromises, and thermals are often the biggest concern. That’s where the Galaxy S26 does things differently – it handles most everyday tasks without getting uncomfortably warm.

But that’s not the only good thing about it. There are several reasons why I chose the Galaxy S26 over the S26 Ultra, and why I think you should too.

I knew after a few minutes of using the Galaxy S26 that I liked it. It’s light, but not in a way that makes it feel cheap. The aluminum frame adds enough heft to remind me that it’s still a premium phone. I don’t have to think about how I handled it.

One-handed use feels natural thanks to its sleek design; access to the buttons is also easy, and it fits in my bag without friction. What really caught my eye was going back to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It sounded big and unpleasant in a way I had never seen before. It’s safe to say, the S26 won me over a bit, and I love every bit of it.

The S26 hasn’t changed much in terms of design, apart from a slight tweak to the camera island, which gives it a clean look. I’ve been using Cobalt Violet lately, and it grew on me. It’s smart, not something that stands out right away, but it looks good when the light hits it at certain angles. The only thing I notice a little is the back. It’s a little slippery, and I’m always aware of it when I use it without a case. Of course, wearing it adds a lot of bulk and takes away from its beauty, but it’s still better than dealing with a broken back.

I’m still going back to the size, but the display is also holding up well. It’s only 0.1 inches bigger than the S25, so there isn’t much of a difference. Most of my time with the S26 I binge-watched Breaking Bad on Netflix – colors felt rich without being overwhelming, details remained sharp, and dark images were handled well with convincing blacks. I never wished for a bigger screen, and this just worked for the way I use my phone.

What’s more, whenever I took the S26 out on the beach, the display was bright enough for my WhatsApp messages to be read, and the 120Hz refresh rate kept everything smooth while surfing.

Both the Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra run on the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip (at least in the US), so I went in expecting them to feel the same. And that’s exactly what happened. The small size doesn’t make the S26 feel underpowered.

Most of my time with the phone is spent doing mundane things. I’m constantly going through notes, to-dos, emails, and getting distracted by brainrot reels on Instagram. Anywhere in between, I’ve been clicking photos of random things that catch my eye and playing a few rounds of Call of Duty: Mobile to kill time. And, the S26 managed all of this without fuss, and that’s what I’m really asking for. What really stands out is how the phone handles heat. Earlier models could heat up under pressure, but this time around, things feel more controlled. The Galaxy S26 stays cool and stable in regular use, which makes a big difference.

Most of my experiences happened while I was out and about, hopping between restaurants in the high summer. That’s usually when I first notice the phones slowing down or heating up, especially when I’m gaming or using the camera.

With the S26, usability and performance remained consistent over time. However, it was not good for its time. I noticed that the phone gets a little warm around the camera island while recording 4K video for 10 minutes straight. That said, it never got to the point where the phone was uncomfortable to hold. That’s a relief, because I don’t want my phone to shake just because it’s connected.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 has a 50 MP primary camera, a 10 MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12 MP Ultrawide on the back, along with a 12 MP front camera for selfies. It’s a common setup, but it’s one that I’ve generally found reliable in my use.

I spent a week at a beach resort and relied on the S26 for cameras. It captures the blues of the water and the soft blues of the sky well. It can, at times, exceed the saturation levels of red and green, making it appear different from what it really is. While I personally like it, you can disable it in settings by turning off event detection.

That said, the Achilles heel of any Samsung phone I’ve used in the past seems to be the power model. If I point the camera at a strong light source, like the sun, the foreground tends to lose brightness.

In low light, the phone does a good job of capturing details and keeping important details under control. However, it is not perfect. In very dark places with little light, you will notice a soft noise when you look closely. But as soon as there is a hint of lighting, the shots are well cleaned and maintain clear details. The 3x telephoto is the one I kept coming back to. This is the ideal length for taking portraits of people. It quickly became my default, and made me realize that I won’t be able to achieve 5x zoom from the S26 Ultra that often.

Samsung and AI feel almost inseparable at this point. Features like Object Eraser, Now Brief, real-time suggestions, and Now Nudge are always there when you need them. Samsung hasn’t made any special features for the crème de la crème, so you get the same hardware on all the phones.

Object Eraser, in particular, has become one of the features I keep coming back to. I was trying to get a clean picture of my friend at the cafe, but there were people in the frame. So, I carefully mapped out the people in the picture, and deleted them. While I don’t use every feature every day, having them when I need them makes a big difference.

I’ve been using smartphones for years, and I don’t upgrade unless I have to. So, long software support is something I appreciate.

The Galaxy S26 gets seven years of software updates and security patches across its lineup. That means I still get new software features and updates without having to use a new device that may launch next year.

For many people, myself included, the Galaxy S26 feels like the smarter and more reliable choice. It gives you almost everything the Ultra does, but at a size that’s easy to live with. It’s light and manageable, and easy on the wallet.

Yes, the price has gone up by about $100 this year. But at the same time, there are several important improvements: a new, faster chipset, the type of basic storage increased from 128GB to 256GB, and a slightly larger battery.

The only two things I miss from the Galaxy S26 Ultra are the Privacy Display when traveling on public transport and a slightly bigger battery. But I have no reason to spend $400 more for just these two things. So, the S26 already covers what most people really need, and it does so at a lower price than the S26 Ultra, even with this year’s increase.