Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus Review: Packed with features that matter

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series made its way to Indian stores in mid-March.

The Galaxy S26 Plus is available in two configurations-- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage, and 12GB RAM + 512GB storage -with prices starting at Rs 1,19,999.

Design, build quality and display

The Galaxy S26 Plus retains most of the design elements of the S25+ and the S24+. They were good, and why change the winning formula? I agree, as it still maintains the uniqueness and also looks uniform across the premium Galaxy S26 series.

.Google Pixel 10a Review: Fine-tuned with new AI features. It comes in a minimalistic design with trademark metal-ringed camera islands on top of a glass-based capsule with an LED flash in the left corner and Samsung's brand engraving at the base of the back.

It has a smooth frosted glass cover. The matte finish does a fantastic job of repelling the fingerprint smudges.

The new S26 plus weighs around 190 grams and measures just 7.3 mm in thickness, 75.8mm wide and 158.4mm in length. It is easy to carry around in one's hand, and when put in the pocket, I could barely feel its weight.

That said, the device is made of high-grade build material. The rails around the display are made of aerospace-grade armour aluminium 2, good enough to withstand accidental falls.

. Further, both the front and the back panel are protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which ensures that the device is protected from daily wear and tear, such as scratches, when kept in the close confines with coins and keys in the pant pocket.

And, the Galaxy S26+ boasts an IP68 rating, meaning it can survive a drop in a freshwater body up to 1.5 metres (around five feet) for close to 30 minutes.

Samsung has covered all bases to ensure the Galaxy S26+ hold out against daily wear and tear, but the device is very expensive. It is recommended to get a nice cover case, and if there is any extra cash to spare, get Samsung Care+ for priority service appointments, subsidised charge on component replacement. Or, subscribe to the Galaxy Forever plan, which ensures customers get good value for the device next year to trade in for the Galaxy S27 series.

. On the front, the Galaxy S26+ sports a 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, HDR10+, supports peak brightness of 2,600 nits, and 120Hz refresh rate.

The device has one of the best displays on a smartphone, second only to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Thanks to Vision Booster tech, the display supports better readability and colour accuracy in bright outdoor conditions. It is really good to consume multimedia content on OTT apps and short videos on social media platforms.

. The optical ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor works really smoothly with a very low false rejection rate.

Performance

Samsung's premium phone houses a 2nm class Exynos 2600 deca-core (3.80GHz C1-Ultra x 1 core + 3.25GHz C1-Pro x 3 cores + 2.75GHz C1-Pro x 6 cores) chipset paired with Xclipse 960 GPU. It is backed by 12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage.

The device performs smoothly. While playing games, the device doesn't overheat indoors. However, outdoors in the summer heat, the Galaxy S26 Plus, like any other phone with a metal frame, get warmed up during long gaming sessions. That said, it is not overwhelming to complain about.

The device runs Android 16-based One UI 8.5 OS. It is clean and comes with a lot of customisation options in wallpaper and themes to match your style.

. The device is guaranteed to get seven years of Android OS updates and security patches up to 2032.

Something new you will find in the Galaxy S26 Plus is the deep integration of Perplexity AI. It is embedded across select Samsung apps — including Samsung Notes, Clock, Gallery, Reminder and Calendar, as well as select third-party apps. More apps will be supported later in the year.

Users will be able to summon Perplexity through a dedicated voice wake phrase, 'Hey Plex'. They will also have the option to use Perplexity AI via quick-access controls such as pressing and holding the side button, making contextual assistance easy to reach when needed.

. Furthermore, the Galaxy S26 series features an upgraded Bixby as a conversational device agent, making it more intuitive and easier than ever to interact with Galaxy devices. Users can navigate their devices and adjust settings using natural language, without the need for exact terminology or commands. This will come in really handy for senior citizens and non-tech-savvy customers.

The series upgrades Al editing tools, adds real-time features such as Now Brief and enhanced Circle to Search, and, as noted earlier, deeper integration with agents like Bixby, Gemini and Perplexity.

. Also, the user privacy security aspect has been covered by Samsung. The devices come with Private Album, Knox Matrix protection, and more.

It boasts of a 4,900mAh battery. It can easily last a whole day under normal usage with mixed dependence on Wi-Fi and cellular network. If you are fully reliant on the cellular internet all day, the device will need a power bank around late evening.

The device supports 45W wired fast charging. Within 30 minutes, it can reach around 65 per cent and hit 100 per cent within 50 minutes. It also comes with 20W wireless charging capability.

. Photography

Samsung Galaxy S26+ boasts of triple-camera module-- main 24mm 50 MP wide camera (with f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, 1.0µm pixel size, dual pixel PDAF: Phase Detection Auto Focus, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation) backed by a 67mm 10 MP telephoto sensor (f/2.4, 1/3.94-inch sensor, 1.0µm pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) and a 13mm 12 MP ultrawide sensor (f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ field-of-view, 1/2.55-inch sensor, 1.4µm pixel size, support Super Steady video) with LED flash.

. It takes brilliant photos in almost any light conditions. It captures all the details, and with respect to colours, they look a bit more vibrant than they appear to the eye. This is not a complaint. They are really good, worthy to be shared on social media platforms.

. The device also excels in night mode. The images are sharp with less noise. Also, the camera does a fine job of balancing the light coming from neon lights on the billboard and street lamps. And, most importantly, ensure the frame retains the darkness, the true essence of the night; Unlike some branded phones, it does not blow up the sky's colour and make it look like the photo is taken around evening time.

. It takes nice photos in the ultrawide mode. It retains the details pretty nicely.

. With portrait mode, the device does a fine job with sharp focus on the subject. Be it a pet cat or dog, or a human face or flower, the phone's camera manages to get the contours of the hairy head or the petals perfectly and artfully blurs the background to perfection.

. At close range too, the Galaxy S26+ capture the subject with all the minute details in crisp quality.

. Samsung phone also comes with the most advanced AI-powered editing tools to remove, add objects and do more, to deliver an enhanced photography experience.

The device supports 8K at 24/30 frames per second (fps) and full HD 1080p video at 30/60 fps. It can also record 1080p slo-mo at 240 fps.

On the front, it houses a 23mm 12 MP wide camera (f/2.2, 1/3.2-inch sensor, 1.12µm pixel size, dual pixel PDAF). It takes brilliant selfies in the sunlight.

. Also, it can record really good full HD (at 30 fps) and 4K videos at 30/60fps.

Final thoughts

Like the S26 Ultra, the S26 Plus is an incremental upgrade over the predecessor. That said, it sets a high benchmark for the display quality, and also the camera is very good.

Also, the gen AI features, including the photography tools, are well baked into the device to deliver an excellent user experience. Battery life-wise, it can easily last a whole day under normal usage.

. Overall, the Galaxy S26 Plus is a really good premium phone, well-packed with features that matter.

Galaxy S26 Plus is available in two configurations-- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage, and 12GB RAM + 512GB storage -- for Rs 1,19,999 and Rs 1,39,999, respectively.

.Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: Refined with meaningful upgrades. Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech .

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus Review: Packed with features that matter

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