DT Next Tech | The Samsung Galaxy S26 makes a strong case for a small flagship smartphone

CHENNAI: Samsung has stuck to a threepronged approach for its flagship Samsung Galaxy flagship line. At the top of the pack is the Ultra, the biggest sibling and one of the most formidable Android flagships with cutting-edge hardware and a massive display. This year too, the Galaxy S26 trio includes the Ultra, the middle sibling – the S26+ and the smaller S26 that is positioned as the compact flagship. For long the S26 remained one of the ‘go to’ options for Android users who didn’t want to move around with a clunky device. We’ve seen that change with launches from multiple brands as compact flagships have become the flavour of the season. Does the S26 still hold its own in this evolving market dynamic?

Samsung hasn’t altered the design much, the S26 will remind you of its predecessors and yet it’s still a gorgeous looking device. We dig the overall design language that comes with a redesigned camera island that adds it’s to its premium vibe. It’s under 170 gm and feels really light yet solid in your hand. Samsung keeps the bezels to the minimum. This is a phone that will slip into your slimmest jeans and is light enough for those never-ending texting sessions.

It’s not just the camera island that gets a tweak. The rear cam gets a boost from software optimisations and Samsung’s ProVisual Engine that reduces noise in lowlight. While the rear cam hardware (50MP primary lens, 10MP telephoto with up to 3x optical zoom and a 12MP ultra-wide lens) remains unchanged, the device offers an improved performance over its predecessor thanks to software optimisations and the new chipset. This device is powered by the Exynos 2600 processor and comes in 12GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB storage options. The S26 blazed through our tests and scored above 11,000 in our Geekbench benchmark (multi-core) tests.(Ashwin Rajagopalan is a lifestyle writer and consumer technology expert. Catch the latest digital and tech updates in this weekly column.)

Samsung’s smartphone displays remain among our favourite. The S26 comes with a 6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display (1080 x 2340 pixels) that peaks at 2600 nits and is among the best in this compact segment. While the 4300 mAh battery should work for most users, we wish Samsung offers higher charging speeds (25W charging doesn’t compare favourably with some of its rivals).

The Samsung Galaxy S26 remains one of our favourite compact smartphones with a dependable camera, a vibrant display, a bunch of AI tools and seven years of Android OS updates. But it’s not the only compact flagship show in town with multiple options that offer great camera performance and more robust battery performance.

(Rs 87,999 onwards)

(Ashwin Rajagopalan is a lifestyle writer and consumer technology expert. Catch the latest digital and tech updates in this weekly column.)