Samsung Galaxy A26 review

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Introduction and specs

The Galaxy A26 arrives a bit late this time around, but it brings a bigger display and a more powerful chipset to the affordable A2x series.

The Exynos 1380 chip from last year's Galaxy A35 has trickled down the lineup. The A26 also gets a bigger 6.7-inch display (up from 6.5") and improved materials. You will find Gorilla Glass Victus+ protective sheets on the front and back.

Additionally, the A26 gets proper IP67 ingress protection, far better than standard splash-proofed phones in the same price bracket.

Samsung Galaxy A26 specs at a glance:

• Body: 164.0x77.5x7.7mm, 200g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), plastic frame, glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+); IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.70" Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 385ppi; Always-on display.
• Chipset: Exynos 1380 (5 nm) - Global, Exynos 1280 (5 nm) - LATAM: Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - Global, Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - LATAM; Mali-G68 MP5 - Global, Mali-G68 - LATAM.
• Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 15, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 7.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 27mm, 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/4", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@480fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 25W wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.3; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Virtual proximity sensing, Circle to Search.

The rest of the hardware is very familiar - 50MP main camera joined by an 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro, while the front gets a 13MP shooter. The battery capacity remains 5,000 mAh with 25W fast charging support.

Samsung managed to add a few notable upgrades here and there without increasing the price, making it a sensible budget smartphone in the mid-€200 range.

But what about the competition? Well, first, we would have to run our usual tests before we give our verdict.

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy A26

The Galaxy A26 comes in a modest retail box containing only the usual user manuals and a USB-C to USB-C cable for data transfer and charging. There are no additional protective cases or anything.

The phone supports up to 25W fast charging over PD using Samsung's PPS, so you will have to buy one separately to take advantage of the fast charging rate.