Samsung Galaxy A26 review
Samsung Galaxy A26 offers a 6.7-inch display, Exynos 1380 chipset, Gorilla Glass Victus+, and IP67 resistance for great value.
Samsung Galaxy A26 might have launched later than expected, but it comes with some nice upgrades in the A2x series. It has a bigger 6.7-inch screen, a stronger Exynos 1380 chipset, and better durability, making it a great option for its price.
Along with IP67 water & dust resistance, Samsung also added Gorilla Glass Victus+ to the front and rear. Particularly for a low-cost phone, these features offer A26 a good balance of performance and dependability.
Let’s review the features of Galaxy A26 in more detail & compare it to other phones.
Samsung Galaxy A26 Specification
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | March 19, 2025 |
| Weight | 200g |
| Dimensions | 164 x 77.5 x 7.7 mm |
| Operating System | Android 15, One UI 7, 6 major updates |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB, microSDXC support |
| Display | 6.7″ Super AMOLED, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 120Hz |
| Protection | Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Processor | Exynos 1380 (Global), Exynos 1280 (LATAM) |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB/8GB |
| Main Camera | 50 MP (wide), 8 MP (ultrawide), 2 MP (macro) |
| Selfie Camera | 13 MP |
| Battery | 5000 mAh, 25W wired charging |
| SIM | Dual Nano-SIM, IP67 dust/water resistant |
| Sound | No 3.5mm jack, loudspeaker |
| Network | 5G, LTE, GSM, HSPA |
| Colors | Black, White, Mint, Peach Pink |
| Price | ₹24,999 / $299 / £299 / €299 |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 579,811, GeekBench: 2768, 3DMark: 794 |
| Battery Life | 10:44 hours active use |
Samsung Galaxy A26 Design and Build: Sleek, Durable and Comfortable Review
The Samsung Galaxy A26 follows the design trends of the 2025 Galaxy A series with a flat body, rounded edges, and a slightly raised camera on the back. Unlike its pricier siblings, the A26 features a plastic frame but upgrades its durability with a Gorilla Glass Victus+ back panel.
At just 7.7mm thick, the A26 is slim, secure, and comfortable to hold, offering a better grip than some other glass phones. It also boasts IP67 water and dust resistance meaning it can withstand being submerged in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.
A26’s design is famous for its useful side-mounted fingerprint reader that doubles as a power button. It is available in Black, White, Mint, Peach, and Pink (some colors vary by market). Although some people can find under-display readers more convenient, the side-mounted scanner is a good option for unlocking the phone because it is dependable and fast.
Samsung Galaxy A26 Display, Battery Life, Charging and Speakers Review
Samsung Galaxy A26 features a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate offering smooth visuals, though it lacks HDR support. The brightness, however, falls short with a maximum of 777 nits in auto mode, making it less ideal for bright outdoor usage.
Battery life is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, but its performance is disappointing, with only 10:44 hours of active use. This puts it behind many competitors in its price range.
Charging speed is capped at 25W, taking about 1 hour and 26 minutes for a full charge, which is slower compared to others in the same category. However, it includes options to protect battery health.
The A26’s audio experience is limited to a bottom-firing speaker, offering poor sound quality with a dull and tinny tone compared to its predecessor, which featured stereo speakers.
Samsung Galaxy A26 Software and Performance Review
Samsung Galaxy A26 runs Android 15 and One UI 7, with six years of updates and security patches. It’s a good deal for a budget phone, but keeping it smooth after multiple updates could be tricky.
The One UI interface is familiar, though there are some design changes. Some advanced features are missing, but tools like Google’s Circle to Search and Object Eraser are still available, though not as powerful as on high-end phones.
The phone has AI Select, which can grab text from photos, create GIFs, or make custom wallpapers from photos.
It’s powered by the Exynos 1380 chip with 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 6. It performs well for everyday tasks, but can be a bit slow sometimes. There are options from 6GB/128GB to 12GB/512GB, with storage expandable up to 2TB.
In benchmarks, it’s not the fastest, but it’s better than some competitors like the Moto G Power (2025). The performance is stable, but not top-tier.
Galaxy A26 offers solid software and decent performance for the price, but it’s not the most powerful option in its class.
Samsung Galaxy A26 Camera Review
Samsung Galaxy A26 has a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 13MP front camera.
In good light, it takes decent photos with good colors. In low light or indoors, pictures can be blurry and grainy. Portraits are good but can sometimes have focus issues. The 2x zoom is blurry and lacks detail. The ultrawide camera gives soft photos with limited range but decent colors. Selfies are clear and colorful, even in tough lighting.
In low light, the main camera tries to brighten photos, but they can still be noisy and have bad colors. The ultrawide camera struggles even more. The main camera records 4K video but without stabilization, it’s shaky. The 1080p video from the other cameras is okay but not detailed.
In short, the Galaxy A26 works well in good light but struggles in low light and with zoom. The selfies are great, but the video quality could be better.
Pros and Cons of Samsung Galaxy A26
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 📱 Strong, durable design with IP67 rating | 🌞 Display could be brighter |
| 🤖 Android 15 with 6 years of OS updates | 🎥 Video stability could be better |
| 🤳 Excellent selfie camera | 🔋 Battery life is not impressive |
| 💾 microSD card slot for storage expansion | 📵 Virtual proximity sensor works less effectively |
| 📱 | 🔊 No stereo speakers |
| 📱 | ⚡ Charger is not included in the box |
Conclusion
Galaxy A26 has some upgrades from last year, like a bigger 6.7-inch display, better water resistance, and Gorilla Glass on both sides. It also has a stronger chipset from the A35 and keeps the microSD slot.
But, it doesn’t stand out much. The screen isn’t very bright, the camera quality could be better, and charging is slow. Battery life is average, and it lost the stereo speakers from the A25. The performance is not the best.
Even with a lower price, the A26 is tough to recommend since it lacks features like stereo speakers and wireless charging that other phones in the same price range offer.
