Samsung Galaxy A26 5G Preview: AI for the masses
Samsung Galaxy A26 Intro
AI has been the big buzzword in the industry for the past couple of years, and companies are doing everything in their power to hop on that train. Apple invented Apple Intelligence, and now Samsung has come up with another clever use of that abbreviation—Awesome Intelligence.
This trimmed-down version of Galaxy AI can be found on the latest A-series phones, and the Galaxy A26 is one of them. It's hands-down the most affordable way to dip your toes in Samsung's AI algorithms, but the phone comes with other goodies onboard.
From the bright and vivid 6.7-inch AMOLED display that offers a fast 120Hz refresh rate to the slim design and the hefty 5,000 mAh battery, the Galaxy A26 is a great affordable midranger. And speaking of affordable, the base 6/128GB version starts at €299/$299. The phone is already available across Europe and will hit US stores on March 28.
Today we've stirred up a quick preview (we were able to test the phone during MWC in Barcelona) for you to check out while we wait for the test unit to land on our lab table. Needless to say, this preview will morph into a full-blown review with scores, benchmarks, and a final verdict once we lay our techy hands on the unit.
This trimmed-down version of Galaxy AI can be found on the latest A-series phones, and the Galaxy A26 is one of them. It's hands-down the most affordable way to dip your toes in Samsung's AI algorithms, but the phone comes with other goodies onboard.
Today we've stirred up a quick preview (we were able to test the phone during MWC in Barcelona) for you to check out while we wait for the test unit to land on our lab table. Needless to say, this preview will morph into a full-blown review with scores, benchmarks, and a final verdict once we lay our techy hands on the unit.
Table of Contents:
Samsung Galaxy A26 Specs
Is that a macro camera?
Let's start with an overview of the Galaxy A26 specs:
| Samsung Galaxy A26 | Samsung Galaxy A25 |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight 164 x 77.5 x 7.7 mm, 200 grams | Size and Weight 161 x 76.5 x 8.3 mm, 197 grams |
| Display 6.7 inches AMOLED 1080 x 2340 pixels 120Hz | Display 6.5 inches AMOLED 1080 x 2340 pixels 120Hz |
| Processor Exynos 1380 (5 nm) | Processor Exynos 1280 (5 nm) |
| Software Android 15 Up to 6 major Android upgrades One UI 7 | Software Android 14 Up to 4 major Android upgrades One UI 6.1 |
| Cameras 50MP main-wide 8MP ultrawide 2MP macro | Cameras 50MP main-wide 8MP ultrawide 2MP macro |
| Battery Size 5,000 mAh | Battery Size 5,000 mAh |
| Charging Speeds 25W wired No wireless | Charging Speeds 25W wired No wireless |
| Prices $299 for the 6/128GB model | Prices Price at launch - $299 for the 6/128GB version |
Samsung Galaxy A26 Design and Display
Bigger is better, right?
The Galaxy A26 kind of takes a step back in the design department. Instead of following the same design language as its predecessor, the A26 swaps the separate camera housings on the back for a pill-shaped camera bump.
Around the body, things have remained unchanged from the previous generation; the chin under the display has shrunk, and the overall bezel around the screen is thinner. Unlike its bigger brothers, the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56, the A26 uses a teardrop notch for the front camera.
The size of the Galaxy A26 has increased to accommodate the bigger screen (6.7 vs 6.5 on the previous generation), but the weight has remained roughly the same at 200 grams. One key difference is the glass back, which utilizes Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus+, and the same protection can also be found on the front.
There's also IP67 dust and water protection onboard, so in terms of materials and protection from the elements, Samsung has upped its game a notch with the A26, compared to its predecessor.
The display of the Galaxy A26 has grown a bit to a respectable 6.7 inches diagonal. The resolution is the same as the one on the previous model—1080 x 2340 pixels. This leads to slightly lower pixel density at around 385 PPI (compared to 395 PPI on the A25).
The screen is a Super AMOLED panel with a smooth 120Hz display refresh rate, and Samsung advertises 1000 nits of brightness in High Brightness mode, just like was the case with the predecessor. Stay tuned for our in-depth display tests.
In terms of biometrics, the Galaxy A26 relies on a side-mounted capacitive fingerprint scanner. These normally work quite fast and accurately, but we have to test it to give you more information on that.
In terms of biometrics, the Galaxy A26 relies on a side-mounted capacitive fingerprint scanner. These normally work quite fast and accurately, but we have to test it to give you more information on that.
Samsung Galaxy A26 Camera
The days of the macro camera aren't over
The camera system on the Galaxy A26 is virtually the same as the one found on its predecessor. We have one main camera using a 50MP Samsung JN1 sensor under a lens with an aperture of f/1.8 and an equivalent focal length of 27 mm.
It's not a particularly large sensor at 1/2.76", and the pixel size is also quite uninspiring at 0.64 µm, but it comes with OIS and phase detection autofocus. Judging from the samples taken with A25, we expect a decent performance from the main camera of the A26, especially in good lighting conditions, but we'll have to snap some samples to check that theory out.
Further down the camera specs, we find an 8MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 120-degree field of view camera with fixed focus, and boy oh boy, a 2MP macro camera. Nowadays, most manufacturers have either given up on macro cameras or are offering some kind of macro mode on their ultrawide or telephoto cameras, but here we are with a dedicated macro on the Galaxy A26. We'll make sure to snap some macro samples once the phone arrives to give you an idea of what you can do with this 2MP camera.
It's not a particularly large sensor at 1/2.76", and the pixel size is also quite uninspiring at 0.64 µm, but it comes with OIS and phase detection autofocus. Judging from the samples taken with A25, we expect a decent performance from the main camera of the A26, especially in good lighting conditions, but we'll have to snap some samples to check that theory out.
Further down the camera specs, we find an 8MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 120-degree field of view camera with fixed focus, and boy oh boy, a 2MP macro camera. Nowadays, most manufacturers have either given up on macro cameras or are offering some kind of macro mode on their ultrawide or telephoto cameras, but here we are with a dedicated macro on the Galaxy A26. We'll make sure to snap some macro samples once the phone arrives to give you an idea of what you can do with this 2MP camera.
Samsung Galaxy A26 Performance & Benchmarks
Exynos is not dead!
We can't be too picky about the hardware inside a $299 phone, so we go easy on the Exynos 1380 inside the Galaxy A26. It's a small step up from the previous model, which, in all fairness, wasn't slow by any means. We expect the Galaxy A26 to perform solidly in everyday tasks and even handle casual gaming well. We'll add the synthetic benchmark scores shortly.
Samsung Galaxy A26 Software
Awesome Intelligence for everyone!
Here lies one of the big selling points of the Galaxy A26. With the latest A-series devices, Samsung announced the trimmed-down version of its Galaxy AI suite, called Awesome Intelligence. Whether or not this is a tease toward Apple's own Apple Intelligence is not important. The important thing is that people will be able to experience the core AI features without the need to dish out thousands of dollars on a flagship.
The core AI features that come with Awesome Intelligence on the Galaxy A26 include Google's Circle to Search, Object Eraser, and Filters. The first one is a well-known entity and offers contextual visual search, powered by AI algorithms. Object Eraser is also pretty self-explanatory; you mark an object or a person inside a phone, and the algorithms make it disappear. Filters can extract a color style from a photo you like and apply it to another picture. This sounds pretty neat and useful, and we'll test these in depth once we get our review unit.
Finally, the Galaxy A26 comes with Android 15 out of the box, paired with One UI 7, and Samsung also promises up to 6 major Android updates, which is a pretty decent bonus and a serious commitment for a phone in this price range.
Samsung Galaxy A26 Battery
Pretty solid affair
There's a 5,000 mAh battery cell inside the Galaxy A26, the same size as the one found on the A25. It's a conventional lithium-ion battery, no fancy silicon-carbon tech onboard, but given the midrange chipset, it should provide more than adequate battery life.
The Galaxy A25 was able to achieve a composite battery score of 5 hours and 44 minutes, and we expect the result of the successor to be in the same ballpark. When it comes to charging, things remain pretty slow on the A-series front. The Galaxy A26 supports 25W wired charging, and there are no wireless charging coils anywhere to be found.
Stay tuned for our battery and charging tests.
Should you buy it?
As preliminary as this preview might be, the Galaxy A26 is shaping out to be a great budget offering. For just $299 you're getting a big 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate (we're looking at you, Apple!), a solid 5,000 mAh battery, one decent main camera, and access to Samsung's core AI suite called Awesome Intelligence.
The design of the Galaxy A26 is also quite pleasing, and there's Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front AND back, plus IP67 ingress protection. We'll update the preview with all the benchmarks, tests, and camera samples and give you a final verdict soon.
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