I really wanted to like the Galaxy S26, but Samsung is making it hard this year. I tested the S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra, and there are basically two stories: the Ultra actually has a legit new trick, while the base models feel like they’re just kind of…existing. The big headline on the Ultra is the new privacy screen that can selectively block side viewing (even just notifications) and it’s genuinely clever Samsung Display wizardry. You also get the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (at least in the Ultra/US context), plus a handful of smaller tweaks like wider apertures and improved charging. The base S26, though, is where things fall apart. It’s $100 more expensive, drops millimeter wave on the base model, and the camera hardware is essentially the same setup Samsung’s been shipping since 2023 (S23 through S26). There’s still no Qi2 magnetic charging, which feels like a “buy our case” situation. And when you zoom out, the pricing trap gets worse: Samsung can’t easily price above the iPhone, and unlike Apple, they don’t have a massive services business to subsidize hardware. Add in the internal Samsung-vs-Samsung cost pressures (like memory pricing), and it starts to look like the S line is losing priority while foldables get the real energy.