Samsung has finally completed its A series lineup for this year with the introduction of the Galaxy A26. Alongside the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56, the Galaxy A26 is the most budget-friendly model in the series, excluding the earlier release of the Galaxy A16.
The official unveiling of the Galaxy A26 took place on either 1st or 2nd March 2025, depending on the region. In the UK, the phone will be available for purchase starting from 19th March 2025 through various channels including operators, retailers, and Samsung’s official website. While the phone is confirmed to make an appearance in the US, the exact availability date has not been disclosed yet.
In terms of pricing, the Galaxy A26 in both the UK and US comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, priced at £299/$299.99.
Design:
Samsung has made some refinements to the design of the Galaxy A26, making it slimmer at 7.7mm compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy A25. The phone now weighs 200g and boasts an IP67 rating, making it dust resistant and capable of withstanding water immersion up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. The phone is available in four color options: Black, White, Mint, and Peach Pink.
Display:
The Galaxy A26 features a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 1080p+ resolution, an upgrade from the 6.5-inch screen on the Galaxy A25. Unlike the A36 and A56 models, the A26 retains a notch for the selfie camera instead of a punch-hole design. The fingerprint reader is side-mounted on the device.
Performance:
Powered by the Exynos 1380 chipset, the Galaxy A26 offers either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. The phone also includes a microSD card slot for expandable storage. While the Exynos 1380 chipset is slightly slower in CPU performance compared to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 found in the A36, it still offers a decent performance.
Cameras:
The Galaxy A26 comes equipped with a triple-camera setup on the back, featuring a 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro sensor. The front-facing camera is a 13MP unit. However, the camera system lacks video HDR, which is available on higher-end A series models.
Battery & Charging:
The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, providing reliable battery life. It supports 25W charging, which may result in longer charging times compared to the A36 and A56 models that offer 45W charging.
Software:
The Galaxy A26 runs on Android 15 and One UI 7, offering a fresh software experience. Samsung has committed to providing six years of security updates and six major Android OS updates for the device.
In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy A26 brings a budget-friendly option to the A series lineup with its competitive pricing and decent specifications. Stay tuned for more updates on the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56 models, and check out the best budget and mid-range phones to see how the 2025 Galaxy A series models stack up against the competition.
