The Samsung Galaxy S26 comes as a successor to the Samsung Galaxy S25.
Photo Credit: Samsung/AI generation
The all-new Samsung Galaxy S26 boasts a slightly larger display, a 2nm Exynos chipset in India, Android 16 out of the box, along with incremental upgrades in battery capacity compared to the Galaxy S25. However, both offer a similar camera setup, refresh rates, peak brightness and charging speeds.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 has been announced in India as the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S25, which was launched last year. Both smartphones are equipped with Galaxy AI features, along with high-end displays, powerful chipsets, camera systems and long-term software support. In this article, we will compare the Galaxy S26 with the Galaxy S25 to find out if the newly announced Galaxy S26 is worth upgrading.
The Galaxy S26 has been launched in two storage variants -- 12GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB -- priced at Rs 87,999 and Rs 1,07,999, respectively. However, the 12GB + 512GB variant is available for Rs 87,999 for a limited time.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 price on Amazon starts at Rs 74,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant, while the 12GB + 512GB variant is priced at Rs 86,999.
The Galaxy S26 has been launched in Black, White, Cobalt Violet and Sky Blue colours. Meanwhile, Silver Shadow and Pink Gold are exclusive to Samsung.com.
In contrast, the Galaxy S25 comes in Navy, Icy Blue, Silver Shadow and Mint colours, while Blue Black, Coral Red and Pink Gold are exclusive to Samsung.com.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S25 offer almost similar displays with FHD+ resolutions, Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels, a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits peak brightness. The only difference is that the Galaxy S26 has a 6.3-inch display, while the Galaxy S25 offers a smaller 6.2-inch display.
Winner: It's a tie, as the Galaxy S26 may feel slightly more spacious for media consumption, but it's not a game-changer.
The Galaxy S26 has a 6.3-inch display, while the Galaxy S25 offers a smaller 6.2-inch display.
Photo Credit: Samsung/ AI generation
In India, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is powered by the 2nm Exynos 2600 chipset, featuring a prime core clocked at 3.9GHz. In contrast, the Galaxy S25 is equipped with the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite octa-core processor, with a clock speed of up to 4.47GHz.
Winner: Galaxy S25, as the Snapdragon 8 Elite is touted as a stronger chipset overall based on available benchmarks and comparisons.
Both phones pack a 50MP OIS main camera, a 12MP ultrawide sensor and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. For selfies, there's a 12MP sensor on the front, capable of 4K video recording.
While the sensors, lenses or zoom capabilities are exactly the same, the Galaxy S26 benefits from improved AI enhancements and software processing.
Winner: Galaxy S26, but the differences are indeed subtle.
The all-new Samsung Galaxy S26 runs Android 16-based One UI 8.5 with 7 years of major OS upgrades and security patches. In contrast, the Galaxy S25 was launched with Android 15-based One UI 7, offering the same 7 years of Android OS upgrades and security updates.
Winner: Galaxy S26, as it starts newer.
In terms of AI features, the Galaxy S26 offers some key upgrades, including upgraded conversational Bixby, support for third-party agents like Gemini and Perplexity, improved Circle to Search and Now Brief, new Now Nudge, smarter Document Scan and more.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 has a solid Galaxy AI foundation but is less advanced than the Galaxy S26's third-gen refinements, with features like Now Brief, basic Now Nudge elements, Photo Assist, Interpreter, Live Translate and call-related AI.
Winner: Galaxy S26, as it builds on the Galaxy S25's AI with more adaptive and context-aware capabilities.
The Galaxy S26 houses a 4,300mAh battery, while the Galaxy S25 packs a 4,000mAh battery. Both phones support 25W wired charging, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 and Wireless PowerShare.
Winner: With minor changes in battery capacity, the Galaxy S26 takes an incremental lead.
Based on the specifications and features, we can say that both phones are nearly identical. However, you can choose the Galaxy S26 if you are looking for Android 16, more refined Galaxy AI, a slightly bigger display and better battery capacity.
However, if you go for the Galaxy S25, you can save around Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, as the Galaxy S26 is pricier compared to its predecessor.
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