I’m a die-hard Pixel fan, and I’m jealous of the Galaxy S26 Ultra
Source: Android Authority
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
As a longtime Pixel fan — and someone who’s generally been unimpressed by the last few years of Samsung’s Galaxy S phones — I wasn’t expecting much going into this week’s Galaxy S26 launch. All the rumors suggested we were in store for another year of mediocre updates, and, for the most part, those rumors were true.
However, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, I find myself much more interested in it than I expected. I’m not ready to throw away my Pixel just yet, but Samsung made a couple of key changes that have me feeling pretty jealous.
Samsung fixed my biggest hardware complaints
While I’ve always appreciated the high‑spec, feature‑rich nature of Samsung’s Ultra phones, I’ve never been able to stick with one for more than a couple of weeks. One of the biggest reasons is that the Ultras have felt extremely uncomfortable — owing to their size, weight, and boxy designs.
With the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung appears to have completely remedied this.
- Thickness: 7.9 mm
- Weight: 214 g
These numbers make it the lightest Ultra phone yet. Compared to my Pixel 10 Pro, the S26 Ultra is only 7 g heavier and 0.6 mm thinner, despite having a much larger 6.9‑inch display (the Pixel 10 Pro has a 6.3‑inch screen). A fairer comparison is the Pixel 10 Pro XL, which is 18 g heavier than the S26 Ultra.
Google’s smartphones have been on the heavier side since the Pixel 9 series, and the company shows no sign of slimming down. Samsung’s tangible progress on size and weight is something I hope Google will follow soon.
A proper wired charging upgrade
Zac Kew‑Denniss / Android Authority
Samsung’s Ultra phones have been stuck at 45 W wired charging since the Galaxy S22 Ultra (2022). With the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung finally increased the maximum charging speed to 60 W. It isn’t as fast as some OnePlus or Motorola handsets, but it’s a significant upgrade.
As a Pixel fan, I’m still waiting for a similar boost from Google. My $1,000 Pixel 10 Pro only supports 30 W charging, which feels inadequate. While I don’t expect the upcoming Pixel 11 Pro to jump to 80 W or 100 W, 60 W seems a reasonable target.
Both Google and Samsung have been holdouts when it comes to truly fast wired charging. Samsung’s move puts pressure on Google to catch up.
Well done, Samsung
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Do these changes mean I’m abandoning Pixel? Not quite. Unless Samsung reins in its One UI software and makes it feel more like Google’s Pixel UI — one of the main reasons I stick with Pixel phones — I don’t see myself making a full transition any time soon. Still, the thought is there.
Seeing what Samsung has achieved with the Galaxy S26 Ultra makes me itch to use Samsung’s latest more than I anticipated. The resolved issues are things I want Google to address as well, but I’m not sure when that will happen.
Well done, Samsung. Well done.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (product overview)
- Privacy display • Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy • Power AI features
- MSRP: $1,299.99
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is Samsung’s slimmest and lightest Ultra yet, pairing a 6.9‑inch 10‑bit display with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and a redesigned cooling system. It doubles down on imaging with a brighter 200 MP main camera, upgraded zoom, advanced 8K video features, and Ultra‑exclusive privacy and Galaxy AI tools.