The Best Samsung Phones of 2026, Tested and Reviewed

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There's the iPhone, and then there are Samsung Galaxy phones—those are the two most popular phone brands in the US. But whereas Apple is the sole company behind the iOS mobile operating system, even the best Samsung phones face stiff competition in the Android world. (And yes, Galaxy phones are Android phones, though Samsung calls its layer over Android “One UI.”)

Google's Pixel phones are my favorite Android devices, but Samsung's offerings are just as great and often have better hardware. Alongside Google, Samsung promises the longest software support for its cheap and high-end devices. That means you don't have to upgrade your phone as often, as it will stay up-to-date, secure, and bug-free for longer. But the Korean giant has many, many models at varying prices. What's the best Samsung phone? I sort it out here in this guide. I also have tips and tricks to get the most out of your shiny new hardware.

Check out our mobile guides, including the Best Samsung Galaxy S25 Cases, Best Galaxy S24 Cases, Best Android Phones, Best Cheap Phones, Best Pixel Phones, and Best Folding Phones.

Updated March 2026: We've added the entire Galaxy S26 series and mentioned Samsung's upcoming Galaxy A37 and Galaxy A57.

Why Buy Samsung?

The best part of being in the world of Android is choice of hardware. Want a phone with a headphone jack? Sure! Want a phone that fast-charges in around 30 minutes? It exists. So why stick with the stalwart Samsung?

In my experience and research, Samsung's smartphones have a track record of reliability, and because it's a major player, it has a wider network of authorized repair centers than competing Android manufacturers. Yes, I remember the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco and even the issues with the first-gen Galaxy Fold, but Samsung now has a customer satisfaction score equal to Apple, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. That said, I haven't read great things about the company's US customer support team.

With its flagship phones, you're getting top-of-the-line specs and exceptional build quality with long software support. I primarily pick Pixel phones over Samsung because I prefer Google's software experience, but there are plenty of people who like Samsung's take on Android. As always, keep an open mind and consider all the other options available to you.

Is Now the Best Time to Buy?

Samsung announced the Galaxy S26 series on February 25 at a Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco. If you're after the best Samsung phone, now's a good time to buy. It's worth keeping the company's launch time frames in mind if you want the latest and greatest.

The flagship Galaxy S series launches at the start of the year during Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event. The Galaxy S26 series went on sale March 11. The budget Galaxy A series typically arrives in the spring. There are several A-series phones, so they usually dribble out during the first few months of the year. In 2026, the company launched the Galaxy A17 in January, and the Galaxy A37 and Galaxy A57 go on sale April 9. The folding Galaxy Z series has always launched in the summer, and 2025's event was on July 9, where the company unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold7, Z Flip7, and Z Flip7 FE. Expect another summer Unpacked event for the eighth-gen folds. The midrange Galaxy FE series is the “Fan Edition,” but this is more or less a slightly cheaper variant of the Galaxy S series. The Galaxy S25 FE was announced in September 2025.

Consider these dates as you shop, because you may want to hold off and wait for the new model, or it can help inform you on when to expect the best discounts.

How Long Are Samsung Phones Supported?

Android phones used to have disastrously poor software support. Two years after you bought your $1,000 phone, it would no longer receive software updates. Thankfully, Google began promising longer software update cycles to its Pixel phones, which ended up pushing Samsung to match it.

The following Samsung phones will receive 7 years of software updates from their release date, which includes Android operating system updates and monthly security patches. The latter keeps your phone secure, and new OS versions can bring new features to your phone.

• Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, Galaxy S26 Ultra
• Galaxy S25 FE, Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, Galaxy S25 Edge, and Galaxy S25 Ultra
• Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, Galaxy Z Flip7 FE, Galaxy Z Fold6, and Galaxy Z Flip6

Samsung's Galaxy A-series phones, from the A16 and up, will receive 6 years of updates. Most other older Samsung devices, like some in the Galaxy A series or older flagships, will receive four years of OS updates and five years of security patches starting from the date of release. Some of this varies, as Samsung has kept changing its policy year over year, but there's a little more helpful information here.

To find out if your Samsung phone has a pending update, go to Settings > Software update > Download and install. It should check for any updates and download them, then you'll see an option to install. Make sure you back up your phone before installing any update.

Why I Recommend Buying Unlocked

Most people buy phones directly from their carrier, but if you're reading this guide, I suggest you buy an unlocked smartphone. When you buy a carrier phone, it's “locked” to that network. That means if you want to switch carriers, like move from Verizon to T-Mobile, you'll have to ask your carrier to unlock the device, and this can be a huge headache. (Especially if you're traveling and want to use an international SIM card.) Asking a carrier to unlock a phone usually has a few requirements, like making sure your device is paid off or waiting for a set period of time. Unlocked phones, on the other hand, don't have this problem. You're free to use whatever carrier you want, whenever.

Carriers also mask the true cost of a smartphone. AT&T may entice you with a $36 per month payment for a shiny new Samsung flagship, when in reality, that means you're paying $1,300 on a smartphone over 36 months. Did you really want to spend that much? Or will a cheaper phone suffice? Also, you're more likely to get software updates faster as they come directly from Samsung, and there's often far less preinstalled bloatware to deal with.

All to say, buy unlocked! You can buy unlocked Galaxy phones directly from Samsung and most third-party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

The Settings to Change on Your New Samsung Phone

Samsung has an annoying habit of announcing a bunch of cool new features with its smartphones, then leaving them turned off by default. If you've never fiddled around with your phone's settings, there's a good chance there are a lot of fun and helpful features you're not using.

This can include things like changing the navigation from onscreen buttons to gesture navigation, adding the battery percentage icon next to the battery bar, or keeping the always-on display turned on instead of requiring a tap on the screen. Pro tip: I personally can't stand using Samsung's default keyboard, so I almost always change it to Google's Gboard instead.

Explaining "Qi2 Ready" Samsung Phones

Qi2 is the new wireless charging standard—it takes a page from Apple's MagSafe technology and embeds magnets directly into the smartphone, allowing it to connect to accessories and chargers magnetically, even the same ones available for iPhones. That has the potential to increase the compatibility of accessories across devices, which is a good thing. The magnets ensure precise charging, so you never worry about a misaligned phone that won't charge. It offers better efficiency and can potentially charge fast