Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Black 1024GB

The S26 Ultra tops our charts with 100th percentile performance and camera scores, backed by 16GB of RAM and a stunning 6.9-inch display. It's the best Android phone money can buy, but at $2600 it's a luxury purchase. If you can stomach the cost, there's nothing better.

Performance is, in a word, ridiculous. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 with 16GB of RAM chews through everything we throw at it—app launches, heavy multitasking, and maxed-out gaming are all buttery smooth. Our benchmarks land this thing in the absolute top tier, faster than any phone we've ever tested. The display hangs around the 85th percentile, which is still stunning at 2600 nits, but a couple of competitors push a little brighter or more color-accurate in extreme sunlight. Scrolling at 120Hz on this 6.9-inch panel is a joy, and the only thing slow here is your wallet's recovery time.

Stacked against its rivals, the S26 Ultra's camera and raw speed blow past the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and OnePlus 13 without breaking a sweat. The iPhone 16 Pro Max might still edge it out for video and ecosystem lock-in, but for still photos and sheer silicon muscle, Samsung takes the crown. The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is a completely different beast with its foldable form factor and won't match the S26 Ultra's camera versatility, but it's a compelling choice if pocketability matters more than megapixels. And the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains a solid value pick if you find one discounted. You're paying a premium for that Samsung AI magic and the most capable Android photography kit on the planet.

Value is where the S26 Ultra demands you check your bank balance twice. At $2600, it's one of the most expensive slabs of glass and silicon we've ever reviewed. You're getting absolute best-in-class camera and performance, but you could buy a solid gaming laptop and a tablet for the same dough. If photography and cutting-edge speed are your only dealbreakers, the price might be justified—especially if you plan to keep it for four or five years. For everyone else, it's a tough pill to swallow without a carrier deal or a used-market discount.

Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra is the definition of excess, in the best way. You get a massive 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED, the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and a camera system that's basically a cheat code. It's heavy on AI features and even heavier on the wallet at $2600. But if you want the absolute best Android phone right now, this is it.

We've run it through our full gauntlet and the numbers are staggering—100th percentile performance and camera scores. That's a rare double top-tier finish. It's not perfect, though: the build is solid but unexciting, and it's about as rugged as a sheet of glass. Still, for anyone chasing photo perfection and raw speed, nothing else comes close.

Skip this if you need a phone that survives drops without a panic attack—the S26 Ultra's ruggedness is nearly dead last in our database, so a case is non-negotiable. Hardcore mobile gamers should look at the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro with its dedicated cooling and air triggers. And if you're not ready to drop $2600 on a phone, the OnePlus 15 gets you 90% of the experience for way less cash.

If you're a die-hard Android fan who wants the absolute best camera and performance without a single compromise, the S26 Ultra is your phone. It's overkill for most people, and that's exactly the point. The price is punishing, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anything that shoots better photos or feels faster right now. Photographers, power users, and folks who baby their devices for years will get their money's worth. For everyone else, grab a mid-range flagship and treat yourself to a nice dinner.