Samsung Galaxy S26 SMS942U Black 128GB

A stunning display trapped in a phone that forgot to show up everywhere else. Save your $863 and buy something that doesn't rank in the bottom 10 percent for battery and camera.

Here's the thing that surprised us. The display ranks in the 75th percentile, which is solid, but the performance sits way down at the 22nd percentile. That's a massive gap. You're getting a screen that's well above average paired with internals that lag behind most of the competition. The 120Hz refresh rate will make scrolling feel smooth, but don't expect this thing to crush demanding games or heavy multitasking. The 22.8 out of 100 gaming score tells you everything you need to know. This is not a gaming phone.

Put this next to the Google Pixel 10 Pro or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and the S26 falls apart quickly. Both of those phones offer better performance, better cameras, and better battery life for similar money. The OnePlus 15 also beats it on raw specs. Even the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 gives you a foldable form factor for a comparable price. The only thing the S26 wins on is peak brightness, and that's not enough to justify the compromises.

At $863 USD, this is a tough sell. You're paying flagship money for a phone with mid-range performance, bottom-tier battery life, and a camera that ranks in the 7th percentile. The display is nice, but a pretty screen doesn't make up for everything else. Unless you absolutely need that 2600 nits of brightness for outdoor use, there are much better ways to spend your money.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 SMS942U is a weird one. You've got a gorgeous 6.3 inch AMOLED display pumping out 2600 nits of brightness, which is genuinely impressive. But then you look under the hood and things get murky fast. Samsung hasn't even listed the processor or RAM, and the storage is a paltry 128GB. It's like buying a sports car with a beautiful paint job and then finding out the engine bay is empty. The display is the star here, but everything else feels like an afterthought.

If you care about battery life, camera quality, or gaming performance, this isn't your phone. Go get a Pixel 10 Pro or an iPhone 16 Pro Max instead. If you're on a budget, the OnePlus 15 gives you way more bang for your buck. The only person who should consider this is someone who spends all day in direct sunlight and needs that 2600 nit display above all else.

Skip it. The Samsung Galaxy S26 SMS942U has one great feature, the display, and a whole lot of mediocrity everywhere else. The unknown processor, tiny storage, and abysmal battery and camera scores make this a phone that's hard to recommend to anyone. If you want a Samsung, wait for a proper flagship or grab last year's model on sale.