Galaxy S26 Review: Bigger Battery, Same Old Story

Samsung's Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus have landed, and the verdict from The Verge is decidedly mixed. The headline upgrades: bigger batteries and a commitment to seven years of software updates. That's the good news.

The bad news? Pretty much everything else feels like a holding pattern. The cameras remain basic by flagship standards. There are few major updates worth shouting about. And in a move that will frustrate accessory fans, Samsung still hasn't added Qi2 charging magnets.

It's a pattern that's becoming hard to ignore. While Samsung has poured real hardware innovation into its foldable Flip and Fold lineup in recent years, the mainline Galaxy S series keeps coasting. Incremental bumps year after year.

Seven years of updates is genuinely impressive longevity. But longevity only matters if the hardware excites you enough to buy in the first place.