Samsung S26 Ultra/S26/S26 Plus

[Ludatyk]

I'm poking my nose around in here after hanging out with the OnePlus peeps. I'm curious, have any of you Samsung folks given consideration to OnePlus? I know Samsung has it's on ecosystem lock-in like Apple, was that the determining factor or something else? Just honestly curious. Not trying to be a OnePlus fanboy or anything like that.

From my perspective... it's the Good Lock modules, that's the lock-in factor with me. If it wasn't for those modules... I'll seriously consider other Android phones (particularly foldables ones).

 

[HouseLannister]

I'm poking my nose around in here after hanging out with the OnePlus peeps. I'm curious, have any of you Samsung folks given consideration to OnePlus? I know Samsung has it's on ecosystem lock-in like Apple, was that the determining factor or something else? Just honestly curious. Not trying to be a OnePlus fanboy or anything like that.

I like what OnePlus is doing with screen and battery tech, but my concern with OnePlus continues to be that I don't know where they will be in a year or two. The CEO had an arrest warrant in Taiwan, the OnePlus 16 is rumored to be skipping the US, and there were some articles about them closing some facilities and consolidating back in China. (And there was one androidheadlines.com article about them going out of business, but that was more an opinion piece rather than actual reporting.) The other minor issue is that you really have to like their launcher, because 3rd party launchers have some noticeable lag on non-Samsung/Google phones for whatever reason.

 

[Harthag]

I'm poking my nose around in here after hanging out with the OnePlus peeps. I'm curious, have any of you Samsung folks given consideration to OnePlus? I know Samsung has it's on ecosystem lock-in like Apple, was that the determining factor or something else? Just honestly curious. Not trying to be a OnePlus fanboy or anything like that.

I owned the Oppo Find X9 Pro and currently have the OP15 and S26U. In terms of ecosystem, I only have Samsung buds and watch, and they both work just fine with any Android phone which is great (via the Wear app).

Software brought me back to Samsung. I frequently see people (not necessarily here, just in general) state that customization isn't a big deal, how much can you possibly customize that differentiates it from other phones...widgets / lock screen...big deal. I agreed with this before the S25. Then I used other Android flagships as daily drivers. The lack of customization affected me on a daily basis. Basic tasks like displaying my calendar on the always on display, can't do it on the Chinese phones (in the U.S.). Can't even get rid of the clock on the OP15 and replace it with a more useful widget unless you use a different pre-selected always on display style. And even then, you still can't add any widget you want. Oppo / OnePlus has "edge panel" built into the OS but it is half-baked compared to Samsung's edge panel. Example- you can't open apps on the edge panel to full screen, only pop ups. You have to take another step and press an option to open the app full screen. Every time.

Good Lock- there's nothing like it, anywhere. Home Up allows me to have 9 apps as my "favorites" at the bottom of my home screen for instant access. Combined with the apps I've added to my edge panel accessing everything I need is lightning fast. LockStar, ClockFace, Camera Assistant, Sound Assistant, I use on a daily basis now. If you know you know. OnePlus has limited favorites that can be added and the edge panel is limited as well. You can't even add lock screen and AOD widgets. Oppo has promised the features will come, but crickets on that front here in the U.S.

OneUI 8.5 AI features are actually useful, like call screening (finally), live translate in real-time while talking on phone. Used it last night to mess with my dad talking in Spanish, it worked perfectly.

In the U.S. it's so much easier to get quality cases and screen protectors for Samsung phones. I ordered a bunch of items from AliExpress for my Oppo and OnePlus phones, Amazon now finally has a fair share of OnePlus accessories though. I have a Qi 2.2 wireless fast charger that works with my iPhone and S26U. OnePlus- nope, limited to slow wireless charging. I have a different brand of 2.2 charger at my office, same thing. I wasn't buying their proprietary fast wireless charger.

I used to really dislike Samsung phones, I'd owned several back to the S7 I think. Around the S23 or S24 things changed and the experience became so much better but still not my favorite. OneUI has come a very long way and it keeps getting better. The only thing I'm missing is live activities like on iOS, but hopefully that will change with Android 17.

My OnePlus 15 will be sold later this week and can't see myself experimenting with other Chinese brands for the foreseeable future. Hardware is tops for sure, but in my experience the software just is not even close to OneUI. Sorry if this sounds like a fanboy post. Ever since selling my S25U last year I'd been frustrated with other Android phones providing lackluster daily experiences (even the Fold 7 as amazing as it is still didn't do it for me), it feels really nice to be back with an S Ultra.

Is there a way to have an unlimited rotation of selected people/photos on my lock screen like you can do with the iPhone? I love this feature on the iPhone as I can rotate the 8000 photos I have of my family.

I believe so but haven't done it yet on my phone. There may be a set limit (rather than unlimited, this part I'm unsure of).

 

[ThrawnTHX]

I owned the Oppo Find X9 Pro and currently have the OP15 and S26U. In terms of ecosystem, I only have Samsung buds and watch, and they both work just fine with any Android phone which is great (via the Wear app).

Software brought me back to Samsung. I frequently see people (not necessarily here, just in general) state that customization isn't a big deal, how much can you possibly customize that differentiates it from other phones...widgets / lock screen...big deal. I agreed with this before the S25. Then I used other Android flagships as daily drivers. The lack of customization affected me on a daily basis. Basic tasks like displaying my calendar on the always on display, can't do it on the Chinese phones (in the U.S.). Can't even get rid of the clock on the OP15 and replace it with a more useful widget unless you use a different pre-selected always on display style. And even then, you still can't add any widget you want. Oppo / OnePlus has "edge panel" built into the OS but it is half-baked compared to Samsung's edge panel. Example- you can't open apps on the edge panel to full screen, only pop ups. You have to take another step and press an option to open the app full screen. Every time.

Good Lock- there's nothing like it, anywhere. Home Up allows me to have 9 apps as my "favorites" at the bottom of my home screen for instant access. Combined with the apps I've added to my edge panel accessing everything I need is lightning fast. LockStar, ClockFace, Camera Assistant, Sound Assistant, I use on a daily basis now. If you know you know. OnePlus has limited favorites that can be added and the edge panel is limited as well. You can't even add lock screen and AOD widgets. Oppo has promised the features will come, but crickets on that front here in the U.S.

OneUI 8.5 AI features are actually useful, like call screening (finally), live translate in real-time while talking on phone. Used it last night to mess with my dad talking in Spanish, it worked perfectly.

In the U.S. it's so much easier to get quality cases and screen protectors for Samsung phones. I ordered a bunch of items from AliExpress for my Oppo and OnePlus phones, Amazon now finally has a fair share of OnePlus accessories though. I have a Qi 2.2 wireless fast charger that works with my iPhone and S26U. OnePlus- nope, limited to slow wireless charging. I have a different brand of 2.2 charger at my office, same thing. I wasn't buying their proprietary fast wireless charger.

I used to really dislike Samsung phones, I'd owned several back to the S7 I think. Around the S23 or S24 things changed and the experience became so much better but still not my favorite. OneUI has come a very long way and it keeps getting better. The only thing I'm missing is live activities like on iOS, but hopefully that will change with Android 17.

My OnePlus 15 will be sold later this week and can't see myself experimenting with other Chinese brands for the foreseeable future. Hardware is tops for sure, but in my experience the software just is not even close to OneUI. Sorry if this sounds like a fanboy post. Ever since selling my S25U last year I'd been frustrated with other Android phones providing lackluster daily experiences (even the Fold 7 as amazing as it is still didn't do it for me), it feels really nice to be back with an S Ultra.

I believe so but haven't done it yet on my phone. There may be a set limit (rather than unlimited, this part I'm unsure of).

Well thought out post. Thanks. You've pointed out some real advantages for Samsung and touched on just a few of the disadvantages of OnePlus (to which I'll add an inability to get rid of the Google Discover tab and delays when using launchers with gesture control). My last Samsung was an S7, so I guess you can see how my opinion isn't terribly favorable. I may give an Ultra a try next year assuming Samsung does more than a minor iteration.

 

[Harthag]

Well thought out post. Thanks. You've pointed out some real advantages for Samsung and touched on just a few of the disadvantages of OnePlus (to which I'll add an inability to get rid of the Google Discover tab and delays when using launchers with gesture control). My last Samsung was an S7, so I guess you can see how my opinion isn't terribly favorable. I may give an Ultra a try next year assuming Samsung does more than a minor iteration.

Wow, yeah you'll be in for a treat if your last Samsung was the S7. Put any thoughts you have about TouchWiz out of your mind for good, none of that applies now. The stink of TouchWiz lingered with me for many years and I always sold my Galaxy phones a few months after buying them. OneUI has become my favorite Android skin by a wide margin, I haven't used a 3rd party launcher since the S23.

As much as I just bashed the OP15 I think it's a great phone and OxygenOS has also come a long way. I've used HyperOS on Xiaomi flagships and ColorOS on Oppo and they all feel really similar to me, HyperOS being my least favorite. The battery tech is next level and the screen responsiveness on the OP15 is the nicest I've used. Not sure if it is placebo effect due to their dedicated touch input chip, but it feels really nice. It has so much potential and yet it is held back by some software issues, for my use case.

 

[ToddH]

Well, I picked up a 512gb black Samsung S26 ultra yesterday from a local AT&T store. Got home & took photos with it. To my dissatisfaction & disappointment, the 1x camera had a bad optic fault, bad distortion on the left side of a vertical image. I called the store & mentioned the issue. They asked me to come back so they can look at it.

I went back, they didn't have another to replace it with & suggested i call Samsung support to find out if i had settings wrong. Seriously? This morning I dialed 611 & spoke to AT&T to get a replacement. They started to possibly send me a replacement, after speaking with 3 people, they suggested i take the phone to the company U break, I fix and file a claim. I said no, this phone isn't even 24 hours old yet in my possession. Ridiculous!

I called the same AT&T store back this morning to check stock, we'll they had one to replace mine with. They held it for me, barely, I i got the phone replaced this afternoon. Not the greatest customer service. I showed the bad images to them, but they didn't show much sympathy. I almost got to the point of returning the phone and going to best buy & buying one outright. But I got a replacement without issues thankfully. Here are 200mp crop samples of what I was dealing with. Just dog optical quality on the left side. The replacement seems perfect..most likely a case of pinched optics & manufacturer defects. Well at least I was taken care of but it was stressful. I couldn't believe at&t wanted me to go through warranty protocols to get a replacement of a less that 24hour galaxy phone. Anyway, that's my drama for the day!

After the replacement

Another bad camera sample (1x)

 

[Harthag]

Well, I picked up a 512gb black Samsung S26 ultra yesterday from a local AT&T store. Got home & took photos with it. To my dissatisfaction & disappointment, the 1x camera had a bad optic fault, bad distortion on the left side of a vertical image. I called the store & mentioned the issue. They asked me to come back so they can look at it.

I went back, they didn't have another to replace it with & suggested i call Samsung support to find out if i had settings wrong. Seriously? This morning I dialed 611 & spoke to AT&T to get a replacement. They started to possibly send me a replacement, after speaking with 3 people, they suggested i take the phone to the company U break, I fix and file a claim. I said no, this phone isn't even 24 hours old yet in my possession. Ridiculous!

I called the same AT&T store back this morning to check stock, we'll they had one to replace mine with. They held it for me, barely, I i got the phone replaced this afternoon. Not the greatest customer service. I showed the bad images to them, but they didn't show much sympathy. I almost got to the point of returning the phone and going to best buy & buying one outright. But I got a replacement without issues thankfully. Here are 200mp crop samples of what I was dealing with. Just dog optical quality on the left side. The replacement seems perfect..most likely a case of pinched optics & manufacturer defects. Well at least I was taken care of but it was stressful. I couldn't believe at&t wanted me to go through warranty protocols to get a replacement of a less that 24hour galaxy phone. Anyway, that's my drama for the day!

View attachment 2614854

After the replacement
View attachment 2614855

Another bad camera sample (1x)

View attachment 2614856

You're more patient than I would've been in this scenario 😂. I avoid carrier stores like the plague. I feel sorry for all of the folks who work at carrier stores because it is hard work and they're pushed by management for sales. That phone was clearly defective. Reminds me of Geniuses at Apple stores looking at me as if I have 3 heads when I brought in a laptop with at least 5 dead pixels. Glad you got it resolved in the end!

 

[ToddH]

You're more patient than I would've been in this scenario 😂. I avoid carrier stores like the plague. I feel sorry for all of the folks who work at carrier stores because it is hard work and they're pushed by management for sales. That phone was clearly defective. Reminds me of Geniuses at Apple stores looking at me as if I have 3 heads when I brought in a laptop with at least 5 dead pixels. Glad you got it resolved in the end!

Yes me as well. I'm sure the retail stores don't want to give up their stock of phones for a just purchased phone. In my opinion, AT&T locations as well as Verizon should carry multiple 512gb phones instead of selling only 256gb. I guess for the general public that's all they want. It's more convenient for us that take a lot of raw photos & shoot video. 256gb typically isn't enough storage these days.

Like the Iphone, Samsung has high over sharpening and noise reduction on applied to the camera files. But I found a decent remedy, the camera assistant app found in good lock has an option for photo softening & it works very well at reducing the Samsung AI applied to the photos. But if I want the best quality, I use expert raw. Anyway I'm happy with the replacement

 

[ToddH]

How about the slim Crescent moon with Earthshine taken with my newly received Galaxy S26 ultra. Expert raw, 5x camera & 4" exposure

 

[hockeyfan81]

Apparently there's going to be update soon that will add the ability to airdrop.

 

[ToddH]

So... I have a Samsung s26 ultra that was bought today from Best Buy Unlocked. I haven't activated it yet. I bought it for a second camera setup.

My issue is that I can't text over wifi until I activate the phone. I can browse the web and post to this forum, im using the new S26 ultra now for this post. So Why isn't this allowed? I think the iphone can text over wifi if it isn't activated, correct me if I'm wrong on that. Is there a workaround for this? I need to get rid of another line if I'm going to activate this S26 ultra. So if there are any workarounds for this issue , let me know please. Currently, I'm using Samsung's version of airdrop, basically to send media from one phone to another so that I can share it with others.

 

[ThrawnTHX]

So... I have a Samsung s26 ultra that was bought today from Best Buy Unlocked. I haven't activated it yet. I bought it for a second camera setup.

My issue is that I can't text over wifi until I activate the phone. I can browse the web and post to this forum, im using the new S26 ultra now for this post. So Why isn't this allowed? I think the iphone can text over wifi if it isn't activated, correct me if I'm wrong on that. Is there a workaround for this? I need to get rid of another line if I'm going to activate this S26 ultra. So if there are any workarounds for this issue , let me know please. Currently, I'm using Samsung's version of airdrop, basically to send media from one phone to another so that I can share it with others.

As far as I know, you need a phone number in order to text even if it's over WiFi. At best, an Android uses RCS. Apple's iMessaging on the other hand can be linked to an email address.

 

[ThrawnTHX]

Can one of you Samsung owners tell me how the Direct Voicemail feature works in real world situations where....say, a call is missed in a dead zone with no signal? Or you know, on a flight?

 

[ToddH]

As far as I know, you need a phone number in order to text even if it's over WiFi. At best, an Android uses RCS. Apple's iMessaging on the other hand can be linked to an email address.

Ah of course, tye phone number... I forgot about that. Yeah Apple dies use email as I recall. This does make sense, thanks.

 

[Cobalt Blizzard]

Samsung rolling out AirDrop over Quick Share on Galaxy S26, more devices coming

Samsung has officially confirmed plans to start rolling out AirDrop support over Quick Share starting with the Galaxy S26 series...

9to5google.com

 

[ToddH]

The BEST LOOKING UAG case I've purchased so far & it looks fantastic on my S26 ultra. Purchased on Amazon.

So far this S26 ultra is functioning well since I had it replaced in less than 24 hours after discovering the camera flaw.

I hear there is an update coming for air drop capabilities from Samsung to iPhone.. I haven't seen news on that yet, anyone else know?

 

[yui4]

Battery life been excellent up to now

 

[Steve Adams]

I got word from Samsung Canada that my demo 26 ultra is shipped. Can't wait to give it a go. I have to return my 25 ultra then. I am excited for the 26 as it's much slimmer than the 25 ultra so it should be nicer to hold and use compared to the 25 ultra, I will report back when I get it and have it all setup.

 

[Ludatyk]

I like what OnePlus is doing with screen and battery tech, but my concern with OnePlus continues to be that I don't know where they will be in a year or two. The CEO had an arrest warrant in Taiwan, the OnePlus 16 is rumored to be skipping the US, and there were some articles about them closing some facilities and consolidating back in China. (And there was one androidheadlines.com article about them going out of business, but that was more an opinion piece rather than actual reporting.) The other minor issue is that you really have to like their launcher, because 3rd party launchers have some noticeable lag on non-Samsung/Google phones for whatever reason.

Didn't think nothing of this... but article below suggest that it has some legs.

Top OnePlus exec who denied shutdown rumors has now quit

OnePlus has confirmed that a top executive, who previously refuted shutdown rumors, has stepped down from the company.

www.androidauthority.com

 

[yui4]

Had an update this morning. I was already on February patch so expected March but still on February, anybody else?

 

[hockeyfan81]

Had an update this morning. I was already on February patch so expected March but still on February, anybody else?

maybe the update for the ability to use airdrop.

 

[edubfromktown]

From my perspective... it's the Good Lock modules, that's the lock-in factor with me. If it wasn't for those modules... I'll seriously consider other Android phones (particularly foldables ones).

Knox Secure Folder is another good reason for staying with Team Samsung imo

It provides true app-data isolation: apps installed inside Secure Folder run in a separate container with different app IDs, separate user/profile namespaces, and distinct, container‑specific encryption keys, so their data, app cache, credentials, and app-specific files are not accessible to the same app running outside the Secure Folder.

Google killed Private Space (only worked with Pixel launcher) and has a suite of other tools but they are not nearly as integrated and some are for Android enterprise purposes more than for individuals.

 

[Sensamic]

Knox Secure Folder is another good reason for staying with Team Samsung imo

It provides true app-data isolation: apps installed inside Secure Folder run in a separate container with different app IDs, separate user/profile namespaces, and distinct, container‑specific encryption keys, so their data, app cache, credentials, and app-specific files are not accessible to the same app running outside the Secure Folder.

Google killed Private Space (only worked with Pixel launcher) and has a suite of other tools but they are not nearly as integrated and some are for Android enterprise purposes more than for individuals.

Google killed Private Space? Really? What a dumb move.

 

[ThrawnTHX]

Ah, hell. Just started the return on my OP 15 (since their US presence imploded) and ordered a new Ultra. I don't like the possibility of never seeing another security or software update on the phone. Guess I'm team Samsung now. I'm sure I'll be here with questions this weekend. The only "feel bad" about this is how much more the phone costs for only ¾ of the memory.

If any of you folks want to do a write up on useful Good Lock features/modules (thanks Harthag!) or other useful software specific to Samsung, I'd appreciate it! I have a feeling I can use the entirety of this thread as one-stop shopping for getting my phone completely set up tomorrow, lol.

 

[ToddH]

Some may be interested in this:

A photographer I follow, Tyler Stalman reviews the S26 Ultra. Is a short review, but it's cool seeing him praise it's camera for video and photography. He is primarily an iPhone user. His reviews are always good to watch.