Uses Three Mobile's Network
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£29.99 a monthuntil April 2027then price rises every April in contract by £1.80£19.00 upfront costPrice details
£767.56 total cost
Roam up to 30GB in 50 destinations
Uses Three Mobile's Network
100 GB of 5G data
24 month contract
£27.99 a monthuntil April 2027then price rises every April in contract by £1.80£15.00 upfront costPrice details
£715.56 total cost
Uses Vodafone's Network
100 GB of 5G data
24 month contract
£31.95 a month£19.00 upfront costPrice details
£785.80 total cost
Uses Vodafone's Network
100 GB of 5G data
24 month contract
£25.95 a month£145.00 upfront costPrice details
£767.80 total cost
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£36.00 a monthuntil April 2027then price rises every April in contract by £2.50£10.00 upfront costPrice details
£914.00 total cost
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£38.00 a monthuntil April 2027then price rises every April in contract by £2.30£99.00 upfront costPrice details
£1047.80 total cost
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£34.00 a monthuntil April 2027then price rises every April in contract by £2.30£199.00 upfront costPrice details
£1051.80 total cost
Unlimited 5G data
24 month contract
£29.00 a monthuntil April 2027then price rises every April in contract by £2.30£299.00 upfront costPrice details
£1031.80 total cost
200 GB of 5G data
24 month contract
£39.00 a monthuntil April 2027then price rises every April in contract by £2.50£29.00 upfront costPrice details
£1005.00 total cost
300 GB of 5G data
24 month contract
£41.00 a monthuntil April 2027then price rises every April in contract by £2.30£29.00 upfront costPrice details
£1049.80 total cost
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Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy S26 series on February 25, 2026. The handsets officially hit UK shelves on March 11, 2026. With the removal of the 128GB storage options, starting prices have gone up this year to £879, so is it worth the money?
The Galaxy S26 introduces an ultra-slim design that increases screen size without adding bulk, now boasting a 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED display and a record-thin 6.9mm profile. This aesthetic shift is matched by a significant performance boost under the hood, featuring the high-efficiency Exynos 2600 (UK) and an upgraded 4,300mAh battery that ensures all-day longevity despite the slimmer chassis. On the software side, the new AI Scam Detection works in real-time to analyse incoming calls and messages from unknown numbers, flagging potential fraud before you even pick up.
AI features include Google Gemini, Circle to Search, Photo Assist, Document Scanner, Now Nudge, Now Brief.
With the Galaxy S26, Samsung is looking to take AI to the next level. When AI first appeared on smartphones, it was a ‘wow’ moment. Now Samsung is focusing on making it more helpful, more intuitive, and more relatable to everyday use cases. That’s why it’s calling the S26 its “easiest, most effortless AI phone” to date. It’s all part of an effort to democratise AI, making it usable by everyone, not just those with advanced technical know-how.
Samsung describes this as leading towards an Agentic Future, where AI agents are always at our beck and call. The idea is that the AI is there when you need it, ready to help, and disappears when you don’t, so that it never gets in the way. Its personal assistant Bixby has become your personal device agent, able to make suggestions based on context. So if you tell it the screen is hurting your eyes, it will take you to the relevant settings to adjust the brightness, rather than just telling you how to find them yourself. It also understands natural language better with advanced LLM (large language models), so it will pick up on what you’re saying more of the time.
But it’s not all about software – there are some hardware upgrades, too. The screen size has been slightly enlarged to 6.3 inches (up from 6.2 inches on the S25) to make images and text easier to see. And the base storage has doubled from 128GB to 256GB, giving you more space for movies, photos, apps, and games. The S26 is a step up in many ways. It might be the entry-level model in the S26 range, but it’s anything but basic. Find out more about it here, including the best Samsung S26 deals.
AI is all over this phone, as you would expect, but it’s never too intrusive. Rather, it’s there when you need it, and not when you don’t. This ‘invisible AI’ approach is much more useful, allowing you to dip into its AI features as and when you need.
Expandable storage might be a thing of the past, but the S26 now starts at 256GB, giving you more space to store apps, games, movies and the like – that’s especially handy if you download a lot of Netflix content for offline viewing.
Wireless charging is much more convenient than wired charging, as you just place the phone on the charger without having to plug it in. The S26 comes with 25W wireless charging, which is an upgrade on the 15W of the previous generation. That means faster charging, no wires required.
For many, the 6.3-inch screen will be the sweet spot in terms of size – not too big to be unwieldy, but large enough to clearly show what you need to see.
The S26 features the same hardware as the S25. The S25 takes great photos, but it’s a little disappointing not to see the specs upgraded.
Like previous Galaxy S phones, the S26 has a different processor in different markets in the world. In Europe, we have the Samsung Exynos, while the US benefits from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 for Galaxy.
So is the phone for you? Whether you’re looking for the Galaxy S26 pay monthly or the best Samsung S26 price UK, it’s certainly an impressive package, with the same great camera setup as the S25, more advanced – yet more subtle – AI features, and more storage. If you like Samsung’s phones, you’ll love it, as it’s a continuation of what the firm has been doing in the mobile space for some time.
While it might be the entry-level of the S26 range, it offers plenty of features worthy of a flagship. If you want a taste of what makes Samsung’s phones some of the world’s bestselling, but without spending big on the S26+ or Ultra, the S26 will suit you perfectly.
In terms of looks, the S26 is very similar to the S25 that came before it. It also shares a lot of the same design specs, including the same Corning Gorilla Armor 2 protection and IP68 rating.
The screen is very slightly bigger, at 6.3 inches. But it has the same resolution and peak brightness, which should mean it’s bright and clear, just like its predecessor’s.
The S26 has the same winning camera setup as the S25 – a 50MP main shooter, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto. That’s impressive for this level. Samsung’s cameras have long been among the best on any smartphone, so we expect this one to be no different.
You’ll also benefit from plenty of AI camera editing tools, making it easy to tweak your photos right on the phone.
Samsung has given the S26 a 4,300mAh battery. That’s 300mAh bigger than the S25’s. The S25 offers around 30 hours of video playback, and while the slightly larger screen might be a slight drain on the battery, we would expect the S26 to at least match this figure, if not surpass it.
If you’re looking to slash the monthly cost of your new S26, our trade-in offering is a great option. By trading in a previous model like the Galaxy S24 or S23, you could effectively reduce the cost of your new handset by hundreds of pounds, making those flagship monthly payments significantly more affordable.
You could earn over £610 by trading in an old handset with Uswitch. Discover the value of your phone today. It's simple: get a quote, send us your device, and get paid within days.
At Uswitch, we know that the "latest and greatest" isn't the only way to get a premium experience. While the S26 is the star of the show, its launch usually triggers a price drop for high-quality refurbished models of previous generations.
Our refurbished deals feature handsets that have undergone rigorous 70-point diagnostic checks and come with a 12-month warranty. Choosing a refurbished Galaxy S25 or S24 is a fantastic way to access "Galaxy AI" features and pro-grade cameras at a reduced cost of the RRP, all while making a more sustainable choice for the planet.
Save money off new on a range of your favourite Samsung devices.
Written by Joe Svetlik, Mobiles expert.
Yes, it does. That means you get fast network speeds wherever 5G is available.
Yes, it’s rated IP68. That means it’s completely dust-tight and waterproof to 3m.
The S26 will get seven years of Android updates.
No. You’ll need either a pair of USB-C headphones (or a standard pair with an adapter) or to connect a wireless pair using Bluetooth.
The S26 comes with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, though the actual usable capacity will be slightly less as the software will take up some of it.
