Samsung Galaxy A26 256GB Black
Uses Three Mobile's Network
£14.99 a monthuntil April 2026then price rises every April in contract by £1.50£9.00 upfront cost
£389.76 total cost
100 GBof 5G data
24 month contract
Available from 2 retailers
Samsung Galaxy A26: everything you need to know
AI has dominated the tech industry in recent years, with companies rushing to embrace the trend. Apple introduced Apple Intelligence, and now Samsung has put its own spin on the abbreviation with its budget entry in the market with Awesome Intelligence.
This streamlined version of Galaxy AI is available on the latest A-series phones, including the Galaxy A26. It’s the most budget-friendly entry point into Samsung’s AI ecosystem, but the phone offers more than just smart features.
Key takeaways
Price
- 256GB - £299
Design
- 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display
- 120Hz refresh rate
Camera
- 50MP Main Camera
- 8MP Ultra-Wide camera
- 2MP Macro camera
- 13MP Selfie camera
Galaxy AI
Supports Samsung's "Awesome Intelligence" which doesn't feature the full slate of AI features in the flagship Samsung phones.
Samsung A26 specs
Specifications
- Display: 6.7-inch Super AMOLED
- Refresh rate: 120Hz
- Processor: Exynos 1380
- Camera: 50MP Main Camera, 8MP Ultra-Wide Main Camera, 2MP Macro Camera, 13MP Front Camera
- Storage: 256GB
- RAM: 8GB
- Battery: 5,000mAh
- OS: Android 15, One UI 7
Samsung A26 pros and cons
Pros
Insanely cheap
High refresh rate
Large battery and storage
Multiple cameras
Great display
Cons
Not great camera quality
No headphone port
How to find the best Samsung Galaxy A26 deal
The Samsung Galaxy A26 is the more affordable option in the A series, starting at a very cheap £299, but it’s still worth comparing deals to get the best value.
Use the table above to filter by monthly cost, data, total cost, bestselling offers, and Uswitch promotions to find a deal that fits your needs. Paying more upfront can help lower both overall and monthly contract costs.
Assess your data usage carefully. Our mobile calculator tool can help you determine how much data you actually need so you don’t overpay each month.
Design and display
The Galaxy A26 has a different design compared to the A25. Instead of individual camera housings, it features a new pill-shaped camera bump on the back. However, the overall body design remains largely unchanged, with a slimmer chin and thinner bezels around the display.
The phone has slightly increased in size to accommodate its larger 6.7-inch display (up from 6.5 inches on the previous model), though it still weighs around 200 grams. A key upgrade is the glass back, which now features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+—the same durable protection used on the front.
The display is a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED, supporting a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and offering up to 1000 nits of brightness in High Brightness Mode. Given the price point, this is a very solid lineup.
How good is the Samsung Galaxy A26 camera system?
Given the price, the A26 has a brilliant camera lineup. The Galaxy A26 has the same camera setup as its predecessor. The main sensor is a 50MP Samsung and features OIS and phase detection autofocus. The secondary cameras include an 8MP ultrawide lens with a 120-degree field of view, fixed focus, and a dedicated 2MP macro camera. While many brands have moved away from standalone macro lenses, Samsung has kept one here.
For the price of the phone, this is a more than adequate lineup. Its main camera is better than the £799 iPhone 16 (48MP), so for an average photographer, you will have no issues getting the snaps you want.
Performance and storage
The Galaxy A26’s hardware is great for a £299 phone. It runs on the Exynos 1380, a slight upgrade over its predecessor, which already delivered decent performance and should be smooth for everyday usage and even casual gaming capabilities.
The A26 has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For most people who just browse the web, do some work, and stream videos, 256GB of storage should be plenty. But if you’re into storing big video files, playing high-end PC games, or keeping tons of photos and videos, you might want to go for a device with 512GB or even 1TB of storage.
Samsung Galaxy A26 AI and software
Given the cost, one of the Galaxy A26's biggest selling points is its AI-powered features. With its latest A-series devices, Samsung introduced Awesome Intelligence, a streamlined version of Galaxy AI. While the name might be a playful nod to Apple’s Apple Intelligence, what really matters is that users can now experience core AI features without spending a fortune on a flagship.
The Galaxy A26 comes equipped with useful AI tools like Google’s Circle to Search, Object Eraser, and Filters. Circle to Search lets you quickly look up things by circling them on your screen, while Object Eraser removes unwanted objects or people from photos with just a tap. Filters allow you to extract colour styles from one photo and apply them to another.
On the software side, the Galaxy A26 runs Android 15 with One UI 7 right out of the box. Samsung has also committed to six major Android updates, which is a great perk for a budget-friendly device.
Samsung Galaxy A26 battery
The Galaxy A26's battery is a huge 5,000mAh, the same capacity as Samsung’s top-of-the-range S25 Ultra. A 5000mAh battery is pretty solid—it’s big enough to keep your phone running all day, even with heavy use, and can last even longer if you’re not on it constantly.
However, charging speeds remain modest—Samsung sticks with 25W wired charging and, unsurprisingly, there’s no wireless charging on board.
Written by Archie Burkinshaw, Content Editor
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