Samsung is a jack of all trades, as it focuses on not just the premium market but has its eyes firmly set on making its products work across the more challenging mid-range segment. The Galaxy A-series phones have shown decent numbers over the years, even if the critics have not been a fan of them.

Having said that, Samsung thrives on the demand for these phones offline, and now it has the Galaxy A26 5G priced at Rs 22,999 added to the mix with the promise of a longer shelf life thanks to more Android OS upgrades on offer. Does that make the Galaxy A26 5G worth its price tag, features and hardware? We decided to test its potential and give you the answer. 

The Classic Samsung Design Touch 

Samsung has made a habit of keeping its design simple which in some ways can be mundane but in this case we like that aspect about the Galaxy A26 5G. It features a glass body that is glossy and might be delicate but it does look classy.

However, the frame made of plastic evens out the mid-range nature of the device and you get a heavy 200 grams unit which does not feel its weight in the hand and that is a good way to appreciate the balance of the design. 

Samsung has also made it durable with the IP67 rating, which does not give you the liberty to dip into the pool with the phone but it can handle more than just splashes now. The capsule-shaped camera module adds purpose at the back which otherwise is simple with the brand logo at the bottom. Having peach and mint colour options will also get more people interested in the phone 

The Basic AMOLED 

Samsung and AMOLEDs go long back and the Galaxy A26 5G just shows the close relations between this pairing. The 6.7-inch panel on the phone is bright, not high on contrast but the vibrance is there and colours pop out.

We would have liked to see a punch hole cut out for the price and it was off seeing a water drop notch in 2025 on the mid-range phone.

The screen gets 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus version which should hold up against the daily wear and tear. Safe to say you will like watching videos on the big screen as long as you are fine with the audio limitations (more on that later). 

Exynos-Y Reliable 

The Galaxy A26 5G brings us back to the good old Exynos chipsets from Samsung, and this device is powered by the 1380 5G SoC with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage that is further expandable.

The performance in general will not pose issues but the multitasking nature of the chipset feels wanting, and the benchmark scores gave us further indication of where the Exynos 1380 ranks among its peers. You can play games but mostly stick to the casual titles if you want the best results. 

The One UI 7 update has been delayed for the premium Galaxy S phones but the A26 5G gets it from day one. The new UI looks refreshing and clean even though you have to haggle with the Samsung preloaded apps that even push out ads every now and then.

Samsung does promise 6 OS upgrades for this model which is not matched by any other brand in this range but we are hoping the company does not take its own sweet time to push the new versions (going by this year’s record) and keeps the users happy. 

Selfie-Focused 

Samsung offers a triple camera setup on the Galaxy A26 5G but most of the work is done by the primary 50MP shooter which returns usable photos in daylight and average quality in low light.

The details are clear as long as the lighting is sufficient for the sensor to capture the images. The 13MP selfie camera also does well when the lighting is suitable but you tend to notice the exposure being inconsistent across a series of photos. 

Runs Along Enough 

The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery which should ideally be competent but the test results were underwhelming and some that could be attributed to the chipset under the hood. The battery drain was hard to understand in some cases, especially when other products with a similar unit deliver longer support. 

The device supports 25W charging speed but you will need to buy it separately as Samsung does not give you one in the box. Like we have said before, this segment could probably avoid these kinds of cost cuts.

Speaking of which, having a mono speaker kind of dampens the multimedia experience on a crisp AMOLED display. The audio is not the best in the segment, and we would have liked a stereo support at the minimum. 

Samsung Galaxy A26 5G is a mid-range phone with reliable performance, and a durable design that will last long thanks to the 6 years of OS upgrades on offer. The UI has preloaded apps and ads that are not pleasing, the main camera just about gets the job done and the battery life could surely use some boost. All these make this phone a contender among a sea of options.