There is nothing inherently wrong with Samsung’s base-level flagship smartphones for 2023—the Galaxy S26 ($900) and Galaxy S26+ ($1,100). I have now spent several weeks with both handsets, and they’re dutiful performers, just not very exciting. Every year, Samsung introduces some fancy new feature, but it's almost always relegated to the top-tier Ultra model.

This year, that’s the Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which blocks the screen from would-be snoopers around you. I like it a lot, though sadly, it is not available with the S26 or its bigger brother (some folks seem to hate it, so maybe that's a plus). Either way, it especially stings considering Samsung increased prices on these base models by $100 (thankfully, base storage has finally been upgraded to 256 GB, but that’s long overdue).

The Galaxy S26+ is just $200 away from the Ultra and lacks the extra 5X optical zoom camera and the 200-MP main camera. The company even removed millimeter-wave support on the smaller S26, meaning it can no longer tap into the ultra-fast 5G networks in dense urban or high-traffic areas (if available). If you want a top-tier Android phone with few compromises, yes, either of these phones delivers. But you can also get a fantastic smartphone—with some even better perks—by spending as little as $799 on a device like the Google Pixel 10.

I haven’t felt strongly about Samsung’s smartphone design language for several years (the Galaxy S21 series remains one of my favorites), and that’s not changing here. These phones look bland, with so-so color options, and if you go case-less, you’ll be annoyed by how much they rock on a table when tapping the screen.