If you’re looking for a premium Android phone that doesn’t compromise on performance or camera quality one bit, you can’t go wrong with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung has pretty much nailed the formula of creating a high-end smartphone and has simply been refining it over the past few generations. You’re buying an Ultra device from Samsung if you value a smartphone with a large, vibrant display and a camera system that rivals the likes of the iPhone and the Pixel. Of course, you also get to enjoy the built-in S Pen that comes in handy during note-taking or sketching.

Spec-wise, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, up to 16GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage. It features a quad-camera setup on the rear, which includes a 200-megapixel primary sensor. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also offers the Privacy Display, which is a hardware addition that prevents prying eyes from peeking into your phone from side angles. 

As feature-packed as the Galaxy S26 Ultra is, it also costs more than most mainstream smartphones. At a starting price of $1,300 for the 256GB variant, you’d really have to be surrounded by Samsung’s ecosystem to justify the asking price. If you don’t happen to be locked in by a pair of Galaxy Buds or a Galaxy Watch, however, it might be worth looking at some of the other options out there.

If the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s big display and overall aesthetics are what draw you in, you might want to consider its less expensive sibling, the Galaxy S26+. At 6.7 inches, it is a touch smaller than the Ultra, but it features an identical LTPO AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. It technically has a slightly better pixel density since it boasts the same QHD+ resolution. Really, as far as the screen goes, the only things you’re missing here are the Privacy Display technology and the anti-reflective coating — the latter of which can be approximated by applying a screen protector.

The $1,100 Galaxy S26+ is also a fantastic alternative for those who have grown to love Samsung’s One UI skin. It’s one of the most customizable versions of Android and has an expansive suite of Galaxy AI features that are actually useful. Samsung promises up to seven years of security updates, placing it among the best brands for long-term phone support. 

Like its Ultra counterpart, the Galaxy S26+ is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, 12GB of RAM, and starts at 256GB of storage. The extra $200 for the Galaxy S26 Ultra does get you a better set of cameras. Though both models share the same 3x telephoto lens, the Galaxy S26+ swaps the 200-megapixel main camera for a 50-megapixel sensor. Its 12-megapixel ultrawide lens also features a less wide aperture of f/2.2. You get a 4,900 mAh battery with 45W of wired charging speeds.

It’s natural for the Galaxy S26 Ultra to be a great performer, given it packs the fastest Android SoC in 2026. If you’re specifically looking to play demanding games, believe it or not, you can somehow do better for less money. The $850 RedMagic 11S Pro belongs to the now-rare breed of gaming-centric smartphones. It’s powered by the newest Snapdragon chip and pairs it with a liquid-cooling system. The base variant gets you 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but you can bump this up to include 16GB of RAM and twice as much space for $100 more.

It also helps that the RedMagic 11S Pro basically looks like a transparent version of the Galaxy S26 Ultra from the back, bearing a similarly laid-out camera module. From the front, though, it inarguably looks better thanks to the under-display front-facing camera. This allows for a 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED display with minimal bezels and zero distractions. You also get two capacitive shoulder triggers and an active cooling fan.

Perhaps the biggest corner the phone cuts is in the camera department. As explored in BGR’s review, the RedMagic 11S Pro is a decent shooter given ample light, but quickly falls apart in low-light environments. What’s definitely an upgrade over the Galaxy S26 Ultra is battery life. The 7,500 mAh silicon carbon battery not only lasts all day with heavy use but also tops up quickly thanks to the included 80W charging adapter.

If you don’t care about owning the fastest smartphone but do value great cameras, the $1,000 Pixel 10 Pro is the way to go. It offers the same camera system as its larger, more expensive counterpart, the Pixel 10 Pro XL. You get a 50-megapixel wide camera and dual 48-megapixel ultrawide and telephoto lenses, with the latter offering 5x optical zoom shots. 

In our review of the Pixel 10 Pro XL, we went over how useful the Pixelsnap system is. It’s essentially Google’s answer to MagSafe and allows you to use magnetic accessories like chargers, wallets, or PopSockets. Samsung sells cases for its Galaxy smartphones that add this functionality, but the versatility of built-in magnets is tough to beat.

The software experience is where Pixel smartphones truly shine. You enjoy day-one software updates, frequent Pixel Drops, and Gemini AI features that are deeply embedded throughout the operating system. The Tensor G5 that powers the Pixel 10 Pro, unfortunately, doesn’t go head-to-head against the more powerful Snapdragon chips, though. Long-term Pixel owners also often complain of poor battery life. 

Another huge caveat is the fact that the Pixel 10 Pro still starts with a base storage capacity of 128GB, which can be quite limiting, especially considering this is a camera-centric device. The $1,200 Pixel 10 Pro XL is more expensive but gets you 256GB of storage. It also sports a larger battery and faster charging speeds.

OnePlus has been in the news quite a bit in 2026, with reports suggesting it may be winding down operations in global markets. However, it would be unfair to overlook the OnePlus 15 based on speculation alone, given the company is still churning out good-value smartphones. Priced at $900, the OnePlus 15 is one of the most powerful smartphones you can buy. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC and can be decked out with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of fast UFS 4.1 storage.

It has a big 6.78-inch AMOLED display that can hit refresh rates of up to 165Hz in select games and apps. With a dedicated touch response chip and a sampling rate of up to 3,200Hz, OnePlus is clearly targeting competitive gamers here. The front panel itself has a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera with extremely thin, uniform bezels all around. OnePlus’ built-in game mode options far exceed what you’ll find on most Android smartphones. You get detailed statistics, a one-touch turbo mode, and app bubbles so you don’t have to quit your game to reply to messages.

The camera experience is where the Galaxy S26 Ultra takes the lead, but we noted in our OnePlus 15 review that it still captures decent photos with its triple 50-megapixel setup. You also get a high-density 7,300 mAh silicon carbon battery with support for up to 80W of SuperVOOC charging (or up to 120W in certain regions).

The beloved Note series may have been discontinued, but its DNA lives on in Samsung’s Ultra lineup. Perhaps the most overlooked feature of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is its built-in S Pen. For those who don’t really care for a stylus, it may be just another nice-to-have addition, but for those who find great value in it for note-taking or sketching, it might be reason enough to buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Well, if you must have a stylus, you can also go for the Moto G Stylus that costs a fraction of the money.

At $500, Motorola offers you a big 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display that comes with a stylus built in. Like the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s S Pen, the Moto G Stylus’ active stylus is meant to sit inside the phone, where it also automatically charges. Unfortunately, the stylus lacks Bluetooth support, which means you cannot use it as a remote camera shutter. For annotations, drawing, or simply jotting down quick thoughts, the Moto G Stylus is a great, affordable alternative.

Of course, this means it’s powered by a substantially less powerful chip, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. You also get 8GB of RAM and a starting storage capacity of 128GB. Motorola’s software support hasn’t been particularly great as of late, with the Moto G Stylus being promised only two Android updates. It does pack in a larger battery at 5,200 mAh with faster wired charging speeds of up to 68W.