The Galaxy S26+ is not the upgrade I was hoping for

A few months ago, I was looking forward to the Galaxy S26+ as a potential replacement for my S24+. I had a short list of upgrades in mind. Then Unpacked 2026 happened. And to be perfectly frank, the new Galaxy S26+ left me completely unfazed.

I don’t enjoy being overly critical. When I am, I like to think I have good reasons. Maybe I’m at that age where I want to see the good in most things. Even so, I struggle to feel much when I look at the S26+. For me, it might be one bland sequel too many.

Here’s what I hoped for before Unpacked 2026, when the rumor mill was still churning out mixed messages:

To its credit, the S26+ does tweak the camera housing. I’ll give it that point.

Everything else, though, misses the mark. The Galaxy S26+ doesn't have a better display, nor does it adopt the Qi2.2 standard fully. It does support Qi magnetic cases, but that's nothing new.

Late last year, I said the Galaxy S26+ would live or die by its display, at least as far as my upgrade plans were concerned. Primarily, I was hoping for a meaningful screen spec bump consisting of an anti-reflective coating and the brand-new Privacy Display.

The Galaxy S26+ got none of that. It reuses Victus 2 for its 6.7-inch screen instead of upgrading to Gorilla Armor, and it certainly doesn't prevent shoulder surfing like the S26 Ultra does. The screen is, for all practical purposes, the same as the one on my S24+. Same peak brightness and resolution, too.

Yes, the S26+ brings a faster chip, One UI 8.5, new Galaxy AI tools, updated camera tricks like an AI ISP for the selfie camera, and 20W wireless charging. On paper, that’s progress. In practice, it’s not enough to move me.

As a Galaxy S24+ user, the S26+ feels one notch too stagnant to justify the upgrade. My job might require it, but personally, I can comfortably keep using my S24+ without feeling like I’m missing out. If anything, I’d sooner consider the S26 Ultra or wait for the Z8 foldable series later this year.

Does the Galaxy S24+ still feel fresh because it's that great? Or because the S26+ isn't bold enough? Probably a bit of both.

Either way, the S26+ is not a bad phone in and of itself. If you’re coming from an older premium Galaxy or a lower-tier model, it can be a solid option. It’s just not a compelling one for me as an S24+ user who had higher hopes for something different and more impactful.