Phone (3) vs Galaxy S26

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S26

The Galaxy S26 wins this one, taking display and performance decisively. Against the Phone (3) it's also the sounder buy at $9.87 per month of safe use.

Value Score: Phone (3) 70 · Galaxy S26 75 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Nothing Phone (3) $799

Safe to buy$10.94/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Jul 20302032

Samsung Galaxy S26 $799

Safe to buy$9.87/mo

2026◆ Buy-by Mar 20312033

Category by category

Display

Phone (3) 70Galaxy S26 90

The Galaxy S26's screen is the better one — 6.3-inch dynamic ltpo amoled 2x, fhd+, 1–120hz, up to 2600 nits.

Performance

Phone (3) 86Galaxy S26 100

The Galaxy S26's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is simply the faster chip.

Camera

Phone (3) 79Galaxy S26 79

Camera systems are comparable on paper — pick by sample photos.

Battery

Phone (3) 83Galaxy S26 66

5,150mAh vs 4,300mAh — the Phone (3) lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

Phone (3) 87Galaxy S26 96

The Galaxy S26 is supported until Mar 2033 — 8 months longer than the Phone (3).

Value

Phone (3) 70Galaxy S26 75

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S26 at $9.87 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	Phone (3)	Galaxy S26
Price (street)	$799	$799
Display	6.67-inch LTPS AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 960Hz PWM dimming	6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, FHD+, 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits
Chipset	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
RAM	12GB/16GB	12GB
Storage	256GB/512GB	256GB/512GB
Battery	5,150 mAh	4,300 mAh
Charging	65W wired, 15W wireless	25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2.2 Ready)
Rear cameras	50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP periscope 3x	50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x
Dimensions	160.6 × 75.6 × 9.0 mm	149.6 × 71.7 × 7.2 mm
Weight	218 g	167 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Supported until	Jul 2032	Mar 2033

Phone (3) full verdict →Galaxy S26 full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.