Phone (3) vs Galaxy S26 Ultra

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Galaxy S26 Ultra wins this one, taking display and camera decisively. Against the Phone (3) it's also the sounder buy at $13.61 per month of safe use.

Value Score: Phone (3) 70 · Galaxy S26 Ultra 77 — 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$10.96/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Jul 20302032

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra $1099

Safe to buy$13.61/mo

2026◆ Buy-by Mar 20312033

Category by category

Display

Phone (3) 70Galaxy S26 Ultra 100

The Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen is the better one — 6.9-inch dynamic ltpo amoled 2x, qhd+, 1–120hz, up to 2600 nits, with anti-reflective privacy display.

Performance

Phone (3) 86Galaxy S26 Ultra 100

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

Camera

Phone (3) 79Galaxy S26 Ultra 96

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has the stronger camera system (4 real rear lenses vs 3).

Battery

Phone (3) 83Galaxy S26 Ultra 80

Battery capacities are close enough not to decide this.

Software longevity

Phone (3) 87Galaxy S26 Ultra 96

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

Value

Phone (3) 70Galaxy S26 Ultra 77

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S26 Ultra at $13.61 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	Phone (3)	Galaxy S26 Ultra
Price (street)	$799	$1099
Display	6.67-inch LTPS AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 960Hz PWM dimming	6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, QHD+, 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits, with anti-reflective Privacy Display
Chipset	Snapdragon 8s Gen 4	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
RAM	12GB/16GB	12GB
Storage	256GB/512GB	256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery	5,150 mAh	5,000 mAh
Charging	65W wired, 15W wireless	60W wired, 25W wireless
Rear cameras	50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP periscope 3x	200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 50MP telephoto 5x periscope
Dimensions	160.6 × 75.6 × 9.0 mm	163.6 × 78.1 × 7.9 mm
Weight	218 g	214 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Supported until	Jul 2032	Mar 2033

Phone (3) full verdict →Galaxy S26 Ultra 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.