Google might essentially own the Android operating system, but Samsung is its undisputed king. It’s the single biggest smartphone brand, selling around a fifth of all the world’s handsets, and has been shipping Android since the first Galaxy phone launched all the way back in 2009. Since then, the South Korean giant has produced some of the all-time finest Android phones, but what are the best ones you can buy today? Find out in our best Samsung phones guide.
Samsung has made a lot of phones, and its different ranges and model names can be confusing. These days you’ll mostly encounter one of three series:
The Galaxy Note line has now been retired, with its signature S Pen folded into the Galaxy S Ultra. The current flagship range is the Galaxy S26 family, which launched in early 2026 and runs from the Galaxy S26 up through the Galaxy S26+ to the range-topping Galaxy S26 Ultra. But which Samsung phones are best? Here’s our list.
Why buy? The best Samsung phone you can buy.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra sits at the very top of Samsung’s range, and it is the most complete phone the company makes. Its 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED is one of the finest screens on any phone, with a 120Hz refresh rate and huge brightness, and the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip is quick enough to go toe to toe with the best iPhones.
The camera system is built to shoot everything, led by a 200MP main sensor and a long periscope zoom, and the built-in S Pen means this is the phone that inherited the old Note’s party trick. Samsung now promises seven years of OS and security updates, so it will stay current and safe deep into the 2030s.
It is big and it is not cheap, but if you want the best Samsung has, this is it.
Why buy? Flagship power in a phone you can use one-handed.
If the Ultra is more phone than you want, the standard Galaxy S26 keeps the parts that matter in a compact, lightweight body. It shares the Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip and slick 120Hz AMOLED screen, so day to day it feels every bit as fast.
You give up the S Pen, the very biggest camera sensors and some battery capacity, but you gain a phone that is genuinely easy to hold and pocket. It also gets the same seven years of updates, so it is a proper long-term buy.
For most people who want a top Samsung without the size or the price of an Ultra, the S26 is the sweet spot.
Why buy? A phone and a tablet in one.
Samsung practically invented the modern foldable, and the Galaxy Z Fold8 is the most polished one yet. Closed, it works like a normal phone; open it out and you get an 8-inch 120Hz screen that is closer to a small tablet, brilliant for split-screen apps, reading, films and gaming.
It runs the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, keeps S Pen support, and the thinner, lighter design makes it the most pocketable Fold to date. As with the rest of the flagship range, it gets seven years of updates.
It is one of the most expensive phones you can buy, and the crease hasn’t entirely vanished, but nothing else does quite as much.
Why buy? Flagship features that fold into your pocket.
If the Fold is about a bigger screen, the Galaxy Z Flip8 is about a smaller phone. It folds in half like the clamshells of old, so a full-size 6.9-inch phone shrinks to something that disappears into a small bag or jacket pocket, and the useful cover screen lets you check messages and take selfies without opening it.
Inside it is a proper flagship, with the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, a capable dual camera and seven years of updates. The folding design means a slightly smaller battery than a slab phone, but it comfortably sees out a normal day.
It is as much a style statement as a spec sheet, and for a lot of people that is exactly the appeal.
Why buy? Flagship Galaxy features for a mid-range price.
The ‘FE’ stands for Fan Edition, and the idea is to take the best bits of Samsung’s flagship line and bring them to a friendlier price. The result is one of the most complete phones you can buy for the money.
You get a large 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED, a capable 50MP-led camera, a big battery, IP68 water resistance and Samsung’s full seven years of updates. It is not quite as fast or as polished as a full-price S26, but the gap is small and the saving is large.
If you want a phone that feels flagship without the flagship price, the S25 FE is the obvious place to start.
Why buy? A big, bright screen and long updates for not much money.
Samsung’s A-series is where its value really shines, and the Galaxy A57 5G is the pick of the current crop. For around the £300 mark you get a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,900 nits of brightness, bright enough to read in direct sun.
Behind it sits an Exynos 1680 chip, a 50MP main camera with optical stabilisation, a big 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging and IP68 water resistance. Impressively, Samsung promises up to seven years of updates even at this price.
It won’t keep up with a flagship in the most demanding games, but for everyday use, a lovely screen and years of support, it is superb value.
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