Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Honor Magic 8
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26+ scores higher on the OH Rank (81 vs 79), winning 3 of 10 categories including Screen and Selfie. Samsung Galaxy S26+ is 1.8mm wider than Honor Magic 8. Samsung Galaxy S26+ is the more recent release, from Mar 4, 2026.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
81
79
Samsung Galaxy S26+
75.8mm (2.98in) · Mar 4, 2026 · Rank #6
13+10+15+12+12+5+4+0+5+5 = 81
* TOP Screen* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement
EDITORIAL: Like with all S models this year, Samsung saw no reason to innovate – the S26+ gets an upgraded processor and 25W (instead of 15W) wireless charging. Everything else stays the same. Still it is a top flagship phone with great performance, top screen, very good imaging and DeX, 7 years of stabile and feature rich OS, plus tons of AI tricks
PROs
just 7mm thick, excellent build, fast SD 8 Elite Gen 5 (EU gets Exynos 2600) with UFS 4.0 performance, >1400nits bright >500ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with HDR10+ support, IP69 protection, reliable 50MP 24mm main + 10MP 67mm tele (both OIS PDAF) + 12MP 13mm back setup, excellent (from Feb 2023) 12MP 26mm dual pixel PDAF selfie, solid video recording, feature-packed OneOS with 7 years of updates, industry leading (with Pixel and Honor) AI integration, excellent DeX (Desktop eXperience) multi window desktop replacement environment and a fast USBC 3.2 port with DisplayPort and OTG features
CONs
same as S25+ but for much higher price, small 4900mAh Lithium battery with >60min 45W (25W wireless) charging, no expandable memory, kill-joy lack of innovation and improvement
Honor Magic 8
74mm (2.91in) · Oct 23, 2025 · Rank #10
13+14+13+12+12+3+4+0+5+3 = 79
SUPERIOR* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement
EDITORIAL: 5mm shorter and 2mm narrower, Magic 8 comes with a much bigger battery and improved main and telephoto cameras. It steals Vivo's formula of battery+screen+camera to deliver a great package. The selfie is still AF-less and the USB-C stayed a disappointingly slow 2.0 but gained the Display Port 1.2 skill to allow for desktop replacement functionality. This is a great flagship, if you can get it.
PROs
74mm narrow body, flagship grade build with a small and symmetrical camera bump, top SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.0 performance, 48hr endurance from a 7000mAh Si-C battery with sub-60min 90W (80W wireless) charging. >1700nits bright 460ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision certification and >4300Hz PWM, IP69 protection. great pics from a 50MP 24mm OIS PDAF main + 64MP ~70mm OIS PDAF telephoto + 50MP 12mm dual-pixel PDAF ultrawide, very good video recording, up to 7 years of OS updates, tons of AI tricks and good desktop replacement functionality
CONs
limited market availability, no AF on 50MP 21mm selfie, videos can differ across lenses, no SDmemory slot, slow USB-C 2.0 port (but with Display Port functionality)
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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