Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Honor Magic 8
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra scores higher on the OH Rank (82 vs 79), winning 4 of 10 categories including Screen and Main Camera. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is 4.1mm wider than Honor Magic 8. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 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
82
79
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
78.1mm (3.07in) · Mar 4, 2026 · Rank #3
13+8+15+12+15+5+4+0+5+5 = 82
SUPERIOR* TOP Screen* TOP Camera* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement
EDITORIAL: Samsung is sticking to same choices they did last year: top processor, top screen and a tried and true camera setup. Battery remains the same – a disappointing 5000mAh Lithium unit that provides for (barely) a full day of heavy use. Like Apple, Samsung believes that it is better to fully deplete and fully charge the battery every single day (excellent sales numbers confirm that their customers feel the same). The S26U is still a great phone: top performance and screen (albeit with gimmicky "first phone with a privacy screen" tagline), great main and selfie cameras, industry leading OS update policy, extensive AI integration, DeX and a powerful stylus.
PROs
flagship build, excellent SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, outstanding >1300nits >490ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with HDR10+ and DX antireflective coating, great 200MP 24mm main + 10MP 67mm tele + 50MP 111mm periscope telephoto + 50MP ~13mm ultrawide (all with PDAF, only ultrawide lacks OIS), (Feb 2023 old) 12MP 26mm dual-Pixel PDAF selfie that still delivers great pics, above average video recording, stable and feature packed OS with 7 years of updates, rich AI offerings, industry best desktop replacement functionality, fast USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort and OTG and powerful integration of build in stylus
CONs
disappointing lack of innovation Samsung used to be known for, wider then last year, same 5000mAh battery with 24hr endurance (but slightly faster) sub-60min 60W (25W wireless) charging, no expandable storage and Apple-like effort to limit access to best (wearables, peripherals) features to users fully committed to Samsung ecosystem
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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