I shot over 200 photos with Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Galaxy S26 — here’s the winner

More often than not, people stick with the default settings out of the box — which is why the photos I captured above, down by Bryant Park, don’t look all that different. That’s because both phones deliver 12MP snapshots, yielding similar results across the board.

Broadly speaking, both phones do an excellent job of exposing the scene while boasting the same colors and contrast. And while the details appear the same, zooming into parts of the buildings in the background, reveals a bit more definition and sharpness with the S26 Ultra.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

When pointing both phones toward the sky, I really like the Inception-like perspective I get of these skyscrapers. This one’s tougher to judge because the overall images appear to be identical, down to their exposure, contrast, colors and details.

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I thought the Galaxy S26 Ultra would capture more definition in the building in the middle, but the Galaxy S26’s ultrawide camera shows it’s just as good.

Winner: tie

Down in the produce section at Whole Foods, both phones aren’t shy about saturating the colors of the different peppers on the shelves. I’m particularly drawn to the red peppers, seeing that they’re incredibly vivid, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra shot exhibits a bit of color bleeding.

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Winner: Galaxy S26

As I showed earlier with the daytime snapshots, both phones expose scenes identically — and these shots reinforcing their dynamic range performance prove that even further. With the sun high in the sky casting strong shadows over the buildings in the foreground, both sensors are put to the test.

Again, the Galaxy S26 matches the Galaxy S26 Ultra by boosting the exposure in the shadows to reveal details like the stonework around the window frames. When looking at the highlights, such as the clouds and concrete pavement, they’re exposed exactly the same. The slight different that draws me to the Galaxy S26 Ultra is how it makes the trees on the left side pop out more.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Galaxy S26 doesn’t have a dedicated macro mode like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it still delivers an impressive shot of the sunflower above. Despite the phone being slightly further away, I really like the strong contrast of the dark inner portion of the flower against the yellow petals — and the amount of detail captured is remarkable.

However, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is simply better suited for this task because it allows me to get much closer to the subject. At the same time, there’s more definition around the petals, and it does a better job of keeping more of the frame in focus — evident in how the nearby green leaves remain sharp.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

At first glance, there are no glaring differences between the panorama shots of Bryant Park’s sprawling lawn—they both maintain consistent exposure across the entire image.

However, it’s only when I zoom in and inspect the New York Public Library on the right that I notice a subtle shift. The individual stones of the building are better defined by the Galaxy S26 Ultra, whereas they have a smudged texture in the S26’s shot.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

Both phones are equipped with 12MP selfie cameras, and it’s almost impossible to tell them apart because the results look nearly identical. From the wrinkles on my forehead to the texture of my button-down collared shirt, both the S26 and S26 Ultra selfie cameras get everything right.

There are minor differences, however, such as the Galaxy S26 Ultra having slightly more definition in the green shrub on the left — while the S26 applies a bit more contrast. I attribute that contrast to the angle I was holding the S26, as it appears the S26 Ultra’s selfie camera was affected by a slight glare.

Winner: tie

Even though it’s a bit too aggressive for my taste with the amount of bokeh it applies to the background, the Galaxy S26 Ultra does a better job with portraits.

I say this because it better simulates the performance of an actual portrait lens. There’s a natural fall-off with the focus around my arm closest to the camera and around my shirt collar. In contrast, the Galaxy S26 stumbles by failing to blur the patch under my arm. Plus, that same area around my collar remains in sharp focus instead of having a slight blur.

Although, it’s worth mentioning that you can adjust the level of blur later on to whatever setting you want.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

If zooming matters most to you, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is undoubtedly the one to get. That’s because it features a superior 50MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, making it much better equipped for capturing sharp shots at longer ranges.

I set both phones to 30x zoom — the maximum range for the Galaxy S26 — and the difference is immediate in the statue shot above. The Galaxy S26 photo is soft, resulting in textures that appear smeared. In comparison, the Galaxy S26 Ultra retains significantly more detail and definition.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

In low light, I have to commend both phones for how they brighten the scene. In reality, the tree above appeared quite dim to the naked eye, yet it becomes well-exposed through their dedicated night modes.

It’s impressive how they handle the light source coming from the left side of the frame without overexposing the highlights or losing the shadows. The one distinguishing factor here is the level of detail captured by the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main camera. Zooming in reinforces this, as the tree exhibits much better clarity and sharper textures than the standard S26.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)

Well, this outcome isn’t all that surprising to me, but it’s still worth pointing out that the gap between the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Ultra is much narrower than what their price tags might suggest. Is there a tremendous difference between the two? Not really.

While the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s main camera consistently yields better detail capture, I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s an overwhelming amount — especially when you just look at the overall shot rather than inspect the fine details. The “Ultra” moniker still carries weight where it counts, specifically with zooming and macro photography. Otherwise, the Galaxy S26 holds up remarkably well against its more expensive sibling.