The Samsung Galaxy A26 5G steps into the competitive mid-range smartphone arena, bringing a compelling mix of features and Samsung’s renowned build quality and software promise. Released in March 2025, it follows the successful Galaxy A25, offering key upgrades and a refreshed design that aligns with Samsung’s latest aesthetic. Available in both 128GB and 256GB internal storage options, it caters to a wide range of users.
1. Design and Build Quality: The Galaxy A26 5G features a refined design, moving towards a more streamlined look compared to its predecessors. It boasts a glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+) and a plastic frame and glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+). The dimensions are approximately 164 x 77.5 x 7.7 mm, and it weighs around 200g, giving it a solid yet comfortable in-hand feel. A significant upgrade is its IP67 dust and water resistance, meaning it can withstand submersion in up to 1 meter of fresh water for 30 minutes, a feature that significantly enhances its durability and peace of mind for users. It comes in appealing colors such as Black, White, Mint, and Peach Pink.
2. Immersive Display: A highlight of the Galaxy A26 5G is its 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display. This vibrant screen offers a Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2340 pixels) with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, resulting in crisp visuals and excellent color reproduction. The inclusion of a 120Hz refresh rate ensures incredibly smooth scrolling, fluid animations, and a highly responsive touch experience, whether you’re navigating the UI, playing games, or Browse content. With up to 800 nits (HBM) brightness, visibility outdoors or in bright conditions is also excellent. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, providing enhanced durability. Notably, some leaks hinted at a return to a waterdrop notch, while official renders show a more modern punch-hole design. The official information confirms a punch-hole or similar modern display cutout.
3. Performance and Hardware: The Samsung Galaxy A26 5G is primarily powered by the Exynos 1380 (5 nm) octa-core processor globally, with some regions (like Latin America) possibly receiving the Exynos 1280 (5 nm) or similar. The Exynos 1380 features a powerful configuration (e.g., 4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) and a Mali-G68 MP5 GPU, designed to offer strong performance for a mid-range device. This chipset is capable of handling daily tasks with ease, running multiple applications smoothly, and supporting moderate to heavy gaming.
RAM Configurations:
- 128GB Internal Storage: Available with 6GB or 8GB of RAM.
- 256GB Internal Storage: Generally paired with 8GB of RAM.
The higher RAM options (6GB/8GB) are crucial for robust multitasking, ensuring apps stay open in the background and the system remains responsive even under heavier loads.
Storage Options:
- 128GB Internal Storage: Provides ample space for most users, accommodating a good number of apps, photos, and videos.
- 256GB Internal Storage: Ideal for power users, content creators, or those who simply prefer to have plenty of room for large games, extensive media libraries, and numerous applications without worrying about space constraints.
Both storage variants benefit from a microSDXC card slot, supporting expandable storage up to 1TB or 1.5TB (depending on regional specifics), which is a fantastic addition for long-term use and media enthusiasts.
4. Camera System: The Galaxy A26 5G features a versatile triple-camera setup on the rear and a capable front camera:
- Rear Camera:
- 50MP main sensor (f/1.8, wide, PDAF, OIS): The primary camera benefits from Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for stable photos and videos, especially in low light or when moving.
- 8MP ultrawide sensor (f/2.2, 120˚ FoV): Perfect for capturing expansive landscapes or fitting more into your shot.
- 2MP macro sensor (f/2.4): For detailed close-up photography.
- Features: LED flash, panorama, HDR.
- Video Recording: Capable of 4K@30fps and 1080p@30fps, with gyro-EIS for stabilization.
- Front Camera:
- 13MP wide-angle lens (f/2.2): For sharp selfies and clear video calls.
- Video Recording: 1080p@30fps. Some sources indicate 4K@30fps for the front camera as well, which would be a notable upgrade.
The camera system is designed to offer good performance in various scenarios, suitable for social media, casual photography, and high-quality video calls.
5. Battery Life and Charging: Powering the Galaxy A26 5G is a large 5000mAh (typical) Li-Po battery, which ensures excellent all-day battery life for most users. Samsung claims up to 17 hours of video playback. It supports 25W wired super-fast charging, allowing for quick top-ups when you need power in a hurry. As is common with many Samsung phones, the charging adapter might be sold separately.
6. Software and Updates: The Galaxy A26 5G ships with the latest Android 15 out of the box, layered with Samsung’s intuitive One UI 7. A significant selling point for the A26, aligning with Samsung’s strong commitment to software longevity, is the promise of up to 6 generations of Android OS upgrades and 6 years of security updates. This means the phone will receive updates potentially up to Android 21 and remain secure until 2031, offering exceptional long-term value.
7. Connectivity and Other Features:
- Network: Full 5G support (GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G) for blazing-fast mobile data speeds.
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct.
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.3 with A2DP, LE for efficient wireless connectivity with peripherals.
- NFC: Yes (market/region dependent) for contactless payments and quick pairing.
- USB: USB Type-C 2.0 with OTG support.
- Audio: Stereo speakers tuned with Dolby Atmos for an immersive audio experience.
- No 3.5mm headphone jack: This model, like many newer Samsung phones, does not include a traditional headphone jack.
- Sensors: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor for secure and convenient unlocking, accelerometer, gyro, compass, virtual proximity sensing
Choosing Between 128GB and 256GB:
- 128GB Galaxy A26 5G (with 6GB or 8GB RAM): This option is suitable for the average smartphone user. If you mainly use your phone for social media, streaming, web Browse, moderate gaming, and take a decent number of photos and videos but regularly back them up or use cloud storage, 128GB is perfectly adequate, especially with the expandable storage option. It’s typically the more affordable choice.
- 256GB Galaxy A26 5G (with 8GB RAM): This is the preferred choice for:
- Heavy users: Those who download many large apps, graphics-intensive games, or store extensive offline media (movies, music).
- Content creators: If you shoot a lot of high-resolution photos and 4K videos and prefer to keep them on your device.
- Professionals: Who deal with large documents, presentations, or other files directly on their phone.
- Long-term users: If you plan to keep the phone for many years and want to ensure you don’t run out of space as your digital footprint grows. The increased RAM (often 8GB) also provides a noticeably smoother multitasking experience for power users.
Price and Availability in Nairobi, Kenya:
As of July 2025, the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G is available in Nairobi, Kenya. You can expect competitive pricing given its mid-range positioning.
Estimated Price Range in Kenya (as of July 2025):
- Samsung Galaxy A26 5G (6GB RAM, 128GB storage): KSh 22,000 – KSh 28,000
- Samsung Galaxy A26 5G (8GB RAM, 256GB storage): KSh 27,000 – KSh 34,000
These are estimated ranges, and actual prices may vary based on the specific retailer, ongoing promotions, and import duties.
For the most accurate and up-to-date pricing and stock information in Nairobi, Kenya, I recommend checking with Mobihub Electronics, as they are a known retailer for Samsung devices in your area. You can also check other major electronics stores and online retailers.
The Samsung Galaxy A26 5G, especially the 256GB variant, represents a strong offering in the mid-range market, providing a balanced and future-proof experience for users who value a great display, solid performance, improved durability, and long-term software support
