Discussion - Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus review: A perfectly good phone with no reason to exist

So here is where comparing a car to a phone in principle really "drives" home the point, and why what you said is completely ridiculous.

Like cars/trucks or any vehicle, they all come in different trim levels. Each level is meant to attract a certain customer.

To start, you have the base model. The Galaxy S based model introduces you to their flagship product. It has very nice features and it has a starting price that most people looking in this class can afford to buy it.

The Plus model would be a trim above the base model, but before you get to the top model. This is for people who have a bit more money to spend. Unlike Apple who purposely gimps the base and plus model to make you buy the pro models, the S+ takes everything the base has, at it's lowest level and then add more to try to justify the price increase.

The Ultra is for people who have no problem with a device that has a starting price of $1300 and goes as high as $1700.

Who is the S+ for? This is easy. The base S would be like a 2 dr trim of a car, while the plus would bring all the exact same features and add 2 doors. The + is 99% identical to the base, except it is bigger. Lots of people, especially though with smaller hands or fingers, will prefer a smaller size phone, but don't wanna give up the bells and whistles. Some other want something bigger and thus the plus satisfies that.

The ultra is even bigger and may be very uncomfortable with someone with small hands. It also has fancier features which many may not even want.

Like, suppose I don't want the 200MP camera? Suppose I don't want the pen, but I still want a good sized device? The base S feels small vs its taller siblings.

Asian's women have small hands usually. Even though I've seen them with the Ultra models, and I can speak on this subject because I am married to one who has small hands, even though the 1st big phone i bought here was the Note 7, all the Note's and Ultra's after that; even though she had them, I could tell they ere awkward for her to use. She from her own mouth said she didn't like any of the Note phones and preferred the S model. So after the Note 7 issues, we both when back to the S line with the S8's. But she didn't want the +, she said it was too big. Even though I kept buying a Note, she didn't return to the Note line until the N20U, because she said the curvy screen made it nicer to hold and she missed having the pen.

There are people with a plus now who will upgrade to it. Why eliminate it like Apple does to force you to buy a more expensive model you can't afford or don't want?!

Of interest is the better AI photo edits available with the Samsung Galaxy Ultra range. Compared to the similar edits on the Apple AI photo edits.

Does this much better AI editing apply to the lower priced Samsung Galaxy smartphones?

I have the S25+ and obviously see no reason to get the new version. My last three phones have been the plus models and I get them for their size. I don't have a need for the stylus and the privacy screen isn't of interest since I rarely use the phone where privacy would be an issue. Is a better camera of interest. Meh, the one in my S+ is fine for my needs.

To me even if the sales are low, the Plus line is the best phone for most people, they don't need the Ultra. I don't miss the sPen. I would argue that we don't need the Ultra at all!

Honestly I don't understand why they have three models. They cost $900, 1100, 1300. The difference between a pluff and an ultra in the factor of $200. In general most people buy either via Samsung through a two-year contract, cash or through their mobile phone company with either well I don't know what other companies have but mine is three-year contract. A three-year contract is like 36 bucks a month. Versus like $30 I mean it's really not that much of a difference. Now I can understand if you were only had two options a $900 phone versus pay $1,300 phone a $400 difference is pretty substantial. I on the other hand have three s26 ulcers..

The first phone that I ever had that had an s pen was a Motorola phone and I ever even used it. Now that I have an ultra I'm never going to use it either. I don't understand why Penn are still a thing?

That's why should by the plus. I use my pen.

Uhm, PhoneArena, S26+ has Horizon Lock and it's not exclusive to the Ultra model. Please correct that as it's misleading. Main sensor is GNG instead of GN5 from past models. Yes, it's the same size but sensor is not 1:1 the same.

The real question is, why isn't the Plus the best-seller? It's the best phone for most people. I understand the Ultra has a little more. But some years it's more than others. And it's never been enough more to render the Plus a bad phone. Technically, it's the smarter buy.

But, people don't. So the real question then becomes, why does the base model exist? There's literally nothing to recommend it when the Plus is the same phone without the base S' worst cons: small, slow-charging battery and small screen. I understand a few people preferring the smaller form, but it shouldn't be enough to have most people passing up the Plus. That's the real mystery.