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Android Authority
21-05-2025
- Android Authority
The Google I/O 2025 keynote made me so depressed about our AI future
Joe Maring / Android Authority As I sat down to watch the opening keynote for Google I/O 2025 yesterday, I glanced out the window behind my computer. It was a cold, rainy, and overall gloomy day. A gray sky hid any trace of the sun. A frigid breeze and a constant drizzle squashed my hopes of an afternoon run or a long walk with my dog. It was a perfect illustration of how Google's two-hour keynote would make me feel throughout its entire runtime. As expected, artificial intelligence was a big focus for Google. Between AI in search, content creation, XR, and more, we knew AI would be everywhere we looked. But having now seen the specifics of what Google's been working on — and what its vision of an AI future looks like — I couldn't be more disinterested about where the company is going and where it wants to take us. What did you think about the Google I/O 2025 keynote? 26 votes I loved it! 19 % It was fine, but nothing special. 31 % I hated it. 23 % I didn't watch it. 27 % Just let the AI do it Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority Since Google has been on this AI journey, it's been clear that it intends to create AI tools that make everyday and complex tasks easier to accomplish. That's ultimately the goal of any AI company, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that. But it's the way Google is approaching this goal and the features it's making to achieve it that have me feeling so bad about it. One of the first examples we saw was an update on Gmail's Smart Replies. AI can already generate email replies for you, but with the new Personalized Smart Replies, those AI-generated emails will contain more relevant information while mimicking your personal writing tone. Instead of you having to perform the dreaded task of personally writing an email to a friend, family member, or work colleague, you can have Gmail's AI tool do it for you, all while writing with your own style and mannerisms to trick the person on the other end into thinking it's really you. Or, as Google CEO Sundar Pichai put it, you can use Personalized Smart Replies to 'be a better friend.' Google wants AI to help you 'be a better friend.' The human on the other end of that message may not like to know you couldn't be bothered to email them yourself. But you know who doesn't care? AI agents, baby. Not long after the Gmail demo, Pichai showed an example of using 'Agent Mode' in Gemini to help you find an apartment. On paper, it sounds fairly interesting. Agent Mode can research apartments for you, create a spreadsheet of your findings, and even schedule tours for places you like. But when you step back and really look at what's going on, I don't think this is actually solving any problems. Google Gemini doesn't do all of this for you magically. You have to type long, detailed paragraphs about what you want in an apartment. How many bedrooms and bathrooms you want. What location you want to live in. What your price range is. All of this needs to be written in a way Gemini can understand. Tell me how that's any easier than clicking a few filters on Zillow or And when you do finally get all of your apartment results from Gemini, are you going to trust that what it's given you is 100% accurate? Google frames the apartment scenario as this time-consuming, awful, horrible process. Why should you have to do that when the AI can? Because I trust myself. Because scrolling through Zillow listings is objectively easier than writing 500 words to Gemini to make sure it knows exactly what I'm looking for. Because I have fond memories of sitting up late at night with my partner, having a couple of beers together, and listening to music while making a spreadsheet of our apartment must-haves. But thank god I could take all that away and have Gemini's Agent Mode handle everything for me. Why should you have to do that when the AI can? The more the keynote went on, the worse it made me feel. At one mind-numbing point, Google showed a demo of having an AI agent buy a dress for you, because you can't spare the 30 seconds it would take to add it to your cart and check out. We also had around 20 minutes of Google telling us how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing filmmaking and content creation, while all the examples it showed looked like AI slop. When we got to the Gemini Live example of Gemini telling a person the difference between a garbage truck and a convertible — not once, but twice — I was ready to walk into the ocean. I don't like where Google is taking us Joe Maring / Android Authority Google's I/O keynotes have never been perfect. Between wonky tech demos and features that take years to materialize, there have always been valid criticisms to raise. But in years past, those keynotes also gave us legitimately cool software and hardware products to look forward to. Google I/O is where Google introduced Wear OS to the world. It's where the company launched the first Pixel A-Series phone. Google I/O is where we met Google Assistant, the first Google Home speaker, and Google's first big push into VR with Daydream. This used to be a show where Google regularly impressed us by showing the best and coolest things it could make. But now, it feels like the company has lost all of that. Google is still obviously making things, but almost everything it's putting out into the world feels bad. Right now, the most interesting things to Google are finding ways to let us communicate with loved ones less, have AI be in charge of everything from dress shopping to apartment hunting, and creating more powerful tools for computers and not humans to be artists. This used to be a show where Google regularly impressed us. What pushed me over the edge more than anything was the end of the keynote, where Sundar said how one day AI will be used to 'find treatments for the world's deadliest diseases.' How AI will build futuristic robots and create fully autonomous driving. It creates an illusion that dumbing us down to the point where we can't write an email or look for a new place to live is a critical step toward saving lives. If you ask me, that verges on being outright evil. I want to be excited about the next big thing in tech. I want to be dazzled by whatever crazy new invention Google has whipped up. But having AI impersonate me in an email isn't going to do it. Removing human experiences certainly won't do it. But I don't think Google understands that, and pending a drastic leadership and focus shift, I'm not sure it ever will.
Android Authority
17-05-2025
- Android Authority
This compact Lenovo gaming tablet shouldn't be one of the best Android tablets, but it is
Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 This might be a gaming tablet on paper, but that's only half the story. The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is a compact slate with plenty of power that can fit into your daily life in a way few Android tablets ever manage. That's why I'm convinced that this is one of the best Android tablets you can buy, even if you never play a single game on it. It's hard to feel genuinely excited about Android tablets these days. The market has become homogenized over the years, offering options that all blur together. Samsung's got tablets for every price bracket, Amazon's got its Fire lineup of tablets on a budget, and everyone else is just… kind of there. They mostly look the same, feel the same, and try to do the same things, just with different logos slapped on top. So when Lenovo sent me a 'gaming tablet' to test, I was intrigued. What does a gaming tablet even look like? Does it come with RGB and shoulder triggers? I've spent the past three weeks with the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3, and spoiler alert, it doesn't come with any of those. The good news is that it is a gaming tablet, all right. But more importantly, it turns out the $549 Legion Tab Gen 3 delivers one of the most fun Android tablet experiences I've had, even though I think there's a very small chunk of people who might actually want to buy it. Surprisingly premium Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority When I first got my hands on the Legion Tab, I had no idea what it cost, and my first reaction after unboxing it was that it felt like a flagship product. I genuinely assumed it would be priced somewhere close to $1,000. You can imagine my surprise when I later found out it costs half of that. The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3's premium feeling starts even before you turn on the tablet. Lenovo includes a surprisingly luxurious set of accessories in the box: a grilled bumper case for the back, a magnetic flap that attaches to it and turns it into a folio case, a glass screen protector, a 68W charging brick, and a USB-C to USB-C cable. The folio case even folds neatly to double up as a kickstand when you set the tablet down in landscape mode. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority The tablet itself feels just as good. Lenovo has gone with an all-metal construction that feels sturdy and premium. The matte black finish might not scream 'gaming tablet' the way some might expect, but the industrial style looks a lot more polished than the tired grey or silver shades you see on most tablets. Around the back, the etched Legion logo and a rectangular camera island are the only flashy elements, keeping the design clean and subtle. There is no SIM card slot or expandable storage, so the only cutouts on the frame are two speaker grilles and two USB-C ports. One is a standard USB 2.0 port, while the other is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. That faster port allows for much quicker data transfers and even supports Display output if you want to hook up an external monitor. Left edge Bottom edge Right edge Lenovo also considered the placement, putting one port on the longer edge and one on the shorter edge. No matter how you hold the tablet, you can usually plug it in for charging, streaming, or using accessories without much hassle. That being said, gamers might miss a 3.5mm headphone jack. Technically, you can still plug in wired earphones with a USB-C adapter thanks to the dual ports, but it feels like a missed opportunity for those who want easy, zero-latency audio for gaming. There is also no IP rating for water or dust protection, something Samsung offers with its tablets at similar or slightly higher price points. On top of that, Lenovo skipped a fingerprint reader altogether. You get 2D face unlock if you want, but I ended up relying on a good old pattern lock most of the time. Its biggest feature is how small it is Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority My favorite thing about the Legion Tab is something very few Android tablets even attempt anymore: its size. With smartphone screens getting closer and closer to seven inches, it's only fair that most tablets these days are chasing screen sizes of 10 inches or more by default. Lenovo flips that trend with a compact form factor that I instantly fell in love with. The tablet measures 7.79 mm x 208.54 mm x 129.46 mm (0.31 in x 8.21 in x 5.10 in) and weighs approximately 350 grams. Most other tablets easily exceed the 500-gram mark, and while that difference might not seem huge on a spec sheet, it matters a lot when you're actually carrying the device around. I could use the Legion Tab single-handedly without it ever feeling too heavy or awkward. For context, my usual tablet is my aging but ever-reliable Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. As much as I love it, I hardly take it out unless it's for a long-distance flight, because carrying it feels like a whole production. I need to pack it into a backpack, take it out, find space to set it down, and repeat the whole dance when I am done. The Legion Tab feels more like a Kindle in comparison. You can carry it in your hands on a day out in the park, or just use it to scroll social media sitting on a couch without needing to rest it on something. That ease of use quickly became one of my favorite things about it. The reason the Legion Tab feels so compact is that it comes with an 8.8-inch display. That is much smaller than the screens you get on tablets like the OnePlus Pad 2 or any of Samsung's Galaxy Tab models, and as close as you're going to get these days to a classic Nexus 7-style compact tablet. In fact, it is only slightly bigger than my Galaxy Z Fold 5 when unfolded, although the Legion Tab offers a lot more usable screen area thanks to its aspect ratio. As far as LCD panels go, the Legion Tab Gen 3's is excellent. The display is a 16:10 LCD panel with a 2.5K resolution (2560 x 1600). It supports 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and comes with HDR10 support. Under normal conditions, the screen hits a maximum brightness of 500 nits and can push up to 900 nits when High Brightness Mode kicks in. The screen gets bright enough to be easily usable both indoors and outdoors, colors look rich and punchy, and the viewing angles are solid too. I used the Legion Tab to binge the latest Black Mirror episodes, and I played a good chunk of games on it as well. No matter what I threw at it, the display delivered. Still, I could not quite shake off the feeling that something was missing. I ended up pulling out my Galaxy Tab S7 Plus just to compare my impressions, and even though it's three generations old at this point, its AMOLED panel still matches the Legion Tab's screen. Colors popped a little more, and especially in low-light environments, the deep blacks on the AMOLED screen created a much richer experience. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority I am not saying the Legion Tab's screen is bad. In fact, it's probably one of the best LCD panels I've seen on a mobile device in recent years. All I'm saying is that if Lenovo were to make just one upgrade to the next-gen Legion Tab, it should swap out the LCD for an AMOLED display. However, I doubt Lenovo will be able to maintain this price point if and when it makes the switch. Gamers and non-gamers alike will definitely appreciate one thing, though: the 165Hz refresh rate. It makes the entire UI feel incredibly smooth, and most actions on this tablet feel buttery smooth. If your favorite games support 90fps or 120fps gameplay, you can enjoy that full fluidity here too, and it genuinely adds to the gaming experience. All the gaming performance you need Yeah, gaming. Let's get that out of the way now. This tablet comes with exactly the kind of specs you would expect for a device with Lenovo's Legion branding. It packs 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Powering it all is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm's flagship chip from last year, and it is still a beast. On paper, this tablet should handle any Android game you throw at it. In real life, it absolutely does. I tried downloading the biggest, heaviest games I could find on the Play Store, and the Legion Tab had no trouble running them at the highest or near-highest settings. Genshin Impact, one of the most graphically demanding games on Android, displayed its usual warning about overheating if you crank everything up. I ignored it and ran the game at High graphics and 60fps anyway. The Legion Tab kept up just fine, delivering close to 60fps most of the time, with only one noticeable drop to around 40fps during a cutscene transition. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority Another heavy hitter I tested was Bright Memory Infinite, a fast-paced first-person shooter that can actually push 120fps gameplay on this tablet. The Legion Tab handled it really well, with frame rates rarely dropping below 100fps during intense action. The experience was the same across every other game I tried. Lighter games, unsurprisingly, ran flawlessly. Heat management is also done well. The tablet's built-in performance overlay showed the temperature rising from around 20 degrees Celsius to about 40 degrees during an hour of non-stop gaming. The tablet's back got warm to the touch, but it never got uncomfortably hot, and performance stayed stable the whole time. Battery life is decent, but there are a few caveats. The Legion Tab only packs a 6,550mAh battery compared to the 8,000mAh or even 10,000mAh monsters you get on bigger tablets. I noticed a 20% drop in battery after around 30 minutes of gaming, regardless of which title I played. That means you should expect about two and a half hours of serious gaming on a full charge. It's not mind-blowing, but it's the trade-off for the smaller form factor. Outside of gaming, battery life held up better than I expected. Standby performance is especially impressive. I left the tablet connected to Wi-Fi for days at a time, and it would barely lose 2% to 3% over 24 hours. One time, I picked it up after five days of just sitting there, fully expecting it to be dead, but it still had over 80% battery left. Regular tasks like watching videos, scrolling through social media, or light browsing also barely dent the battery. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority Topping up is fast too. The included 68W charger brings the Legion Tab from nearly dead to full in just over an hour. You can use either of the USB-C ports to charge, but you cannot plug into both at once, so save yourself the big-brain experiment. Lenovo also added support for bypass charging, which means when you plug in while gaming, the power can go straight to the tablet's motherboard instead of the battery. That helps avoid heat buildup and keeps performance steady during long gaming sessions. Gaming extras The specs race keeps pushing forward for mobile gaming, and Lenovo will soon launch a version of this tablet with an even stronger chip. The problem is, while there are plenty of great games on Android, there are barely any right now that can push today's hardware to its absolute limits. That said, if you are someone who plays competitive mobile games and cares more about response times and smoothness than pixel-perfect graphics, the Legion Tab delivers exactly what you need. It'll also be a really reliable slate if you're into retro games via emulation, while still having headroom to spare for heavier load add-ons like custom shaders. The caveat is that you'll quickly fill up that 256GB fixed storage. The tablet does everything it can to make gaming feel immersive, too. The dual-speaker setup gets loud and sounds surprisingly good. When you fire up a game in landscape mode, the tablet automatically switches to a panoramic sound mode. It creates enough stereo separation that you can track enemy footsteps in games like PUBG without needing headphones, although a good pair of earbuds still gives you the best edge. Another highlight is the X-axis haptic motor. It's sharp, precise, and actually adds a real layer of feedback to your interactions, both in-game and while using the general UI. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority I also loved how the Legion Tab's smaller size plays well with mobile gamepad controllers like the Razer Kishi Ultra and the Gamesir G8 Plus. Mounting the tablet in one of these controllers takes the gaming experience to another level. Bright Memory Infinite, Asphalt Legends, and even smaller games felt way more enjoyable with physical controls. And because the tablet is relatively lightweight, the whole setup stays comfortable to hold for longer gaming sessions. It is probably one of the best ways to enjoy mobile gaming on a flight or while traveling. Software-wise, Lenovo keeps things pretty simple. There is a Legion Space app that serves as a basic gaming hub, where all your installed games are displayed in one place. While you are playing, you can pull up a floating overlay from the side of the screen. It gives you access to quick settings, such as switching performance modes (Balance, High Performance, and Energy Saving), or capturing screenshots and screen recordings. There is one weird omission, though. The tablet does not automatically disable screen timeout while gaming. If your screen is set to turn off after 30 seconds, it will still do that even if you are in the middle of a long cutscene or a loading screen. There is no toggle inside the gaming overlay to keep the screen on, either. The only way around it is to exit your game, dig into the settings, and manually change the screen timeout to 'never,' which is annoying because it also disables screen timeout everywhere else. It's a small but painfully obvious thing that Lenovo should have handled better. Regular Android with a gamer wallpaper Outside of the gaming extras, the software experience on the Legion Tab is… fine. Lenovo hasn't added any special skin or UI changes specifically for gamers. It's just the company's usual Android skin, with a Legion-themed wallpaper on top. The tablet ships with Android 14 out of the box, but it got the Android 15 update the moment I powered it on. That's a good sign, and Lenovo says it will get two more major OS updates after that, which is fine for the type of tablet this is, but not as good as what you get from Samsung or Google. Lenovo's UI feels pretty close to stock Android. It's lightweight, smooth, and maybe even a little too basic. You get a few customization options for themes and wallpapers, and you can run split-screen apps or use floating windows. There's no built-in AI stuff from Lenovo here, but you still get all the usual Google features like Circle to Search and the Gemini assistant. There's a good chunk of pre-installed apps on the tablet, but you can uninstall all of them if you want. What annoyed me more was the setup experience. Lenovo tries really hard to push pages of bloatware and random games onto you, and you have to uncheck each app individually just to avoid them. It's annoying, but at least it only happens once, so I'm willing to let that slide. Connectivity-wise, the Legion Tab supports Wi-Fi 7, and I experienced no issues with speed or signal during my time using it at home. There's no cellular model, though. That might not be a huge issue for most, but with many modern mobile games requiring a constant internet connection, it's something to consider. Unless you're okay with tethering your phone or only using the tablet in Wi-Fi zones, this is pretty much a stay-at-home device. And yes, the tablet does have cameras. There's a 13MP rear camera, an 8MP front camera, and a macro sensor that I won't even pretend to take seriously. The rear camera works well enough for snapping documents, and the front camera can handle 1080p video calls or basic streaming needs. You'll get decent results in good lighting, but don't expect anything close to the quality of your phone's camera, especially for portraits or Instagram posts. Lenovo Legion Tab review verdict: Makes me want to buy a tablet again Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority The Lenovo Legion Tab ($549.99 at Lenovo) targets a very specific niche — the mobile gamer — and it nails that purpose almost perfectly. It gives you powerful gaming hardware in a form factor that feels just right. It is bigger than a phone but not as bulky or awkward as a full-size tablet. It fits neatly into mobile gaming controllers, you can hook it up to a bigger screen if you want, it charges incredibly fast, and there is very little to complain about overall. You still have a few things to keep in mind, like the missing headphone jack, the lack of any biometrics, and the absence of a cellular model. But if your main goal is smooth, responsive mobile gaming, the Legion Tab gets the job done. What surprised me more was how much this tablet started making sense even outside of gaming. Smartphone screens are already big enough for most casual tasks, such as social media and watching videos, and when I need a bigger screen for work, I would rather open my laptop. Most Android tablets also don't have the kind of seamless ecosystem integration that iPads enjoy, which makes them feel like an isolated purchase instead of a natural extension of your setup. That's why my Galaxy Tab S7 Plus mostly sits around collecting dust until I travel. I never thought I would want a tablet again, but the Legion Tab almost changed my mind. The Legion Tab feels different because of its size. It's big enough to make me want to switch from my phone for things like watching YouTube videos or casually browsing Instagram. At the same time, it's small enough that I don't have to overthink picking it up. I do not feel like I need to justify using it for a specific task the way I usually do with full-sized tablets. It's light, quick, and easy to reach throughout the day without even thinking about it. That compact size does come with trade-offs. This is not the kind of tablet you can treat as a productivity machine or a laptop replacement. If you need to type a lot, multitask with multiple apps, or browse spreadsheets, this is not the right tool for the job. Plus, the battery life takes an obvious hit. If you are looking specifically for a gaming tablet, the closest competitor to the Legion Tab is the OnePlus Pad 2 ($549.99 at Amazon). It also offers flagship-grade performance, a big battery, fast charging, and a much larger display for the same price. Samsung's Galaxy Tab S10 FE ($499.99 at Amazon) is another option in a similar price range, and it adds features like a bundled S Pen, an IP rating, and a cellular model option. However, it does not offer the same level of raw performance as the Legion Tab. Plus, both of these alternatives are much bigger and heavier devices. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority If budget is not a major concern, you could also consider the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus ($999.99 at Samsung). It offers an incredible 12.4-inch AMOLED display, flagship performance, and tons of premium features, but it will cost you nearly twice as much as the Legion Tab. If you are simply looking for a compact tablet, there are almost no real competitors on the Android side right now outside of the Pixel Tablet ($499 at Amazon), which hasn't aged that well, and is larger anyway. The only real alternative is the iPad Mini ($459 at Amazon), but that decision comes down to which ecosystem you prefer more than anything else. I still do not think small tablets will appeal to the masses. There is a reason why companies often abandon smaller flagship phones after a few generations. The same might happen with compact tablets. But whether the world embraces them or not, the Lenovo Legion Tab made me remember how fun and practical a well-designed tablet can be. Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 Delightfully compact to use • Reliable performance • Brilliant haptics and speakers MSRP: $549.99 Compact tablet gaming The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is a compact Android tablet built for gaming on the go, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, bundled accessories, and powerful speakers. See price at Lenovo Positives Delightfully compact to use Delightfully compact to use Reliable performance Reliable performance Brilliant haptics and speakers Brilliant haptics and speakers Loaded with in-box accessories Cons No secure biometrics No secure biometrics Gaming tablet with no headphone jack Gaming tablet with no headphone jack No cellular model No cellular model Limited fixed storage for games
Android Authority
07-05-2025
- Android Authority
The $300 Samsung Galaxy A26 5G and makes the $400 Galaxy A36 5G look like a bad deal
Samsung Galaxy A26 5G The Samsung Galaxy A26 plays it safe, delivers where it counts, and avoids major mistakes. Samsung's Galaxy A series has long been a go-to recommendation for anyone shopping for a solid Android phone on a budget. These phones rarely push boundaries or chase trends, but they've consistently nailed the basics, and that alone has kept them relevant year after year. The Galaxy A26 5G continues that tradition without trying to reinvent the wheel. In fact, it barely touches the wheel at all. But even with its modest upgrades, it still manages to hold its own, delivering just enough performance for daily tasks, just enough camera quality for social media, and just enough battery life to forget your charger at home. The Galaxy A36 5G that I recently tested didn't clear the bar on a few of those counts, but the cheaper Galaxy A26 5G does. It may not wow you, but for a certain kind of buyer, the Galaxy A26 5G might be exactly enough. Tougher than ever Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority The Galaxy A26 5G is easily the most well-built phone in Samsung's A2x lineup to date. For the first time, Samsung has given it a glass back, and not just any glass. It's Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on both the front and the back. Just a couple of years ago, this level of protection was reserved for flagship phones. Now it's here on a $300 device, and that's a big win for durability. I had the pleasure of unintentionally testing that out during a very scientific drop test (read: forgetting the phone was in my lap while getting out of my car). It hit the road, bounced once, and… survived. The back glass didn't shatter or scratch, although the plastic frame did chip slightly. Still, it walked away from that fall in much better shape than I expected. The phone also comes with IP67 water and dust resistance, which means it can handle rain, spills, and even a quick drop into a pool. The Galaxy A26 5G design repeats the old formula that stays the course for another year. Samsung hasn't trimmed the A26 5G's dimensions like it did with the A36 5G. This phone is slightly longer, wider, and heavier than its predecessor, the Galaxy A25 5G, but that's understandable given the glass back and water resistance. It's not too bulky, but it's still a big phone, and one-handed use might be a stretch if you have smaller hands. Samsung is still adamant about sticking with a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera here, even though most of the industry has moved on to punch holes. It's a small detail, but one that makes the phone feel a step behind in design. Samsung has made one small change on the back: it has dropped the floating camera ring design and reverted to a vertical, pill-shaped camera island. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority Currently, the phone is only available in a single Black color option. It's a glossy finish that's a nightmare to photograph and picks up smudges and pocket lint very easily. That said, I actually prefer the deeper black tone here over the Awesome Black colorway on the Galaxy A36 5G, which looked more grey than black. There's a side-mounted fingerprint scanner built into the power button, and it works exactly the way it should. It's fast, reliable, and easy to reach. I'm honestly glad Samsung didn't try to 'upgrade' this to an in-display scanner, because if it were anything like the one on the Galaxy A36 5G, it would have been a constant source of frustration. The A26 5G consistently unlocked faster and with fewer failed attempts. You also get 2D face unlock if you want it, but it's neither very fast nor very secure. The SIM tray lets you use both a physical SIM and a memory card for storage expansion, which is something you won't find on the more expensive Galaxy A36 5G or A56 5G that's due for release later this year. On the flip side, the A26 5G has also jettisoned the 3.5mm headphone jack, following in the footsteps of its pricier siblings. Samsung also made a questionable change to the audio setup, as the Galaxy A26 5G no longer has stereo speakers. Samsung simply chose not to use the earpiece as a secondary speaker, even though the hardware is capable of getting loud enough. As a result, sound comes from a single bottom-firing speaker, and it's just not great. It's fine for short videos or social media, but it sounds small, flat, and lifeless for anything beyond that. AMOLED for the win Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority If there's one area where Samsung consistently beats the competition, it's displays. That holds true here, too. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy A26 5G is easily the phone's standout feature. It might not be a class-leading panel by Samsung's usual standards, but it still looks great for a phone in this price range. The colors are vivid, the contrast is deep, and viewing angles are excellent — all the things you'd expect from an AMOLED screen. It's good enough for enjoying videos or scrolling through photos, even if the waterdrop notch makes the phone feel a bit stuck in the past. Brightness could be better, though. It's usable outdoors, but only just. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority On bright sunny days, I found myself squinting at the screen more often than I'd like. For context, the Moto G Power (2025)'s LCD screen is not too far away in terms of real-world brightness (even if the picture above might make it seem otherwise), but it struggles more with off-angle viewing and lacks the punchier colors Samsung's AMOLED delivers. The display also supports a 120Hz refresh rate, which helps the phone feel smoother when scrolling or navigating. However, unlike Samsung's more expensive models, there's no adaptive refresh rate option here. You either keep it locked at 120Hz or drop it down to 60Hz. I kept mine at 120Hz for a smoother experience, though it comes at the cost of some battery efficiency, which I'll get into later. Still solid where it counts Speaking of smoothness, I came into the Galaxy A26 5G with low expectations. I had just finished reviewing the Galaxy A36 5G and was genuinely frustrated with how sluggish it felt in everyday use. So naturally, I braced myself for something even worse with the cheaper A26 5G. To my surprise, the experience wasn't worse at all. In fact, the Galaxy A26 5G feels far more comfortable in daily use. Whether scrolling through social media or switching between apps, the experience feels smoother than it does on the more expensive Galaxy A36 5G. Where the A36 5G struggled with constant animation stutters, the Exynos 1380-powered A26 5G handles One UI more easily. That's especially surprising given that both phones are equipped with the same 6GB of RAM. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority A look at benchmark scores backs this up, as the A26 5G consistently scores higher than the A36 5G in CPU performance tests. Of course, that doesn't make this a high-performance phone by any standards. It's still a budget device, and you'll occasionally run into a pause when opening the camera or launching an app you haven't used in a while. But, I've tested a few phones at this price, and it's not easy to find one that noticeably outpaces the A26 5G in day-to-day responsiveness. Graphics performance is the one area where the A36 5G pulls ahead. Its MediaTek GPU is more powerful, which allows it to run games like PUBG Mobile at 60fps on HD settings. The A26 5G, by contrast, tops out at 40fps on those same graphics settings, although you can get 60fps if you drop down to the lowest 'Smooth' graphics mode. That said, the gaming experience on the A26 5G is still decent. It handles casual games without issues and holds up fairly well with heavier titles as well. It doesn't heat up much during gameplay, and while I did notice some performance dip around the 30-minute mark, it never got bad enough to ruin the experience. For the price, I'd call it acceptable. For a $300 phone, the performance on the Galaxy A26 5G feels fair and manageable. Battery life falls into that same category. The A26 5G includes a 5,000mAh battery, which has been the norm for most budget Android phones over the past few years. I would have liked to see a slightly larger battery this time, especially considering the phone's size, but what you get is still enough for a full day of moderate use. I regularly saw screen-on times of around five to 5.5 hours. I wouldn't call it long-lasting, but it's definitely not a battery anxiety-inducing phone either. Charging is handled via Samsung's usual 25W fast charging with PPS support, although a charger is no longer included in the box. In my testing, the phone charged from zero to full in about 90 minutes using a compatible USB-PD charger. There's no wireless charging support, which isn't surprising for a phone at this price, but it is worth noting that the Moto G Power (2025) does offer it. Software support leads the class Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority The Galaxy A26 5G ships with Android 15 and is running the latest One UI 7. That's something even Samsung's flagships from last year can't say yet. Samsung is also promising six major Android version updates and six years of security patches for this phone. It's a seriously impressive commitment for a budget device, and it deserves credit. But while the long-term software promise looks great on paper, I'm not sure the A26 5G will hold up as anyone's primary phone for the full six years. I'd say you'll start to feel its age in two to three years, if not sooner, depending on how you use it. Getting updates is great, but making sure your hardware can still run them well is a whole different challenge. Nevertheless, as of now, there's very little to complain about the phone's software experience. One UI 7 introduces a handful of design tweaks and thoughtful changes throughout the system. The Quick Settings and Notification panels are now separated by swipe zones (Quick Settings on the right, notifications on the left), although you can still merge them back into a single panel if that feels more intuitive. The app drawer, Camera app, and Settings menus have also been rearranged slightly to bring key controls closer to the bottom half of the screen, which definitely helps with one-handed use on a big phone like this. You also get a handful of AI features through what Samsung now calls Awesome Intelligence. This is a trimmed-down version of Galaxy AI that brings some of the key tools from Samsung's premium phones to the budget segment. Circle to Search is genuinely useful, and Object Eraser for editing photos is the kind of AI feature you'll actually use now and then. If you're more into Google's ecosystem than Samsung's, you'll be happy to know that you can also use Google Gemini as your smart assistant here. It gives you full access to Gemini's growing list of features, right from your home screen or voice commands. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority One UI is still One UI, meaning it's a heavy skin, and the A26 5G does occasionally struggle to keep up. There's a bit of stutter here and there, and some app transitions can feel slow. Still, it's not nearly as frustrating as what I experienced on the Galaxy A36 5G. It could be because Samsung has been using the Exynos 1380 for a couple of years now, and has had time to optimize its software for it. Either way, for this price point, the overall software experience is good enough. As for the usual phone stuff, I had no complaints with the basics. The A26 5G worked reliably with a T-Mobile SIM in the Bay Area, and network reception and call quality were both consistent. You get NFC for contactless payments via Google Pay or Samsung Pay, which is always good to see in this price range. However, there's no Wi-Fi 6 support here, and I noticed that downloads and streaming speeds were considerably slower than on the Galaxy A36 5G. Lastly, the vibration motor on the A26 5G is about what you'd expect: it's dull, rattly, and not very satisfying. This is something that the Moto G Power (2025) does much better at again. A decent main camera and not much else The Galaxy A26 5G carries over nearly the same camera setup as its predecessor. You get a 50MP main sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 13MP selfie camera. Samsung is also still including a 2MP macro camera, which is functionally useless: it has a fixed focus, barely gathers any light, and even when you line up a shot within its narrow 3- to 5-centimeter range, the results are muddy, noisy, and completely lacking in detail. It doesn't just fail at being a good macro lens; it fails at being a functional one. The Moto G Power (2025), which doesn't even have a dedicated macro lens, actually produces much better close-up shots using a macro mode baked into its ultrawide camera. That shows just how little effort went into this 2MP sensor on the A26 5G. Honestly, it would have been more helpful if Samsung had just knocked five bucks off the phone's price and skipped the macro camera altogether. Galaxy A26 Galaxy A26 Galaxy A26 main Galaxy A26 ultrawide Galaxy A26 Moto G Power 2025 Moto G Power 2025 Galaxy A36 main camera Galaxy A36 ultrawide Galaxy A36 Thankfully, the main 50MP sensor is much better. It produces good results in daylight with solid sharpness and pleasing colors. You can shoot in the full 50MP resolution, but the default 12MP binned shots are more than enough for most people. In a few side-by-side comparisons with the Galaxy A36 5G, I could barely tell the difference in image quality. The A26 5G trades blows against the Moto G Power (2025), which is its direct competitor in terms of price. It captures more detail in bright conditions, but its white balance often leans too far into the cool zone. Warm indoor lighting, for example, gets flattened out and rendered closer to white light, while the Moto manages to preserve it much better. Portrait mode and photos of human subjects turn out well. The subject cutout is fairly clean, and the background blur isn't too bad either. Both the main and selfie cameras tend to produce softer images in indoor settings, but they bounce back nicely in outdoor light. The ultrawide camera is fine as long as there's enough daylight. Once lighting conditions drop even a little, image quality takes a nosedive. Night Mode is available, but don't expect miracles. Low-light shots from the main camera come out soft and lose a lot of details. But then again, the Moto doesn't do much better here either. Galaxy A26 Galaxy A26 Galaxy A26 Galaxy A26 Ultrawide Moto G Power 2025 Galaxy A36 Moto G Power 2025 Moto G Power 2025 Ultrawide One area where the A26 5G does stand out is video. You can record 4K footage at 30fps using the main rear camera, something the Moto G Power (2025) doesn't support at all. The video quality is a step up too, with better colors and less noise. However, when compared to the Galaxy A36 5G, the 4K video on the Galaxy A26 5G trails behind in terms of stabilization and finer details. Both the selfie and ultrawide cameras are limited to 1080p video. Just like the rest of the phone, it's not the best phone camera you can get on a budget, but it's good enough. You can check out all the above and a lot more camera samples from the Galaxy A26 5G in full resolution here. Samsung Galaxy A26 5G review verdict: Spectacularly unspectacular, in a good way Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority The Galaxy A26 5G once again delivers all the basics for the price. You get a big, bright AMOLED display that works great for watching content, a main camera that performs well in daylight, and a battery that easily lasts a full day. Samsung has also improved the build quality this year by adding a glass back and giving the phone an IP67 rating, which protects it from dust and water. On top of that, the six years of promised software updates make the A26 one of the most future-proof phones you can buy for under $300. The compromises the Galaxy A26 5G makes don't feel like deal breakers. Of course, the phone cuts corners to reach this price. You won't find wireless charging. The screen still has an outdated notch. The vibration motor feels weak and unsatisfying. The cameras, while serviceable, could use better tuning or stronger hardware. Battery life is fine, but not amazing. Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority The Moto G Power 2025 ($299.99 at Amazon) offers the closest competition to the A26 5G. It offers a nicer in-hand feel with its vegan leather back and also retains the headphone jack, adds wireless charging, and includes an ultra-flagship-grade IP69 rating. Its main camera produces slightly more balanced photos, and its macro mode actually works. What the Moto lacks is an AMOLED display and long-term update support. It also has a slightly weaker chipset, but its lighter UI makes it feel just as responsive as the A26 5G. Normally, I'd tell you to just spend a bit more and get the next phone up in the series, but I can't recommend that this year. The Galaxy A36 5G ($399.99 at Amazon) will give you a thinner build, a slightly brighter display, faster wired charging, and marginally better cameras — but none of that makes up for how sluggish and frustrating the phone feels in everyday use. If anything, I'd recommend trying to grab last year's Galaxy A35 5G on sale. You'll get similar performance and camera quality, though you'll have to settle for shorter software support and an older version of One UI. Alternatively, you might want to wait for the Galaxy A56 5G to drop in the US later in 2025. The Galaxy A26 5G keeps things simple, plays it safe, and still walks away with a win. The other alternatives are a little more complicated. The excellent Google Pixel 8a ($499 at Amazon) has been replaced by the Pixel 9a, but if you're lucky you might a Pixel 8a discounted now it's reached the end of its lifespan. The wildcard is the superb CMF Phone 2 Pro ($279 at Amazon), which is a fantastic device for $20 less than the Galaxy A26 5G, but there's a catch — it's only available in the US via a developer program and carrier band support is hit-and-miss at best. Overall, there's a long list of things I wish Samsung had done better on the Galaxy A26 5G. But Samsung knows exactly what it can get away with, given the current competition, and it still manages to offer a compelling package at this price. The Galaxy A26 5G keeps things simple, plays it safe, and still walks away with a win. Samsung Galaxy A26 5G Big AMOLED display • IP67 rating • Six years of updates MSRP: $299.99 Samsung's most value-for-money A series phone in 2025 With upgraded Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protection, a large AMOLED display, and six years of updates, the Galaxy A26 5G is everything you'd want from a budget Samsung phone. See price at Amazon Positives Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protection front and back Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protection front and back Big, vivid AMOLED display Big, vivid AMOLED display Solid performance Solid performance Rich, up-to-date One UI Rich, up-to-date One UI Six years of updates Cons Mono speaker Mono speaker Average cameras Average cameras Mushy haptics
