The most rugged phone at this price
The new Moto G Power 2026 gets the same $299 price tag as its predecessor and is way more rugged than the Galaxy A26. You get stereo speakers, a larger battery, and Android 16.
Pros
- Larger display than A26
- Robust IP69 rating and MIL-STD-810H certification
- Ships with Android 16
- 32MP selfie camera
- Stereo speakers
Cons
- Same SoC as 2025 model, which wasn't great
- No changes to other cameras or display tech
- Drops wireless charging
- Only two OS upgrades
All set for the long haul
The Samsung Galaxy A26 is one of the very few budget phones to get a promise of six OS upgrades. It also offers a glass back, AMOLED screen, and a more potent SoC compared to the Moto G Power.
Pros
- Gorilla Glass Victus+ on front and back
- Slimmer and lighter design
- Six OS upgrades promised
- More potent SoC
- Useful AI features
Cons
- No stereo speakers
- Moto G Power has better waterproofing
- Only 6GB RAM variant officially sold in the U.S.
- No headphone jack
Motorola wants to get a head start in 2026 with the launch of the next-gen Moto G Power. The phone retails for the same $299.99 price tag of its predecessor, but it now comes with strong display protection, the latest Android version, a higher resolution selfie camera, and a larger battery. All of these upgrades should help position it as the ultimate lower mid-range offering. However, Samsung already has a strong contender at this price point with the Galaxy A26.
Launched in March 2025, the Samsung Galaxy A26 has some distinct advantages over the Moto G Power 2026, like more years of OS upgrades, better display tech, and even a lower price after discounts. Choosing between the Moto G Power 2026 vs. Galaxy A26 is not going to be easy, but there are some stark differences which might make one a stronger choice over the other.
Moto G Power 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy A26: Design and display
The Moto G Power 2026 has the same design and dimensions as its predecessor. It's not as slim or compact as the Galaxy A26, but it does have superior certifications for toughness. There's an IP68/IP69 rating for the ultimate water ingress protection. You even get MIL-STD-810H certification, which ensures the phone can survive harsh drops and temperatures. The new colors look very nice, too.
The display of the Moto G Power isn't as impressive on paper compared to Samsung, but it's not bad either. You get a larger 6.8-inch Full-HD+ IPS LCD display with up to 1,000 nits of brightness. The refresh rate is also 120Hz. which has now become sort of a standard for most Android phones. Motorola has improved the shatter protection on the G Power with Gorilla Glass 7i, but this is still not as good as the Victus+ glass on the Galaxy. One good thing is that G Power has a textured TPU back panel, so there's little to no risk of shattering when dropped.
Samsung really stepped up its game with the Galaxy A26's design. It still has that unmistakable budget look due to the waterdrop display notch and thick bezels at the bottom of the screen, but it gets an IP67 rating now, which wasn't there on the A25. It's slimmer and lighter than the Moto G Power, and you get Gorilla Glass Victus+ for the front and back of the phone. This should give the A26 a more premium in-hand feel, but all the glass on the back is still prone to damage if you're not careful.
Samsung has started using Super AMOLED screens for most of its phones now, and the Galaxy A26 gets a 6.7-inch panel with a crisp resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Colors and black levels should be richer and deeper compared to the IPS panel on the Motorola.
One thing that Samsung has removed, though, is stereo speakers. It's a bizarre move considering the A25 had it. I guess you win some, you lose some.
Moto G Power 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy A26: Hardware & specs
The Moto G Power 2026 features the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, which is the exact same one used in the older model, too. Our Moto G Power 2025 review should give you a fair idea of what to expect in terms of performance from the 2026 model. The chip is alright for the most part and even handles games fairly well, provided you tone down the quality settings of heavier titles.
Once again, there's only one variant of the 2026 Moto G Power out there with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The latter is expandable via a dedicated microSD card slot. The phone also features a headphone jack, stereo speakers, and FM radio — features that are absent in the Galaxy A26.
The Moto G Power 2026 has a slightly larger battery than the Galaxy should help it last longer per charge, at least on paper. You get 30W wired charging but no wireless charging, which is something the 2025 variant had.
Category |
Moto G Power 2026 |
Samsung Galaxy A26 |
|---|---|---|
OS |
Android 16 (Hello UX), up to 2 OS upgrades |
Android 15 (One UI), up to 6 OS upgrades |
Colors |
Pantone Pure Cashmere, Pantone Evening Blue |
Black, White, Mint, Peach Pink |
Screen Size |
6.8 inches |
6.7 inches |
Screen Resolution |
2,388 x 1,080 |
2,340 x 1,080 |
Screen Type |
FHD+, IPS LCD |
FHD+, Super AMOLED |
Refresh Rate |
120Hz |
120Hz |
Processor |
MediaTek Dimensity 6300 |
Exynos 1380 |
RAM |
8GB |
6GB/ 8GB |
Storage |
128GB (expandable up to 1TB) |
128GB (expandable up to 1TB) |
Cameras |
50MP main with Quad Pixel technology, |
50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, |
Speakers |
Stereo Speakers (Hi-Res Audio, Dolby Atmos) |
Mono speaker |
Battery |
5,200mAh |
5,000mAh |
Wireless Charging |
No |
No |
Bluetooth |
5.4 |
5.3 |
Water Resistance |
IP68, IP69 |
IP67 |
Cellular |
5G |
5G |
Size |
166. 62 x 77.1 x 8.72 mm |
164 x 77.5 x 7.7 mm |
Weight |
208 grams |
200 grams |
In the U.S., the Samsung Galaxy A26 officially comes in just one variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage for $299. However, you can find unlocked international variants on Amazon with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage for under $250. This makes the Galaxy much better value for money if you plan on picking up the global variant.
Most of the models sold in the U.S. and globally feature the Exynos 1380 SoC, which is more potent than the MediaTek chip in the Moto, at least on paper. I'm not sure to what extent the 6GB RAM variant would cripple performance, but ideally, get the one with more RAM if you can. Even though performance should be better than the Moto G Power, remember that this is still a budget offering, so limit your expectations accordingly.
Samsung has given the Galaxy A26 a 5,000mAh battery, which should give it solid one and a half to two days of runtime, just like the Moto. The maximum charging speed is 25W, which is a bit slower than what Motorola offers.
Moto G Power 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy A26: Software
The Moto G Power 2025 was promised two OS upgrades and three years of security updates, and we assume the same holds true for the 2026 model as well. We would have liked a longer software upgrade commitment, as it falls severely behind Samsung's update promise for the Galaxy A26.
The Moto G Power 2026 runs Android 16 out of the box and comes bundled with Motorola's signature apps like Moto Secure, Moto Unplugged, Family Space, ThinkShield, and more. While there aren't really any homegrown AI features, you do get some of them from Google, like Circle to Search.
Samsung, on the other hand, offers six OS generation upgrades for the Galaxy A26, which is incredible and the highest we've seen for a phone at this price. Along with Google's AI features, you also get tweaked versions of Galaxy AI features, which Samsung calls "Awesome Intelligence."
Moto G Power 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy A26: Cameras
Selfie lovers will love the Moto G Power 2026 as it now has twice the resolution as before. The 32MP sensor on the new model should be able to deliver greater detail and less noise in low-light shots. It should also be better than the Galaxy A26's 13MP front camera.
Both phones have similar rear camera capabilities. The Moto G Power 2026 and Samsung Galaxy A26 feature 50MP main cameras with the same f/1.8 aperture and optical stabilization. Both even have 8MP ultrawide cameras, but the Moto features autofocus so you can use it to capture high-res macro shots. Samsung lacks this, but it uses a third, dedicated 2MP macro camera instead.
Moto G Power 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy A26: Which one should you buy?
As much as I'd love to recommend the Moto G Power 2026 for its robust set of features, I don't think it's the best phone under $300 with its launch price. The two OS upgrade commitment is something that's hard to overlook, especially if you plan to use it for longer. If you're thinking of buying it just for the IP69 rating, then I'd like to point you in the direction of the 2025 Moto G Power, which has the same feature and costs just $200 (or less) now.
Between these two, my pick would be the Samsung Galaxy A26. If you gloss over the mono speaker issue and the (still respectable) IP67 rating, the global variants are cheaper than the Moto, you get an AMOLED screen, a more premium glass design, and six OS upgrades, which is unheard of for a phone at this price.
The toughest around
The 2026 Moto G Power has the same toughness as the 2025 model but with a larger battery and a better selfie camera. Motorola has kept the price the same, making it the most waterproof phone at $300.
Better value for money
The Samsung Galaxy A26 lacks the same level of waterproofing or battery capacity as the Moto G Power, but global variants are cheaper and have more storage. You also get a better display and many more OS upgrades for the future.
