Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Two ultra phones for two different types of people

Premium phones come in different packages, from foldables to sleek bar style phones. With the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, you get one of each. If you're unsure if you even need a foldable or if the advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra are worth foregoing that convenience, this comparison will help.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Design and basics

In the looks department, these phones are designed very differently from one another. The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 is a flip-style phone with a 4-inch 165Hz, 3,000-nit external screen and a larger 7-inch Extreme AMOLED inner screen with a 165Hz refresh rate and 5,000-nit peak brightness when you open it up.

Ultra-thin in design, it comes in two finishes: Pantone Orient Blue with an embossed Alcantara texture using the made-in-Italy material that has a micro-lattice pattern, and Pantone Cocoa with a natural wood veneer.

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These two finishes are undoubtedly stylish, but Android Central's Derrek Lee says in his hands-on review that he wishes there were a few more options, noting that the Orient Blue skews more toward purple than blue. The phone is durable as well, with Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 for better drop performance, an IP48 rating for dust and water resistance, and a titanium reinforced hinge.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra employs a very different design. It's a traditional bar-style phone that's ultra-slim and pocketable, but the camera sensors stick out from the body, causing it to sit off-balance when you set it down. You get a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with 120Hz and 2,600-nit brightness, so it's as large as the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 without the option to fold it in half to toss into your purse or pocket. It's up to you to decide if that matters.

Nicholas Sutrich notes in his review that the display isn't "even remotely impressive," with resolution, nits, and refresh rate that are all nothing to write home about. His separate review of the display alone suggests Samsung lags when it comes to eye comfort, too.

There are five finish options from which to choose: Sky Blue, Black, and Cobalt Violet are standard, while you can also get the Samsung-exclusive Pink Gold or Silver Shadow. Made of durable Armor Aluminum with Corning Gorilla Glass, it meets an IP68 rating, making it more sealed against dust, which is typical of bar versus foldable phones.

One of the defining features of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the built-in Privacy Screen, which Sutrich refers to in his review of the phone as "the most exciting display feature we've seen in a decade." It can darken the screen so others can't see what you're viewing from the sides. You can turn this on or off at will, but also activate it only for certain apps or notifications like banking, or only when you enter a PIN, password, or pattern to access sensitive information.

A maximum level protection option is great if you place the phone down beside you during a work lunch, making the screen difficult to read even then. It's such a useful feature and one that should be in every phone. For now, Privacy Display makes the Galaxy S26 Ultra stand out.

Notably, there's also a built-in S Pen for easier navigation, note-taking, sketching, and more for those who prefer it. It fits so seamlessly into the phone's housing, you won't even notice it's there. But Sutrich points out that the curve at the end of the pen makes it possible to insert it the wrong way. The inclusion of the S Pen may also be why the phone, yet again, does not have Qi2 magnets inside, though it's "Qi2 ready."

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Specs

See how these two phones compare at-a-glance with this handy spec table.

The Razr is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that will give you about a day and a half per charge. It can recharge quickly using 68W TurboPower charging, giving you another day after just eight minutes. It also supports 30W wireless charging as well as 5W reverse charging.

With USB-C, two microphones, and stereo Dolby speakers with Snapdragon sound and Spatial Audio, the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 comes with either 256GB or 512GB of storage. You'll get three years of software and five years of security updates, which is far behind the seven years that competitors like Samsung and Google typically offer. The phone is set to be available in late May 2026.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has the same 5,000mAh battery that's rated to last for up to 31 hours of continuous video playback. Once ready to recharge, it supports Super Fast Charging 3.0 at 60W wired and up to 25W wireless charging as well as Wireless PowerShare for reverse charging. Sutrich says he got the phone from 0-80% in 30 minutes using a wired charger, which is a massive improvement from previous-generation Galaxy devices. Though the phone still should have a bigger battery, as such a premium device.

You get dual speakers with spatial audio, including advanced 360 Audio with head tracking when using a compatible pair of Samsung Galaxy earbuds, like the new Galaxy Buds Pro4. With Knox security, you can opt for 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage capacities.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Productivity and usability

Beyond the design, it's important how these phones operate and support your daily tasks, from productivity to entertainment. The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 comes with Android 16 alongside Moto AI.

It's powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the same as the Razr Ultra 2025, an odd decision as it would have been nice to have the Gen 5 version as an upgrade. This may have been, however, to help keep pricing leveled, and Lee notes that most users won't know the difference anyway. You get 16GB RAM with up to 16GB more using RAM Boost, though our experts advise against using this as it ends up slowing down functions of the phone.

There's a lot of convenience in having the outer screen. You can access apps and games without opening the phone. You can customize its look with different layouts, panels, widgets, and video wallpapers (a new option fans have been asking for), even display live notifications for things like sports scores or deliveries. You can also interact with the outer screen without touching it, like placing your hand over it to wake it up or silence an alarm.

You get tons of AI features, including those that come standard now with Moto AI, like Catch Me Up, Next Move, and Daily Drop (similar to Samsung's Now Brief), along with Google Gemini, Gemini Live, Circle to Search, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity. So, you can get assistance with everything from making travel plans to looking up details about a restaurant, composing an e-mail, creating a photo or avatars, and more.

Samsung dubs the Galaxy S26 Ultra an "AI phone" with heavy AI integration as well, with software at its core. You get a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor with Android 16 and One UI 8.5 for further customization. The 256GB and 512GB variations have 12GB RAM, but that increases to 16GB for the 1TB edition.

Galaxy AI facilitates features like Now Nudge and Now Brief, and you get Gemini, Gemini Live, Bixby, and Perplexity all built in for simple access and assistance with AI-related tasks. There's virtually nothing in this phone that can't access the capabilities of AI, making it a powerhouse of an AI-driven device.

An important feature of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the large Vapor Chamber that affords greater thermal performance. While the phone doesn't have as much RAM as the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026, unless you opt for the 1TB version, and its screen refresh rate is slower, you may be able to comfortably game with this phone with the confidence that it will remain cool.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is supported by seven years of software and security updates, so you'll be able to keep it current for years longer than the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Cameras and AI photo features

Cameras in phones are so important nowadays, and both these devices boast impressive ones. The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 has a triple-camera system with a 50MP LOFIC sensor that affords up to six times more dynamic range, a 50MP ultra-wide lens with macro vision, and a 50MP internal camera.

While Lee did not get the chance to try the cameras yet, he notes that the Razr Ultra 2025 has a good camera already, so it's likely this one will follow suit. And the camera spec improvements are one reason to upgrade if you have the older model.

The biggest advantages of the camera come with the flippable design along with the AI features. Use Flex View positions, for example, so the phone acts as its own tripod, with a preview of an image on the front display for taking a selfie. For group shots, AI can take multiple frames and stitch them together to ensure you get the best expression from everyone, similar to Google Pixel's Best Take feature.

Signature style can automatically learn your editing preferences to help you get great photos off the bat, while frame match locks the frame so you can hand the phone to someone else and they can follow guides to get the exact photo you intended to capture. This feature sounds a lot like Google Pixel's Camera Coach.

There are also enhanced watermarks that can blend into the image with similar colors, and an ultra HDR mode that optimizes images for Instagram with up to 5x enhanced dynamic range, whether you're shooting from the camera app or right from within the social site. Another cool feature is Google Photos wardrobe, which can digitize your closet to help you mix and match items based on what you have worn in previous photos in your library, even virtually try them on. Neat!

Other camera features include the ability to animate still photos and use tools like Magic Eraser, camouflage (to blend distracting objects), and AI to describe desired edits, like removing objects, changing backgrounds, or improving lighting. With Ask Photos, you can search for a specific memory with voice prompts.

While recording videos, there's a camcorder mode with a new rotate-to-zoom feature that lets you rotate your wrist ever so slightly to instantly zoom in on a subject while recording. Lee says this works well, keeping the video stable while you do it. But he adds that there's a risk of accidentally activating this feature when you don't intend to, since the required movement is so slight.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has decent cameras, though one thing you'll learn is that they simply aren’t good enough for a flagship phone. It has a 200MP main wide camera, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP periscope telephoto with 5x zoom, 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom, and 12MP front camera. You will get consistent photos that are balanced with natural colors, accurate lighting, and fine detail, even in low light, especially with the 200MP main camera. But it's a fantastic median experience, not one that blows others out of the water.

That said, the software is among the best, and camera features, including ones that leverage AI, are top-notch. The most talked-about camera feature on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is Super Steady Video with Horizontal Lock. With this feature, you can record video while moving, even on uneven surfaces, and the footage will come out looking steadier than it was in reality. You could even rotate the phone a full 360° and the subject will remain in frame, no one any the wiser when looking at the final product. It works amazingly well, though there's some loss of quality. But for parents taking video while running on the sidelines of their kids' soccer game or shooting your pup running in the park while you run with them, it makes a huge difference.

Another impressive photo feature is Photo Assist, where you can give the phone prompts to adjust photos as needed. This goes above and beyond the usual removal of a distracting object, reflections, or fixing blur. You can add a missing piece to an item, like a birthday cake, change your outfit, or even create entirely new photos from existing ones. It's not only a fun feature but also incredibly useful, and it will blow you away with how well it works.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Which should you buy?

Both the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra are solid premium phones, but with two very different design propositions. The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 is a more pocketable phone since it can flip closed, the external screen providing plenty of advantages, from easy access to updates and notifications to snapping photos. It's poised to take over the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 as the best overall flip phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, meanwhile, is slim and sleek, but larger. It offers a seamlessly built-in S Pen that provides another level of convenience for things like note-taking, web navigation, and sketching.

I'm almost inclined to say that the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 design is better for entertainment, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is better for productivity. But both have such fantastic features that will appeal to the opposite use as well. So, the decision will really come down to design preference.

They're equally powerful, both loaded with AI features, and offer a decent amount of support for as long as you'll likely have the phone before wanting to upgrade. Samsung's seven-year promise, however, means you'll get a lot more value from the Galaxy S26 Ultra amortized over time.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might be the better phone. Having spent significant time with it myself, it performs really well for everything from productivity to photo and video capture. The AI experience is brilliant, and while the phone is a big bar-style device, it's still super slim and will slide into a larger pocket. It's not perfect, but it's a fantastic device worth getting.

That said, if you want a flip-style phone, the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 is worth considering. Its design is elegant and functional, it's durable, and it doesn't skimp on features. What more could you ask for? Truly, either phone will put a smile on your face.