Between the Galaxy S26 and Phone (3a), the Galaxy S26 comes out ahead in antutu and ram, while the Phone (3a) wins on front camera and battery capacity. Overall, the Galaxy S26 scores 64.6 and the Phone (3a) scores 62.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (64.6 vs 62.5). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Galaxy S26 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are antutu, ram, weight, among others.
Pick the Phone (3a) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are front camera, battery capacity, wired charging, among others.
Both ship with comparable main camera, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S26 wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 162.20% more. 2150000 vs 820000.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Weight — 33.00 g less. 168 vs 201.
- ▲Pixel density — 9.82% more. 425 ppi vs 387 ppi.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP64).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 3).
- ▲Wireless charging: 15 W vs 0 W.
Why Nothing - Phone (3a) wins
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Battery capacity — 25.00% more. 5000 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
- ▲Wired charging — 11.11% more. 50 W vs 45 W.
- ▲Screen size — 9.19% more. 6.77 " vs 6.2 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 168 glead | 201 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68lead | IP64 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.2 " | 6.77 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 425 ppilead | 387 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2400 nits | 3000 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 5000 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 W | 50 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) has 25.0% more battery — 4000 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 or Phone (3a)?+
Galaxy S26 is 33g lighter — 168g vs 201g.
Is Galaxy S26 waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 has an IP68 rating.
Does Phone (3a) support 5G?+
Yes, Phone (3a) supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy S26 or Phone (3a)?+
Galaxy S26 offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) has a 50 MP main camera vs 50 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
More from the same brands
vsMars is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.