The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra can’t beat this 2025 Android phone

Every year, Samsung launches a new Galaxy Ultra, and somehow, it still feels like the same familiar formula with a few improvements.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is no exception. It’s certainly refined and powerful, but not the kind of upgrade that will make you instantly fall in love with it. That said, this year has brought an excellent addition: the privacy display. This is a feature that changes the way I use my phone in public, and honestly, it’s something I want on every Android I use, including my favorite phone of last year: the Oppo Find X9 Pro. Still, a single standout feature doesn’t completely change the value equation at a starting price of $1,300.

And when placed next to the pinnacle of Android phone cameras, the Oppo Find X9 Pro, suddenly, the S26 Ultra seems hard to justify at that price. Don’t get me wrong. I still like the Galaxy S26 Ultra because of what it has to offer. But when a more affordable phone from last year starts lagging in key areas, it’s hard to ignore. And I have my reasons for this.

The biggest reason to like OPPO Find X9 Pro is its cameras. To give you an idea of ​​the setup, it has a 50MP primary camera, a 200MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultra-wide sensor on the back.

For me, this rear setup works just as well for personal use as it does for professional. Recently, I took the Oppo Find X9 Pro on vacation and relied on it for photos and videos. One moment that stood out for me was in a café overlooking the beach. There was everything in the frame: rocks, water, sand and even distant mountains. What I got back was a vibrant, vibrant image. Here, the Hasselblad tuning really shows its character in how it handles color science and post-processing. Even with haze in the air, the phone didn’t flatten the scene.

This continuity is not limited to just casual shots. Most of the phone images I shoot for my articles are taken on this device. Portrait mode, in particular, looks different. It clearly separates the subject while keeping colors natural and blur under control.

To really test that stability, I also compared it to shots from the Pixel 10 Pro. With the Pixel, I noticed little variation between photos of the same subject. The Find X9 Pro, on the other hand, took three consecutive shots of the same scene, which came out as expected every time. This repetition makes a real difference when you’re working with it regularly. And when it came to shooting the Oppo Find X9 Pro for this piece, of course, I had to bring another camera. At least for me, there are very few phones that deliver this consistently.

That same reliability becomes even more noticeable when you move to a telephoto system. I mostly use the 3x optical zoom as the 70mm focal length works well for human portraits and product shots. In fact, the 6x hybrid zoom even performs well when you need close-up shots without compromising on detail.

Speaking of which, the digital zoom can go up to 120x, and when AI processing kicks in at that point, the fact that it still remains usable is impressive in itself. There is also a Hasselblad teleconverter kit that you can purchase separately, but at the entry level, it seems a bit unnecessary to me. That said, it shows how far Oppo is willing to go for those who want a more serious photography setup.

One feature I enjoyed experimenting with was XPAN mode. This is a classic Hasselblad mode that captures cinematic, ultra-wide panoramic shots with a distinct look and an aspect ratio of 65:24.

The Oppo Find As soon as I started taking selfies, every little detail on my face became surprisingly clear. No doubt, it’s impressive, but it’s also the kind of detail that makes you question a few things about your skin. All joking aside, it may not always be great, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to do and does it really well.

For me the whole point of shooting with the Find X9 Pro is reliability. I know, this doesn’t sound particularly exciting, but hear me out. Every time I framed a shot on the Oppo Find X9 Pro, I had a pretty clear idea of ​​what I’d get. Post-processing is consistent and, more importantly, predictable. And to me, that predictability matters more.

When I was using the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, this wasn’t always the case. I occasionally encountered shutter lag and some dynamic range discrepancies that could spoil a shot enough to be noticeable. That said, the Find X9 Pro isn’t flawless either. It occasionally misses, but even so, the results feel like predictable misses. And in a strange way, it’s easier to work with than inconsistency.

The Oppo Find X9 Pro is not just limited to the camera; It also carries the same confidence in performance and battery life. The 7,500mAh battery sounds big on paper, and it holds up in real life too.

My day usually starts around 9 am, and my usage revolves around clicking photos, shooting videos, scrolling through apps, and spending more time on YouTube shorts than I’d like to admit. My screen time increased smoothly, but at no point did I feel like I needed to keep an eye on the battery. And that’s saying something, because battery concerns are very real to me – I used to have an iPhone. However, with this Find X9 Pro, that wasn’t a thing. It comfortably took me two days on a single charge.

Now, when I put the Oppo Find X9 Pro next to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, it is impossible to see the difference. Samsung has been sticking with 5,000mAh batteries since the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, and it really makes you wonder how much progress it’s made all these years.

What was most striking was how well the Find X9 Pro handled thermals. Even without a case, it never felt uncomfortably hot, especially at low battery levels where most phones struggle. The same consistency applies to heavy tasks as well. I edited a few reels on the VN app and exported high quality videos without any misses.

Under the hood, Oppo’s phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, and throughout my time with it, performance felt consistently smooth and reliable. Be it everyday use or something more demanding, the phone held its own. To give you a better idea, I play Call of Duty: Mobile almost every day, usually jumping into a quick team deathmatch round, and the experience has been solid. At the end of the day, if the phone I’m using isn’t throwing tantrums, I’m good.

That’s what it actually means. I like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra – I really do – but it still can’t overtake the Oppo Find X9 Pro. For me, the priorities are simple: strong battery life, great cameras, and reliable performance. The Find X9 Pro hits all three.

This is what makes this comparison a bit strange. Because for a flagship in 2026, the Galaxy S26 Ultra should ideally be setting benchmarks, not trying to catch up. And yet, that’s exactly what it’s doing.

That said, the Find X9 Pro isn’t perfect either. ColorOS still doesn’t feel as intuitive and feature-rich as Samsung’s One UI, and Galaxy AI is one of Samsung’s biggest strengths – something Oppo hasn’t yet matched. There’s also clear iOS-inspired influence in Oppo’s software, which could do with a little more originality. Software matters, and so does long-term support – and in that regard, Samsung still has the edge. Simply put, I’ll be able to use the Galaxy S26 Ultra for a few years longer than the Find X9 Pro.

But even with that advantage, it’s hard to ignore the bigger picture. The Find