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As the pre-order period wraps up, which telcos are offering the best plans?
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An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletterSamsung officially unveiled the much anticipated Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus on February 26, 2026 with some fresh upgrades over the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus.
More of the best Samsung phone plans- Best Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra plans
- Best Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 plans
- Best Samsung Galaxy Flip 7 plans
The larger-screened Galaxy S26 Plus, meanwhile, retains the 6.7-inch display and 4,900mAh battery from its predecessor, and gets Samsung's new Exynos 2600 chipset, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip reserved for the top-tier S26 Ultra. While the battery capacity is the same, the S26 Plus can be charged wirelessly at 20W, compared to the S25 Plus’ slower 15W wireless charging.
These are flagship phones, so the base model Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus won’t fit in our best cheap phones list. It also doesn’t help that both handsets are more expensive than the S25 lineup, with the base model S26 starting from AU$1,549 (up from the S25’s AU$1,399) and the S26 Plus from AU$1,849 (vs the S25 Plus’s starting price of AU$1,699). This would make paying in monthly instalments an attractive option for some.
While the retailers have finished their pre-order specials, Australia’s big three telcos still have some active deals of up to AU$500 off the handset price for the Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus (as well as the Galaxy S26 Ultra), with some also coinciding with existing promotions.
With so many options available to score a brand new upgrade, fInding the best plan for these new handsets may not be the most straightforward process, so we’ve done the hard work for you. Take a look at our picks for the best phone plans for the Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus below:
The best Samsung Galaxy S26 plan
Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB) | Vodafone Small Plan | 60GB data | 24 months | AU$86.87 p/m
Vodafone is taking AU$400 off the handset price (based on the RRP of AU$1,549) if you sign up for either a 24- or 36-month plan with the telco. When paired with Vodafone’s Small Plan for 24 months, the monthly cost of AU$86.87 is the best-value telco plan for the 256GB Galaxy S26. This plan includes 60GB of data and unlimited national calls and texts.
Total minimum cost: AU$1,172.29 | Total cost over 24 months: AU$2,084.88
View DealThe best Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus plan
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (256GB) | Vodafone Small Plan | 60GB data | 24 months | AU$95.20 p/m
For the larger-screened Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, the discount on the handset price is AU$500 with a 24- or 36-month plan from Vodafone. When paired with Vodafone’s Small Plan, the monthly cost of AU$95.20 is the best value telco plan for the 256GB Galaxy S26 Plus.
Total minimum cost: AU$1,366.08 | Total cost over 24 months: AU$2,284.80
View DealThe best Samsung Galaxy S26 plan with a smartwatch
Samsung Galaxy S26 (256GB) | Optus Choice Plus Plan | 50GB data | 24 months | AU$98.68 p/m
Optus is one-upping Vodafone by adding a AU$500 discount to the handset price if you sign up for either a 24- or 36-month plan, while also adding in a Galaxy Watch 8 40mm for free if you sign up for an Optus Watch Plan. The Optus Choice Plus Plan also has unlimited national calls and texts, while roaming costs an extra AU$5 per day for 5GB of data.
Total minimum cost: AU$1,82.87 | Total cost over 24 months: AU$2,368.32
View DealThe best Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus plan with a smartwatch
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (256GB) | Optus Choice Plus Plan | 50GB data | 24 months | AU$111.19 p/m
The bigger Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus also gets the same AU$500 discount on the handset price when signing up for a 24- or 36-month plan with Optus. As with the S26 plan above, you can also get a Galaxy Watch 8 for free when you tack on an Optus Watch Plan.
Total minimum cost: AU$1,403.96 | Total cost over 24 months: AU$2,668.56
View DealCompare Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus plans
Outright Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus deals
Want to opt for a SIM-only plan and not be tied to a telco? There are plenty of options for buying the Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus outright:
- Samsung: pay in instalments of up to 24 months through Samsung financing; also save up to AU$865 when you trade in your old device
- JB Hi-Fi: trade in your old tech for a JB Hi-Fi gift card to be used on a Galaxy S26 series handset
- The Good Guys: Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus available in 256GB and 512GB
- Amazon: Same day delivery with the world’s biggest retailer
Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus: Key Information
- Slightly larger 6.3-inch screen for the base Galaxy S26
- Larger 4,300mAh battery for the S26
- Faster wireless charging for the Galaxy S26 Plus
Samsung’s new range of S-series phones have had some modest hardware upgrades over its predecessors, but they now all start with storage options from 256GB instead of 128GB with the S25 lineup last year.
The base Galaxy S26’s main upgrades were its screen size (6.3 inches versus the S25’s 6.2 inches) and its battery capacity (4,300mAh from 4,000mAh from the S25), while the Plus gets 20W wireless charging, up from 15W for its predecessor.
Both phones retain their IP68 dust and water-resistance rating from their predecessors, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, and camera arrays (50MP main, 10MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide and 12MP front-facing).
On the software side of things, AI is at centre stage yet again with Galaxy AI features like the proactive Now Nudge notifications, predicting the next task you might need to do, as well as Bixby getting a boost through a partnership with Perplexity to answer non-phone related prompts. The phones also come with AI-powered call screening, document scanning and new AI photo editing tools.
Unfortunately, both the headline-grabbing Privacy Display and the gimbal-like horizontal lock video mode are only exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, so if you’re specifically looking for those features, you can check out the best Galaxy S26 Ultra plans.
Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus specs
Swipe to scroll horizontallyRow 0 - Cell 0Samsung Galaxy S26
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Weight:
167g
190g
214g
Display:
6.3-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2X 1-120Hz display
6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED 2X 1-120Hz display
6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED 2X 1-120Hz display
Chipset:
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
RAM:
12GB
12GB
12GB/16GB
Storage:
256GB/512GB
256GB/512GB
256GB/512GB/1TB
Rear cameras:
50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto
50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto
200MP wide, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto, 10MP telephoto
Front camera:
12MP
12MP
12MP
Battery:
4,300mAh
4,900mAh
5,000mAh
Charging:
25W, 15W wireless
45W, 20W wireless
60W, 25W wireless
Colors:
Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue
Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue
Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
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Nico ArboledaSocial Links NavigationStaff WriterNico is an experienced writer and journalist, having previously written for business titles across Australia. While mainly focusing on phones and finding deals and coupon codes at TechRadar Australia, he is also a keen cyclist and occasional hiker, so he also loves related tech like smartwatches and bike computers. Outside of tech, Nico is also a politics, basketball and movie obsessive.
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