Forget the new iPhones and Google Pixels — this 23% discount on Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra offers better value for money nico.arboleda@futurenet.com (Nico Arboleda) | usagoldmines.com

The past few months have been an exciting time for tech journalists and enthusiasts alike, thanks to a barrageflagship phone launches. From Samsung’s Z-series foldables to the Google Pixel 11 lineup and more recently, the new iPhone 18 Pro lineup (and the new iPhone Duo foldable).

While they may be some of the most exciting phone launches in recent memory — and it’s great that the foldable iPhone has finally seen the light of day — the biggest takeaway, is that every single new handset is more expensive than ever.This is clearly indicative of the ongoing RAM and storage shortages — even older phones have quietly received price hikes — and will likely make the latest smartphone releases too expensive for many consumers.

Thankfully, you don’t have to settle for a previous year’s flagship device to save, and you only have to look back to a release from a few months ago to score a bargain. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — my pick for the best Android phone — is currently 23% off on Amazon, now AU$1,685.

Featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, four rear cameras and a new built-in Privacy Display screen, there’s a lot to love with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and it can easily hold up for years to come, especially with up to 7 years of Android updates and security support.

I especially loved the Privacy Display screen, which marked a major hardware innovation amid a sea of similar-looking phones in 2026. Super Steady Horizontal Lock for shooting video makes the S26 Ultra great for action shots (and a neat party trick, too!), while the included S Pen stylus remains a nice bonus that most handsets don’t offer.

One great plus of buying the Galaxy S26 Ultra now is the stable release of One UI 9, which is built on Android 17 and features a redesigned quick settings menu, customisable Control Centre, My FanCam and improved multitasking controls.

Personally, you really can’t go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you’re prioritising raw power and smarts in an Android phone, and this discount makes the handset a great pick during a time of component shortages.