The smartphone market had a value of $485.3 billion in 2025, and experts are expecting it to grow until 2030 at least. It’s no surprise when innovative masterpieces like Samsung and iPhone keep competing for the largest piece of the pie. So, as we went into 2026, we already had high expectations of the smartphones that were yet to come out.

And we weren’t disappointed for a moment. From the flagship models by Samsung and Apple flagships, to Xiaomi, there are plenty of options. These are the 3 best smartphones released in 2026 so far.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra was one of the flagship models that made the most noise this year. And for a very good reason. This phone operates on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and an Octa-core CPU. That alone makes it a powerhouse, and then you realize it has a Li-Ion 5000 mAh battery.

This smartphone has three main cameras with 200 MP, 50 MP, and 10 MP each, which offer features like auto-HDR, horizon lock, and LED flash. The video quality goes up to 8K@24/30fps, with stereo sound and a super-steady video feature. The phone’s built-in memory ranges from 256GB 12GB RAM to 1TB 16GB RAM. All of those features make it one of the 3 best smartphones released in 2026 so far.

Xiaomi 17T Pro

The Xiaomi 17T Pro is the unexpected competition to the flagship models. This Chinese smartphone is brand-new, having been released on the 28th of May, 2026. It’s already garnered great reviews, though, because it delivers a strong battery, high-quality cameras, and an Octa-core processor. It has dimensions of 162.2 x 77.5 x 8.3 mm (6.39 x 3.05 x 0.33 in) and a weight of 219 g (7.72 oz). So, it’s sizeable, but not overly so.

Its main cameras have 50 MP, 50 MP, and 12 MP options, with a video quality of 8K@30fps and HDR10+. The selfie camera has 32 MP, with HDR features and a 4K@30fps video quality. This phone is a fantastic alternative to Samsung and iPhone because it offers the same quality with a slightly lower price.

iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17e is the only iPhone that joined the market in 2026, and it is a fantastic budget-friendly option. It is relatively small in size for modern-day smartphones, with dimensions of 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.31 in) and weight of 169 g (5.96 oz). With the classic iPhone Super Retina XDR OLED display, though, it shines brightly.

This phone has internal memory options of 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, with no memory card slot. It operates on a Apple A19 (3 nm) chipset, with a Hexa-core CPU, and an Apple-core GPU. The main camera has 48 MP with a video quality of 4K@24/25/30/60fps. All of these features make it one of the best smartphones released in 2026 so far.