If the Galaxy S26 leaks are true, you should buy this phone

I was cautiously optimistic when I heard that Samsung might revamp its Galaxy S26 series lineup. What particularly caught my attention was the evidence that Samsung was planning to launch a Galaxy S26 Pro instead of the expected Galaxy S26. The name alone suggested that we were looking at a base model with more features. It would be a highly anticipated move, as the Galaxy S flagship has always been small but lacking in updates.

Unfortunately, the spec leaks point to anything but a Pro phone. Additionally, a recent leak also suggests that the base model will revert to the standard Galaxy S26 name instead of the Pro moniker.

Assuming these Galaxy S26 leaks are accurate, I think people should buy this other small phone.

A small(ish) phone well made

Vivo launched the X300 and X300 Pro in China last week, but both phones are coming to global markets. The X300 Pro is undoubtedly the more premium flagship of the two, but the X300 also stands out.

Vivo said that the X300 is actually a successor of sorts to the X200 Pro Mini, largely due to its equally compact form factor. It’s not a sub-6-inch phone, but the 6.31-inch screen still makes it a pocketable design compared to conventional high-end phones. In fact, the device is a little larger than the base Galaxy S25 and a little smaller than the Pixel 10 and Xiaomi 15.

This size means I have little trouble reaching the top of the screen, while the phone also fits in my pants pockets without peeking out. Sure, the Galaxy S25 offers a similar size advantage and the long-awaited Galaxy S26 will likely continue this trend. However, a quick look at the vivo X300’s spec sheet reveals that you’re getting a lot of phone in a small package compared to the notoriously stingy Samsung.

The standard X300 has an impressive spec sheet compared to Samsung’s entry-level flagships. Perhaps the most notable addition is the 6,040 mAh battery, which is just over 1,000 mAh larger than the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s battery and more than 800 mAh larger than the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s battery. The base Galaxy S26 is expected to have a 4,300 mAh battery, but it’s still small for a modern flagship Android phone. Either way, I’m willing to bet that Samsung’s base phone will give up the ghost before the live phone.

Industry certifications and listings also suggest that the base model Galaxy S26 will arrive with 25W wired charging speeds. Meanwhile, the But vivo’s X300 comes with quick switching disabled by default. It also shows charging speed options on the lock screen when using the original 90W charger. Add in the optimized charging functionality, the ability to limit the charging limit (e.g. stop charging at 80%), and 40W wireless charging, and vivo certainly has the advantage here.

However, one of my biggest problems with the entry-level Galaxy S phone in recent years is the dated camera hardware. The Galaxy S25’s 50MP main camera sensor (1/1.56-inch), 10MP 3x telephoto camera, and 12MP ultrawide camera are basically the same as the Galaxy S22 cameras. Unfortunately, it is believed that the base Galaxy S26 will again use the same sensors. That’s ridiculous when you’re paying $800 or more in some regions. It also comes at a time when even a few mid-range Android phones are matching or surpassing Samsung’s camera hardware.

On the contrary, the vivo X300 comes with a 200MP main camera (Isocell HPB) which is similar to the 200MP camera seen on Samsung’s Ultra phones. It also has a 50MP 3x periscope lens and a 50MP ultra-wide shooter. I haven’t spent much time with the phone’s cameras, but it’s already clear that the X300 offers a versatile camera system capable of taking some good quality snaps; check out the gallery below. The only downside is that the long-range zoom doesn’t compare to the X300 Pro, as there is a noticeable loss of detail from 6x. There’s no shortage of camera tricks, however, including a variety of color profiles, portrait styles, 4K/60fps portrait video, 4K/120fps LOG video, a street photography mode, and more. Vivo says it will even support the Pro model’s telephoto extender.

The X300’s Dimensity 9500 chipset probably won’t outperform the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, but it’s still a powerful processor that should play demanding games without breaking a sweat. Add in 256GB of base storage, an IP69 rating, and integration with MacOS via the vivo OfficeKit app, and there’s a lot to like in a relatively compact package.

It is clear to me that the vivo X300 will probably be the better pocket phone than the Galaxy S26. Between the big battery, fast wired/wireless charging, modern cameras, and the much-improved OriginOS 6 look, there’s a lot to like here.

It’s not a clean slate for vivo though, as there are still some areas where Samsung reigns overall. Samsung is likely to offer a longer update promise, for example (we’ve asked Vivo about the X300’s update policy). Galaxy phones also offer many more AI features than vivo phones, including translation, summarizing, and writing tools. Then there is the question of availability.

The Galaxy S26 is likely to be available pretty much everywhere, including the United States. Meanwhile, the vivo X300 will reach markets such as India, some European countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey), Mexico and Southeast Asia. As such, you’ll need to import the device if you’re in the UK or US. There’s also no word on wider pricing yet, with the global launch event taking place on October 30.

However, early signs suggest that the Galaxy S26 won’t be a significant step forward for pocketable flagship phones. That means if you’re like me and appreciate a smaller phone with great hardware, the X300 is definitely worth considering. Now, about the launch of this device in more markets.