Samsung vs. Motorola in 2026: I've tested enough phones from both to know my winner

Kerry Wan / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Samsung offers stronger bundle enactment and ecosystem perks.
• Motorola stands retired for value, design, and artillery life.
• The champion Android marque depends connected your fund and priorities.

Samsung and Motorola are 2 of the oldest and astir innovative brands successful the mobile telephone space. In caller years, 1 has pushed boundaries with the first-ever book-style foldable phone, portion the different has reinvented the flip phone. Both brands connection phones astatine a assortment of terms points. You tin get a Samsung Galaxy oregon a Motorola phone for little than $250 to much than $1,800.

Also: Why I urge this $450 Samsung telephone implicit competing models by Google and OnePlus

I person reviewed astir of these phones from some Samsung and Motorola and liked them for antithetic reasons. But their wide portfolios and competitory quality tin beryllium confusing if you're successful the marketplace for a caller device.

Here's however they comparison successful 2026, and which marque amended suits your needs.

You should bargain a Samsung Galaxy telephone if…

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

You privation a amended ecosystem of devices

If you already person a Samsung merchandise oregon privation to acquisition different instrumentality from Samsung, a Galaxy telephone would brace amended with those products. Samsung has a broader merchandise ecosystem than Motorola. From appliances similar refrigerators and aerial conditioners to laptops, TVs, and tablets, there's much to Samsung than conscionable phones. For immoderate cross-device functionality, having a Samsung TV, laptop, and telephone tin marque your beingness easier with profoundly integrated ecosystem features.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs. Motorola Razr Fold - this exemplary wins for me

For example, you tin power your Samsung TV utilizing the SmartThings app connected your Galaxy smartphone. It's the elemental things, similar not needing to look for the distant each clip you privation to alteration the measurement oregon messiness astir with different TV settings.

You besides get Apple ecosystem-like features, wherever the Samsung Galaxy Buds enactment champion erstwhile paired with a Galaxy smartphone, and App Continuity allows you to proceed browsing the aforesaid website crossed your telephone and tablet.

Motorola makes different products, too, but they aren't arsenic profoundly integrated with the Razr phones arsenic Samsung's Galaxy ecosystem.

You request longer bundle enactment

Google's caller dynamic with Samsung has helped the marque committedness Pixel-level bundle committedness with its caller phones. The 2 brands person collaborated connected respective Android features, and it has benefited the caller procreation of Galaxy phones.

Also: I've utilized each Samsung Galaxy S26 exemplary - here's wherefore the Ultra is frustratingly the best

From a $450 Galaxy A37 5G to the $1,900 Galaxy Z Fold 7, you'll get astatine slightest six years of bundle enactment with each phone. This extends to 7 years of Android OS and information updates connected much premium devices similar the Galaxy S bid and Galaxy Z lineup. This puts it connected par with Google Pixel's industry-leading Android bundle update policy.

Motorola, connected the different hand, pushed to 7 years of bundle enactment this twelvemonth with the Motorola Signature and Razr Fold devices. However, the lower-end phones and the Razr 2026 bid of flip phones are inactive stuck with a three-year Android upgrade promise.

If you're investing $800 successful a caller phone, and you privation it to past much than 3 years, a Samsung Galaxy instrumentality is your champion bet.

You request assertive bearer promotions

Samsung Galaxy phones usually get amended bearer promotions than Motorola smartphones. The promotions are truthful assertive that a terms hike connected the Galaxy S26 bid was accompanied by stronger bearer promotions.

Also: Own a Samsung phone? I changed 10 settings to greatly amended its performance

According to a Counterpoint Research report, "US carriers responded to the representation crunch-induced terms hikes with stronger promotions" and "all 3 [Galaxy S26] models and carriers saw important increases successful the highest tier promotions." This results successful much tempting offers for new-generation Samsung Galaxy phones than Motorola devices.

You should bargain a Motorola telephone if…

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

You privation amended worth for wealth

Motorola is unbeatable successful the affordable segment. It is the lone shaper that offers a stylus-equipped telephone for $500 (after a caller $100 terms hike) and a battery-focused instrumentality for $300. Samsung doesn't person that wide scope of features successful the midrange and little extremity of the market. If you privation a fund device, a Motorola telephone volition service you amended than a Galaxy phone.

Also: I've tested each Razr and Galaxy Flip: 3 reasons Motorola crushes Samsung astatine foldables

Moreover, you tin get a previous-generation Razr flip telephone for little than $500 (or adjacent $400 astatine times). You don't request to walk upward of $500 to get the novelty of a flip phone. For immoderate first-time foldable telephone purchaser who doesn't privation to driblet $1,000 connected a caller device, the Motorola Razr lineup is much accessible than a Samsung Galaxy Z bid flip phone.

You privation much originative designs

Motorola experiments with colour and worldly finishes that different brands don't adjacent touch.

From Pantone colour partnerships to FIFA World Cup variation devices, you tin find a Razr telephone with appealing colour combos arsenic good arsenic faux leather finishes. Heck, there's a Brilliant lineup of Motorola phones with Swarovski stones connected them! Samsung doesn't person that scope erstwhile it comes to special-edition phones successful the US.

Also: Google Pixel vs. Samsung Galaxy: I've tested some brands extensively, and there's a wide winner

I emotion it erstwhile my telephone looks antithetic and has much property and quality successful its design. And if you are similar me, too, a Motorola Edge oregon Razr bid telephone is your instrumentality to prime implicit its Samsung rival.

You request amended artillery beingness

Motorola is the archetypal shaper successful the US to enactment a silicon-carbon artillery connected its foldable. This exertion allows telephone manufacturers to adhd much artillery capableness successful slimmer designs without adding much bulk to a phone.

As a result, the caller Motorola Razr Fold is the lone foldable successful the US to person a 6,000mAh artillery -- successful a physique that weighs considerably little than the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. While the Galaxy Z Fold 7 remains unbeatable successful its design, the 4,400mAh artillery mightiness not beryllium capable for dense telephone users.

Also: Motorola Razr Fold review

This spread isn't arsenic wide successful the sub-$600 category, wherever you tin get a slim, airy Galaxy A57 5G with 5,000mAh. However, if you are connected a budget, the Motorola G Power bid volition beryllium much charismatic than immoderate different rival nether $300, acknowledgment to its 5,200mAh battery.

Writer's prime

I emotion definite aspects of Motorola's UI, similar pressing and holding connected the Always connected Display to cheque notifications, but I similar Samsung's cohesiveness more. Motorola pushes up successful the fund conception with a cleanable UI and a wide diagnostic set, but for flagship phones, I inactive similar Samsung Galaxy devices for their agelong bundle support, premium build, and much reliable cameras.