Samsung’s compact flagship phone hasn’t changed much in a year, but the S26 is still one of the best smaller handsets available as rivals grow larger and larger. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. The S26 is the cheapest and smallest of this year’s top Samsungs, dwarfed by the top-of-the-line S26 Ultra in size and price. But like everything with a memory chip at the moment, the S26 has increased in price by £80 or the equivalent to £879 (€949/$899/A$1,349). At least it has double the starting storage. Samsung has made the S26’s bright, crisp and smooth screen a smidgen larger, stretched to 6.3in on the diagonal. But with skinny bezels it is only 2.7mm taller and 1.2mm wider than its predecessor, which isn’t noticeable in use. The back of the S26 is a bit more bland, losing the more showy accents around the cameras from last year’s model. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The design is simple and feels good in the …