I swapped my $1,299 Galaxy S26 Ultra for the $199 Galaxy A17 for a week — the biggest trade-offs (and surprises)
A tech reviewer swapped their $1,299 Galaxy S26 Ultra for the $199 Galaxy A17 for a week, finding that while the budget phone offers impressive value with 5G, a large display, and six years of software support, it falls short in performance, camera quality, battery life, and premium features. The A17 handles basic tasks but struggles with lag, dim display brightness, and poor low-light photography. Despite its limitations, the A17 proves surprisingly well-built and functional for essential use. The experience highlights the trade-offs between cost and convenience in today’s smartphone market.
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Phones I swapped my $1,299 Galaxy S26 Ultra for the $199 Galaxy A17 for a week — the biggest trade-offs (and surprises) Features By John Velasco published 29 April 2026 A tale of two Galaxy phones When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Tom's Guide / John Velasco) Jump to: Biggest Surprises Biggest Trade-Offs Bottom Line Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Tech in general is getting much more expensive, and the best phones prove that. For almost two months, I’ve been using the Galaxy S26 Ultra — one of the most expensive flagship models you can buy right now.
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