Samsung’s #NoBadSeats campaign makes a bold promise: that the Galaxy S26 Ultra can capture concert moments the way your eyes actually see them — vivid, sharp, and alive — regardless of where you’re seated. And as a concert photographer, I decided to put that to the test. Over the span of three months, we brought the Galaxy S26 Ultra to four K-pop events in Manila, covering SEVENTEEN, IVE, UNIS, and Apink. No professional cameras, just a smartphone and a seat (or space) in the crowd.
Here’s what we saw — and what the S26 Ultra captured.
ALSO READ: Is the Galaxy S26 Ultra the Only Concert Phone You’ll Ever Need?
SEVENTEEN New_ World Tour — March 21, 2026
There’s a reason SEVENTEEN’s world tours are considered some of the most technically ambitious productions in K-pop. A full stadium, elaborate multi-level stage structures, and lighting rigs that paint the entire arena in color — it’s a lot for any camera to take in. It’s a lot for any phone.
Taken from the far back on the Zone C section, the Galaxy S26 Ultra handled it pretty well. The wide shots captured the sheer scale of the production, as well as the sea of Carat Bongs and the sweeping LED backdrops — without losing the performers in the spectacle. Even from the farther/back sections, the zoom kept members somewhat recognizable mid-performance, and the low-light processing kept the stage lighting looking intentional rather than blown out.
Carats know that every SEVENTEEN show is a full sensory event. These photos, taken entirely on a smartphone, seem to do that justice.
IVE Show What I Am + UNIS @ Otaku Pop Fes in Manila — April 25–26, 2026
Two nights. Two very different energies. One phone.
IVE has shown what they are with the kind of commanding, fashion-forward stage presence they’ve become known for — sleek outfits, precise choreography, crowd energy that was impossible not to feel, and lighting that goes dramatic and low. Taken from the VIP Seated section, the S26 Ultra’s dynamic range showed here: the contrast between the deep shadows and sharp spotlights was preserved cleanly, with no detail crushed in the dark.
UNIS, being the headliner act at the Otaku Pop Fes event in Okada Manila on April 25-26, then flipped the entire atmosphere. Pink, bright, and bursting with personality, their set was a completely different challenge for the same phone — fast movement and quite challenging lighting. The S26 Ultra kept up with the pace, capturing the group’s signature playful charm across both evenings.
Shooting two stylistically opposite acts back-to-back was the best kind of stress test for any phone here. The S26 Ultra passed both with flying colors.
The Origin: Apink Concert — May 10, 2026
Apink’s first Manila concert has a warmth to it that’s harder to photograph than spectacle. It’s quieter moments — a laugh shared between members, as well as the genuine connection between the group and PH Pandas at the UP Theater. That intimacy requires a camera that responds well to softer, more natural stage lighting.
Photo by Bryan Snow/HallyuLife
Taken from the side of the Patron section, the Galaxy S26 Ultra delivered something a little different here: photos that feel more personal. The pink satin outfits, the glowing stage backdrop, the expressive in-between moments — all of it translated in a way that felt true to the night rather than artificially sharpened or over-processed.
For longtime fans who were there, like us, we hope these bring it all back.
Concert photography has always been the domain of big lenses and press passes. And while no smartphone can really compare to what our professional cameras can do – in this case, where snapping photos using the latter is not allowed, something like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra genuinely makes a difference when saving your memories from K-pop concerts.
Across four events — a massive world tour stadium show, a double K-pop girl group in one night, and an intimate, long-awaited first concert in Manila — the S26 Ultra adapted to each environment without asking us to change anything but the scene in front of us. #NoBadSeats isn’t just a campaign slogan. At least from where we were standing (or seating, in these cases), it’s a pretty accurate description.
All photos in this feature were taken on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. No edits were made beyond the phone’s native processing and watermarking. All photos © HallyuLife.
