Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Xiaomi 17T

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S26 scores higher in 3 of 6 sections (performance, design & durability and connectivity & features), while the Xiaomi 17T leads in battery and camera; they are even on display.

The biggest difference is performance: 99 vs 80 points.

The Xiaomi 17T is the newer model, announced 3 months after the Samsung Galaxy S26.

Choose the Samsung Galaxy S26 for performance and design & durability; choose the Xiaomi 17T for battery and camera.

Galaxy S26 leads in 12 fields
Xiaomi 17T leads in 10 fields
20 ties

42 scored fields compared

Score by section

Section scores	Galaxy S26	Xiaomi 17T
Overall
Performance	99	80
Camera	87	90
Battery	66	84
Display	92	91
Design & durability	87	75
Connectivity & features	77	71

Full specifications

Only differences

Performance

Chipset performance index: Galaxy S26: 100/100(Better); Xiaomi 17T: 74/100
Chipset: Galaxy S26: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5; Xiaomi 17T: Dimensity 8500 Ultra
RAM (max): Galaxy S26: 12 GB; Xiaomi 17T: 12 GB
Storage (max): Galaxy S26: 512 GB; Xiaomi 17T: 512 GB
Process node: Galaxy S26: 3 nm; Xiaomi 17T: 4 nm

Camera

Main camera resolution: Galaxy S26: 50 MP; Xiaomi 17T: 50 MP
Main sensor size: Galaxy S26: 1/1.56″; Xiaomi 17T: 1/1.55″(Better)
Optical stabilization (OIS): Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
Ultra-wide camera: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
Telephoto camera: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
Periscope lens: Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
Optical zoom: Galaxy S26: 3×; Xiaomi 17T: 5×(Better)
Video recording: Galaxy S26: 8K(Better); Xiaomi 17T: 4K 60 fps
Front camera: Galaxy S26: 12 MP; Xiaomi 17T: 32 MP(Better)
Front camera 4K video: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes

Battery

Battery capacity: Galaxy S26: 4300 mAh; Xiaomi 17T: 6500 mAh(Better)
Battery endurance (EU label): Galaxy S26: 51:00 h; Xiaomi 17T: 65:40 h(Better)
EU label cycles: Galaxy S26: 1200; Xiaomi 17T: 1000
Wired charging: Galaxy S26: 25 W; Xiaomi 17T: 67 W(Better)
Wireless charging: Galaxy S26: 15 W(Better); Xiaomi 17T: No
Reverse charging: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
Reverse charging type: Galaxy S26: Wireless; Xiaomi 17T: Wired

Display

Screen size: Galaxy S26: 6.3″; Xiaomi 17T: 6.59″
Panel type: Galaxy S26: LTPO OLED(Better); Xiaomi 17T: OLED
Refresh rate: Galaxy S26: 120 Hz; Xiaomi 17T: 120 Hz
Pixel density: Galaxy S26: 411 ppi; Xiaomi 17T: 460 ppi(Better)
Peak brightness: Galaxy S26: 2600 nits; Xiaomi 17T: 3500 nits(Better)
Resolution: Galaxy S26: 1080x2340; Xiaomi 17T: 1268x2756
Screen protection: Galaxy S26: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2; Xiaomi 17T: Corning Gorilla Glass 7i

Design & durability

Weight: Galaxy S26: 167 g(Better); Xiaomi 17T: 200 g
Thickness: Galaxy S26: 7.2 mm(Better); Xiaomi 17T: 8.2 mm
Dust & water resistance: Galaxy S26: IP68; Xiaomi 17T: IP68
Back material: Galaxy S26: Glass(Better); Xiaomi 17T: Fiber
Frame material: Galaxy S26: Aluminum(Better); Xiaomi 17T: Plastic
EU repairability class: Galaxy S26: C; Xiaomi 17T: C
EU drop resistance class: Galaxy S26: A(Better); Xiaomi 17T: B
EU energy class: Galaxy S26: A; Xiaomi 17T: A

Connectivity & features

5G: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
Wi-Fi: Galaxy S26: Wi-Fi 7(Better); Xiaomi 17T: Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth: Galaxy S26: 5.4; Xiaomi 17T: 6.0(Better)
USB speed: Galaxy S26: USB 3.x(Better); Xiaomi 17T: USB 2.0
USB port: Galaxy S26: USB-C 3.2; Xiaomi 17T: USB-C 2.0
DisplayPort output: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: No
NFC: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
eSIM: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
Ultra-wideband (UWB): Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: No
Satellite connectivity: Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: No
Stereo speakers: Galaxy S26: Yes; Xiaomi 17T: Yes
3.5 mm headphone jack: Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: No
Fingerprint reader: Galaxy S26: Under display (ultrasonic)(Better); Xiaomi 17T: Under display (optical)
3D face unlock: Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: No
Infrared blaster: Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: Yes(Better)
FM radio: Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: No
microSD slot: Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: No
Card slot: Galaxy S26: No; Xiaomi 17T: No

General

Operating system: Galaxy S26: Android 16; Xiaomi 17T: Android 16
OS updates (major versions): Galaxy S26: 7; Xiaomi 17T: Unknown
Launch price: Galaxy S26: $ 474.03; Xiaomi 17T: $ 549.50
Year: Galaxy S26: 2026; Xiaomi 17T: 2026

Show raw spec text

Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.

—	Galaxy S26	Xiaomi 17T
Network
Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO	HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA unlocked	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71
5G bands	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - USA unlocked	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA
Speed	HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G	HSPA, LTE, 5G
Launch
Announced	2026, February 25	2026, May 28
Status	Available. Released 2026, March 06	Available. Released 2026, May 28
Body
Dimensions	149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm (5.89 x 2.82 x 0.28 in)	157.6 x 75.2 x 8.2 mm (6.20 x 2.96 x 0.32 in)
Weight	167 g (5.89 oz)	200 g (7.05 oz)
Build	Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame	Glass front (Gorilla Glass 7i), plastic frame, glass-fiber reinforced plastic back (Gorilla Glass 7i)
SIM	· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor Aluminum 2	· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min)
Display
Type	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)	AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, 3840Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak)
Size	6.3 inches, 96.5 cm2 (~90.0% screen-to-body ratio)	6.59 inches, 106.4 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution	1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~411 ppi density)	1268 x 2756 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
Platform
OS	Android 16, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates, One UI 9	Android 16, HyperOS 3
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) - US/CA/CN Exynos 2600 (2 nm) - ROW	Mediatek Dimensity 8500 Ultra (4 nm)
CPU	Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) - US/CA/CN 10-core (1x3.80GHz C1-Ultra & 3x3.25GHz C1-Pro & 6x2.75GHz C1-Pro) - ROW	Octa-core (1x3.4 GHz Cortex-A725 & 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A725 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A725)
GPU	Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) - US/CA/CN Xclipse 960 - ROW	Mali-G720 MC8
Memory
Card slot	No	No
Internal	128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM UFS 4.X	256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM UFS 4.1
Main Camera
Triple	50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video	50 MP, f/1.7, 23mm (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/3.0, 115mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF (30cm - ∞), OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm
Features	Best Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama	Leica lens, Color spectrum sensor, Ultra HDR, LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video	8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, gyro-EIS, 10-bit Rec. 2020, HDR10+, Log
Selfie camera
Single	12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF	32 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (wide), 1/3.42", 0.64µm
Features	HDR	HDR
Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps, HDR10+	4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR10+
Sound
Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers	Yes, with stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos)
3.5mm jack	No High-bitrate audio support	No 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res & Hi-Res Wireless audio
Comms
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band or tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	5.4, A2DP, LE	6.0, A2DP, LE
Positioning	GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS	GPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5), GLONASS
NFC	Yes	Yes (market/region dependent)
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG
Infrared port	–	Yes
Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Battery
Type	Li-Ion 4300 mAh	Si/C Li-Ion 6500 mAh - Global Si/C Li-Ion 7000 mAh - China only
Charging	25W wired, PD3.0, 55% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) 4.5W reverse wireless	67W wired, 50W PPS, PD3.0 22.5W reverse wired
Misc
Colors	Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold	Violet, Blue, Opal White, Black
Models	SM-S942B, SM-S942B/DS, SM-S942U, SM-S942U1, SM-S942W, SM-S942N, SM-S9420, SM-S942E, SM-S942E/DS	2602DPT53G, 2602DPT53I
SAR	1.19 W/kg (head) 1.20 W/kg (body)	–
SAR EU	1.21 W/kg (head) 1.10 W/kg (body)	–
Price	$ 474.03 / € 599.00 / £ 589.00 / ₹ 87,999	$ 549.50 / € 499.00 / £ 499.00 / ₹ 69,999
EU LABEL
Energy	Class A	Class A
Battery	51:00h endurance, 1200 cycles	65:40h endurance, 1000 cycles
Free fall	Class A (270 falls)	Class B (180 falls)
Repairability	Class C	Class C