Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| Our rating | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 6,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 60W | 90W |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | — |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.9 in | 6.9 in |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 200 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 214 g | 219 g |
| Released | Mar 2026 | Dec 2025 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Xiaomi 17 Ultra is ahead on battery, wired charging.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) | LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 115.9 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) | 1200 x 2608 pixels |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 | Not specified (likely Gorilla Glass equivalent) |
| Features | Privacy Display | — |
| Pixel Density | — | 416 PPI |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| OS | Android 16, One UI 8.5 | Android 16, HyperOS 3 (upgradable to Android 17) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) for Galaxy | Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (details not specified, assumed high-performance) | Octa-core (2x Prime Core up to 4.6GHz, 6x Performance Core up to 3.62GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno (details not specified, assumed high-performance) | Adreno™ GPU |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM | — |
| RAM | — | 12GB, 16GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Storage | — | 512GB, 1TB (UFS 4.1) |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| Quad | 200 MP, f/1.4, 85˚ (wide), PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultrawide); 50 MP, f/2.9 (telephoto), 10x optical zoom; 10 MP, f/2.4 (telephoto), 3x optical zoom | — |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama, Nightvideography | Leica optics, laser autofocus, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K video recording |
| Triple | — | 50 MP, f/1.67, 1-inch sensor, OIS, LOFIC HDR (wide); 200 MP, f/2.39-f/2.96, periscope telephoto, 4.3x optical zoom, OIS; 50 MP, f/2.2, ultrawide, 14mm equivalent, 1/2.88" sensor |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2 (wide), PDAF | 50 MP, f/2.2, 21mm equivalent, 90° FOV |
| Features | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, AI ISP | HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K video recording |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable | Si/C Li-Ion |
| Charging | 60W wired (75% in 30 min), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless | 90W wired HyperCharge, 50W wireless HyperCharge, 22.5W wired reverse charging |
| Capacity | — | 6000 mAh |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) | 162.9 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 214 g (7.55 oz) | 218.4g (Black and White) / 219g (Starlit Green) / 223.4g (Leica Version) |
| Build | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back, aluminum frame (assumed) | Glass front, glass back (or fiberglass), aluminum frame |
| IP Rating | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| 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/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, LHDC |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| Infrared port | — | Yes |
| Satellite Communication | — | Yes |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|
| Announced | 2026, February 25 | December 25, 2025 |
| Status | Available. Released 2026, March 11 | Released December 27, 2025 (China), March 6, 2026 (Global Leica Leitzphone) |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
Xiaomi 17 Ultra — 5,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra versus 6,000 mAh for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — 214 g for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra versus 219 g for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — Mar 2026 for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra versus Dec 2025 for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Xiaomi 17 Ultra rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 9/10 and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra 9/10.
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