At the end of February, Samsung and Xiaomi, two major giants of the Android market, introduced their most advanced flagships on the international market. Thus, the list of best compact smartphones of 2026 was updated with new models: Galaxy S26 and Xiaomi 17. Thanks to their reputation, they will compete for the title of the coolest flagship. But which is better to buy: Xiaomi 17 or Galaxy S26? Let’s figure this out.
Xiaomi 17 — on the left, Galaxy S26 — on the right
Galaxy S26 vs Xiaomi 17 Comparison
The smartphones have completely different designs, but roughly the same dimensions, except that the Samsung Galaxy S26 is noticeably lighter and thinner than its Chinese opponent. However, this is compensated by the Xiaomi 17 specifications, which are much more impressive than the Korean device’s internals.
| Specifications | Galaxy S26 | Xiaomi 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3 inches, AMOLED (2340×1080), 1-120 Hz | 6.3 inches, AMOLED (2656×1220), 1-120 Hz |
| Main Camera | 50 (OIS) + 12 + 10 (OIS) MP | 50 (OIS) + 50 + 50 (OIS) MP |
| Front Camera | 12 MP | 50 MP |
| Processor | Exynos 2600 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Memory | 12/256 or 12/512 GB | 12/256 or 12/512 GB |
| Battery | 4300 mAh | 6330 mAh |
| Charging | 25W (wired) 15W (wireless) | 100W (wired) 50W (wireless) |
| Dimensions | 149.6×71.7×7.2 mm | 151.1×71.8×8.1 mm |
| Weight | 167 grams | 191 grams |
| Price | From 80,000 ₽ | From 65,000 ₽ |
On paper, the Xiaomi 17 smartphone has:
- higher screen resolution;
- higher camera resolution;
- bigger battery;
- faster charging.
Considering the higher price of the Korean device, it starts to seem like the Galaxy S26 vs Xiaomi 17 comparison loses all meaning. But first, Samsung offers a stable One UI shell without ads and the bugs typical of Chinese smartphones. Second, not all that glitters is gold, and we know how deceptive specifications can be.
Exynos 2600 or Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Despite the fact that in the US and South Korea the Galaxy S26 ships with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, in Russia and most countries worldwide the smartphone has Samsung’s own processor under the hood — Exynos 2600.
In a separate article, we already compared Exynos 2600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, so we won’t dive into the technical nuances and will simply look at the telling results of synthetic benchmarks.
Xiaomi 17 is more powerful than Samsung Galaxy S26. Source: nanoreview.net
Obviously, in this configuration Xiaomi 17 is more powerful than Galaxy S26. However, the difference is insignificant and noticeable only in games. When performing everyday tasks, both smartphones perform admirably as flagships, and there is no advantage in the Chinese device’s behavior.
Xiaomi 17 or Galaxy S26 — Which Has a Better Camera
An important part of the comparison is the cameras of Galaxy S26 and Xiaomi 17. The Chinese smartphone offers an inherently more advanced set in terms of physical sensor size, but functionally in both cases we have:
- a main camera;
- an ultrawide for landscapes;
- a telephoto lens with optical zoom for portraits;
- a front camera for selfies.
The capabilities are the same, but photo quality is a separate question. The main camera in both cases shoots well. However, thanks to a larger sensor and aggressive AI processing, photos on Xiaomi 17 are sharper and more contrasty.
Photo from the main camera of Galaxy S26. Image: GSMArena
Photo from the main camera of Xiaomi 17. Image: GSMArena
The ultrawide in both cases is mediocre, but the landscape camera of Xiaomi 17 offers a narrower field of view and color reproduction that is completely different from the main lens. Therefore, in this comparison, a slight preference can be given to Galaxy S26.
Photo from the ultrawide of Galaxy S26. Image: GSMArena
Photo from the ultrawide of Xiaomi 17. Image: GSMArena
The telephoto lens is a different story. Although Xiaomi 17 has a lower optical zoom magnification (2.6x vs 3x), due to higher resolution and larger sensor size, the Chinese device takes better zoomed-in shots. This is especially noticeable in low light conditions.
Photo from the telephoto of Galaxy S26. Image: GSMArena
Photo from the telephoto of Xiaomi 17. Image: GSMArena
As for the front camera, despite its comparatively low resolution, in challenging conditions it performs better on the Galaxy S26. Xiaomi 17 clearly falls short in this comparison.
Photo from the front camera of Galaxy S26. Image: GSMArena
Photo from the front camera of Xiaomi 17. Image: GSMArena
Overall,
