Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Redmi Note 17 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE wins 3 of 5. Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 FE if you want better photos, more speed for games and the longest software support. Buy Redmi Note 17 Pro Max if you want longer battery life and to spend less.
The short answer
- CameraSamsung Galaxy S26 FE. Takes the better photos: camera score 6 out of 10, against 4.
- BatteryRedmi Note 17 Pro Max. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 10 out of 10, against 7. It has a 10000 mAh battery.
- SpeedSamsung Galaxy S26 FE. Faster for games and heavy apps: Samsung Exynos 2500, speed score 8 out of 10, against 4.
- UpdatesSamsung Galaxy S26 FE. 7 years of updates promised.
- PriceRedmi Note 17 Pro Max. Costs 38% less.
Overall, Samsung Galaxy S26 FE wins 3 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 FE | Redmi Note 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹79,999 | ₹49,999 |
| Launched | 27 August 2026 | 16 September 2026 |
| Software now | One UI 9 (Android 17) (same as launch) | HyperOS 3 (Android 16) (same as launch) |
| Rating | 7.9/10 | 7.4/10 |
| Battery | A full day for most people (about 14 hours 49 minutes in GSMArena's test); 45W charging takes about 68 minutes. | One of the longest-lasting phones tested (22 hours 31 minutes in GSMArena's test of the 9210mAh EU model); 100W charging. |
| Camera | Good 50MP main camera and a handy 3x zoom, but the zoom and wide-angle cameras are basic. | Decent 50MP main camera with a larger sensor and 4K video, but a basic 8MP wide-angle and no zoom. |
| Speed | Exynos 2500 is fast for apps and games and runs cooler than the S25 FE, though it slows under long heavy use. | Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 handles daily apps well but is slow for heavy games at this price. |
| Catch | Only one 256GB version at ₹79,999 in India, little changed from the S25 FE, and the cable port is now slow USB 2.0. | Heavy at about 230g, and the chip is slow for ₹49,999. |
| Updates | 7 years | 4 years |
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 FE | Redmi Note 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.7-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2340) Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 1900 nits peak, HDR10+, Gorilla Glass Victus+ | 6.83-inch 1.5K (1280 x 2772) AMOLED, 120Hz, 2000 nits HBM, 3500 nits peak, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2500 (3nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 (4nm) |
| CPU | 10-core: 1x Cortex-X925 @ 3.3GHz + 2x Cortex-A725 @ 2.74GHz + 5x Cortex-A725 @ 2.36GHz + 2x Cortex-A520 @ 1.8GHz | 4x Cortex-A78 @ 2.6GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Samsung Xclipse 950 | Adreno 812 |
| AI chip (NPU) | Exynos NPU (TOPS not officially stated) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 8GB RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.0; RAM type not officially stated) | 8GB RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.1 on 256GB and above; RAM type not officially stated) |
| Battery | 4900 mAh | 10000 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired (69% in 30 min, full in about 68 min), 15W Qi2 wireless, reverse wireless | 100W HyperCharge wired (PD 3.0, PPS), 27W reverse wired, bypass charging; no wireless charging |
| Cameras | 50MP main (f/1.8, 1/1.56", Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 8MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4, OIS) + 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 123 degrees); 12MP front | 50MP main (f/1.5, 1/1.95", PDAF, OIS) + 8MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 1/4", 120 degrees); 32MP front (f/2.2) |
| Water and dust | IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins) | IP66/IP68/IP69/IP69K |
| Size and weight | 7.4mm thick, 193g | 8.6mm thick, 229.5g |
| Software | One UI 9 (Android 17) at launch, One UI 9 (Android 17) now | HyperOS 3 (Android 16) at launch, HyperOS 3 (Android 16) now |
| Updates | 7 years promised | 4 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Only on some versions |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, USB-C 2.0 (no wired DisplayPort or DeX), no 3.5mm jack | Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band), Bluetooth 6.0, NFC (market dependent), IR blaster, USB-C 2.0 |
| Modem | Integrated Exynos 5G modem (model not officially stated) | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers (rated Good by GSMArena, -26.6 LUFS); haptics not detailed | Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos (rated Very good by GSMArena, -24.3 LUFS); haptics not detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | Not officially stated | 3840Hz PWM; touch sampling not officially stated |
| Cooling | No vapour chamber mentioned; GSMArena found it keeps 62 to 68% of peak speed under long stress tests | Not officially stated |
| Colours | Blueberry, Graphite, Pistachio | Stealth Black, Matcha Green, Secret Sunrise |
Where to buy
- Samsung Galaxy S26 FE₹79,999
- Redmi Note 17 Pro Max₹49,999
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Common questions
- Which is better, Samsung Galaxy S26 FE or Redmi Note 17 Pro Max?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 FE wins 3 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 FE if you want better photos, more speed for games and the longest software support. Buy Redmi Note 17 Pro Max if you want longer battery life and to spend less.
- Which has the better camera?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 FE takes the better photos.
- Which has the better battery life?
- Redmi Note 17 Pro Max lasts longer on a charge.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is faster for games and heavy apps.
- How much do they cost?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 FE costs ₹79,999, Redmi Note 17 Pro Max costs ₹49,999.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 FE: 7 years, now on One UI 9 (Android 17). Redmi Note 17 Pro Max: 4 years, now on HyperOS 3 (Android 16).