Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra
Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 2 of 5. Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want the longest software support. Buy Xiaomi 17 Ultra if you want better photos and to spend less.
The short answer
- CameraXiaomi 17 Ultra. Takes the better photos: camera score 10 out of 10, against 9.
- BatteryIt's a tie
- SpeedIt's a tie
- UpdatesSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. 7 years of updates promised.
- PriceXiaomi 17 Ultra. Costs 10% less.
Overall, Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 2 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹1,54,999 | ₹1,39,999 |
| Launched | 25 February 2026 | 11 March 2026 |
| Software now | One UI 9 (Android 17), launched with One UI 8.5 (Android 16) | HyperOS 3 (Android 17), launched with HyperOS 3 (Android 16) |
| Rating | 8.6/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Battery | Lasts longer than last year's model and now charges much faster, to 75% in about 30 minutes. | Very good battery life, with fast 90W wired and 50W wireless charging. |
| Camera | 200MP main camera plus 3x and 5x zoom cameras; very versatile, though not the very best Android camera. | Large main sensor and a 200MP zoom camera with a real zoom ring give excellent photos. |
| Speed | Extremely fast, though it slows down a bit during long heavy games. | Top-tier Snapdragon chip stays fast even under longer loads. |
| Catch | Expensive, small upgrade over the S25 Ultra, and the US price went up another $100 (about ₹9,500) in October 2026. | Very expensive, and the camera app has so many modes it can feel overwhelming. |
| Updates | 7 years | 6 years |
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2600 nits peak, Privacy Display, Gorilla Armor 2 anti-reflective | 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1-120Hz, 3500 nits peak, Dolby Vision, Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (3nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) |
| CPU | 8-core: 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L @ 4.74GHz + 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M @ 3.62GHz | 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L @ 4.6GHz + 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M @ 3.62GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Adreno 840 @ 1.3GHz | Adreno 840 |
| AI chip (NPU) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 12GB RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.x storage; RAM type not officially stated) | 16GB RAM, 512GB (UFS 4.1, LPDDR5X) |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 6000 mAh |
| Charging | 60W wired PD 3.0 (75% in 30 min), 25W Qi2.2 wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless | 90W wired, 50W wireless, 22.5W reverse wired, 10W reverse wireless |
| Cameras | 200MP main (f/1.4, 1/1.3", OIS) + 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4, 1/3.94", OIS) + 50MP 5x periscope (f/2.9, 1/2.52", OIS) + 50MP ultrawide (f/1.9, 1/2.5"); 12MP front | 50 MP 1-inch type LOFIC main (f/1.7, 23mm, OIS) + 200 MP periscope telephoto (1/1.4", f/2.4-3.0, 75-100mm, 3.2-4.3x continuous optical zoom, OIS) + 50 MP ultrawide (1/2.76", f/2.2, 14mm); Leica lenses; 50 MP selfie with AF |
| Water and dust | IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68/IP69 |
| Size and weight | 7.9mm thick, 214g | 8.3mm thick, 218.4g |
| Software | One UI 8.5 (Android 16) at launch, One UI 9 (Android 17) now | HyperOS 3 (Android 16) at launch, HyperOS 3 (Android 17) now |
| Updates | 7 years promised | 6 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 tri-band, Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort 1.2 and DeX, UWB | Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band), Bluetooth 6.0 (aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5), NFC, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort |
| Modem | Snapdragon 5G modem integrated in the chipset (exact model not officially stated) | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers (rated Very good by GSMArena, -25.9 LUFS); S Pen included | Loud, good-sounding stereo speakers, 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio; haptics not detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | No high-frequency PWM dimming (GSMArena); touch sampling not officially stated | 2160Hz PWM, DC dimming; touch sampling not officially stated |
| Cooling | Cooling hardware not officially detailed; GSMArena found significant CPU throttling under sustained load | Not officially stated in sources read (GSMArena notes decent sustained performance) |
| Colours | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold | Black, White |
Where to buy
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra₹1,54,999
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra₹1,39,999
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Common questions
- Which is better, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 2 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want the longest software support. Buy Xiaomi 17 Ultra if you want better photos and to spend less.
- Which has the better camera?
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra takes the better photos.
- Which has the better battery life?
- They are about even on battery.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- They are about even on speed.
- How much do they cost?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra costs ₹1,54,999, Xiaomi 17 Ultra costs ₹1,39,999.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: 7 years, now on One UI 9 (Android 17). Xiaomi 17 Ultra: 6 years, now on HyperOS 3 (Android 17).