Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. Xiaomi 17: compact top-of-the-line smartphones
8.4.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Jan Johannsen
With their 6.3-inch displays, the Galaxy S26 and the Xiaomi 17 are two of the smallest high-end smartphones on the market right now. But which one’s better?
Based on size alone, the Galaxy S26 beats the Xiaomi 17. Although both phones have the same size of display, the Samsung handset is smaller. To be precise, it’s 1.5 millimetres (mm) shorter, 0.1 mm narrower and 0.9 mm thinner. The camera bump’s even 1.8 mm thinner. Samsung’s model’s also 24 grammes – or 12.5 per cent – lighter than the Xiaomi. However, size isn’t everything.
Evenly matched on design and display
Looking at the two phones, the most noticeable difference between them is the shape of the camera bump. It’s a vertical strip on the Galaxy S26, but square-shaped on the [Xiaomi 17](/page/xiaomi-17-im-test-lange-akkulaufzeit-kleines-format-und-starke-bilder-41729. Both smartphones have an aluminium frame and are IP68-rated, meaning they stay waterproof for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 metres. It isn’t noticeable that the phones each have different types of built-in safety glass. Since I’m not allowed to smash up my test devices, I’m forced to rely on other people’s assessments of the phones’ durability. Judging by these reports, it seems the S26’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is better at withstanding drops, while the Xiaomi 17’s Xiaomi Shield Glass is more resistant to scratches. At any rate, the Shield Glass scores higher in the Vickers hardness test than the Victus 2, snagging a rating of 860 HV0.025 compared to 670 HV.
Not only does the Xiaomi 17’s OLED display have a higher resolution, but it’s also brighter when displaying HDR content. As far as my day-to-day use is concerned, there isn’t a significant difference between the two touchscreens. Both of them are sufficiently bright and sharp, each treating my eyes to vivid colours. That being said, the Xiaomi 17’s screen looks slightly brighter when the phones are placed side by side.
The Xiaomi has a larger battery and charges faster
The Galaxy S26 falls short on the battery front. Its 4,300-mAh battery has a lower capacity, charging at a significantly lower maximum power of 25 watts. By contrast, the Xiaomi 17’s kitted out with a 6,330-mAh battery and supports up to 100-watt charging via cable. It even charges faster wirelessly than the Galaxy does via cable.
The Xiaomi 17 also has the edge when it comes to battery life. With its display set to 50 per cent brightness, it makes it through the PCMark Work 3.0 battery test with a runtime of 22 hours, 26 minutes. The Galaxy S26 lasts nearly a third less time – 14 hours, 28 minutes – and even performs worse than its predecessor. Although the previous model has the same battery as the S26, it uses a Snapdragon chipset instead of an Exynos one.
Cameras: a mixed bag
On paper, the Xiaomi 17’s camera sensor size and resolution give it an obvious advantage over the Galaxy S26. However, it does have a shorter telephoto focal length and less of a wide angle.
When taking photos with the main camera in daylight, I don’t see any major differences between the smartphones. Each one delivers an impressive level of detail, the photos coming out sharp. The colour reproduction’s both natural and vivid. Whether you prefer one camera’s colours over the other is a matter of taste.
The Galaxy S26’s ultra-wide-angle camera’s focal length is three millimetres shorter. That difference becomes apparent when you look at the next image crop. To me, the colours in the photos taken by the Samsung seem a bit more vibrant. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 17 seems to have been dazzled by the bright spring sun.
The tables are turned when I check out the telephoto camera. Although the Xiaomi 17 has a shorter focal length, it produces more vivid colours. In fact, as time goes on, I find myself wondering if Xiaomi might’ve gone a little overboard on the colour front.
When I head out in the dark to try night mode, I end up changing my mind. Under these conditions, I prefer the Xiaomi 17’s main camera. The colours appear less cool, with bright areas showing up sharper and better lit.
When it comes to the telephoto camera, the Xiaomi 17’s night mode is the clear winner. It produces significantly sharper images.
Moving onto the ultra-wide-angle cameras, the Galaxy S26 makes the lights in the photo appear whiter, while the Xiaomi 17 makes them look more yellow. I like the Samsung’s image better.
Both phones take decent selfies in the dark. The Galaxy S26’s camera makes my face look slightly clearer and more detailed, but I think the Xiaomi’s warm colours are nicer.
Samsung boasts slightly better performance, without a discernible impact
Both smartphones come with 12 gigabytes of RAM and two different processors. While the Xiaomi device is fitted with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite, Samsung’s handset comes with its in-house Exynos 2600. Samsung’s chipsets used to have a bad reputation, but as far as performance is concerned, there’s no longer any reason for that to be the case. Though, when it comes to power consumption, it’s a different story.
Taking several benchmark tests into account, the Galaxy S26 achieves better results on average. While Samsung’s probably chuffed with this slight lead, it isn’t relevant to my assessment. After all, the Xiaomi 17 has more than enough processing power for all typical applications.
Pre-installed apps, AI and update periods
Both manufacturers have equipped Android 16 with their own user interfaces: OneUI 8.5 (Samsung) and HyperOS 3 (Xiaomi). My main bugbear is the plethora of pre-installed apps stemming from Samsung, Xiaomi or third-party providers, not all of which can be deleted.
If AI features are important to you, Samsung provides a few more. That said, Xiaomi now has a wide range of its own tools too, spanning everything from copywriting to translation to photo editing.
Personally, I’m more interested in the update periods. With five years of system updates and six years of security updates, Xiaomi’s in a good position to guarantee users long-term use of its phones. Samsung, however, goes a step further, offering seven years of both system and security updates.
Verdict: the devil’s in the detail
The Samsung Galaxy S26 and the [Xiaomi 17](/page/xiaomi-17-im-test-lange-akkulaufzeit-kleines-format-und-starke-bilder-41729 are both outstanding smartphones – and the smallest of today’s top-of-the-range models. In my view, they’re roughly on a par with each other, so your decision to go for one or the other will ultimately come down to specific details.
While the Xiaomi 17 has a larger, longer-lasting battery and faster charging, the Galaxy S26 offers software support for longer. Camera-wise, I prefer the S26 for daytime snaps. However, the Xiaomi 17 does a better job in night mode. As far as I’m concerned, there’s not much between the two handsets in terms of design, display and performance.
What’s more, they’re both priced at around 800 euros or francs. The main differences between them are the colours and storage options.
Header image: Jan Johannsen
Jan Johannsen
Senior Editor
Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.deAs a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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