Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max tie on the OH Rank at a score of 76. Samsung Galaxy S26 wins on Screen and Desktop Replacement; Xiaomi 17 Pro Max wins on Battery. Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is 5.9mm wider than Samsung Galaxy S26. Samsung Galaxy S26 is the more recent release, from Mar 4, 2026.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
76
76
Samsung Galaxy S26
71.7mm (2.82in) · Mar 4, 2026 · Rank #29
13+7+13+12+12+5+4+0+5+5 = 76
* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement* TOP Compact
EDITORIAL: Like S26 Ultra and the S26+, the vanilla S26 will be remembered for the sad lack of improvement. S26 gained the latest processor and a silly 300mAh more of battery capacity. And that’s it. Oh, it grew 1.2mm in width – when rivals are all shrinking. Still, in a small world of compacts (pun intended) many will love this phone’s performance, bright screen, proficient imaging, Samsung’s polished ecosystem and having the DeX on board.
PROs
one-hand friendly and well build, fast SD 8 Elite Gen 5 (Exynos 2600 in EU) with UFS 4.0 performance, 24hr endurance from a 4300mAh (old Lithium tech) battery with sub-70min 25W (15 wireless) charging, IP69 protection, very good (same as last year) front and back camera setup with a 50MP 24mm main + 10MP 67mm telephoto (both OIS PDAF) + 12MP 13mm sans-AF ultrawide, excellent 12MP 26mm dual pixel PDAF selfie, above average video recording skills, polished and AI feature-packed OneOS with up to 7 years of updates, excellent DeX and fast USBC 3.2 port with DisplayPort and OTG
CONs
same as last year save for updated processor and extra 300mAh of battery, wider then S25, no expandable memory, walled-off Samsung garden you may wish you didn’t enter
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
77.6mm (3.06in) · Sep 25, 2025 · Rank #30
13+14+11+12+12+5+4+0+5+0 = 76
SUPERIOR* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Selfie* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Xiaomi created the Pro and Pro Max models this year to declare focus on Apple's market share. And rightfully so as Xiaomi 17 Pro Max does everything as well as iPhone 17 Pro Max except telephoto pics and overall video recording. To make up for it, Xiaomi's Pro Max has better endurance then iPhone 17 Pro Max (and lasts much longer then S26U), faster charging, brighter screen and of course: a second display that can even be used as a gaming platform (with optional attachment). Ironically, there is an excellent new selfie camera on a phone that can use the superior back cameras for amazing selfies.
PROs
great built, great SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance (with throttling under very high loads), 48hr endurance from a 7500mAh Si-C battery with sub-40min 100W (50W wireless) charging. 2 LTPO AMOLED screens with >2000Hz PWM dimming and both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certification. IP68 protection (down to 6m for 30min). great imaging from 50MP OIS 23mm main + 50MP 17mm ultrawide (both with PDAF), excellent 50MP 21mm PDAF selfie, 6 years of OS updates, fast USB-C 3.2 port with Display Out tech for screen sharing with PCs and Macs
CONs
limited to China market, okay performance from the new 50MP 115mm OIS PDAF periscope telephoto (worse at night) and 17mm ultrawide camera is not really "ultra" wide, no expandable memory, Harmony OS is not everyone's cup of tea, no desktop replacement functionality
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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