POCO M8 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S26
35Performance81
64Display60
31.6Camera47.3
57.4Battery62.1
70.7Features94.7
6 spec wins — POCO M8 5G9 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 wins this phone face-off, 67.7 to 48.2, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+46) and features (+24). POCO M8 5G still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the POCO M8 5G
- Stronger display score: 64 vs 60
- 80% higher Wired charging: 45 W vs 25 W
- 67% higher Front camera: 20 MP vs 12 MP
- 28% higher capacity: 5,520 mAh vs 4,300 mAh
- 23% higher Peak brightness: 3,200 nits vs 2,600 nits
- Lower launch price: $229 vs $900
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Stronger performance score: 81 vs 35
- Stronger camera score: 47 vs 32
- Stronger battery score: 62 vs 57
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 71
- 266% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 10,824 vs 2,960
Display
| Spec | POCO M8 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″+7% | 6.3 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 388 ppi | 411 ppi+6% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,200 nits+23% | 2,600 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 92 %+2% | 90 % |
Performance
| Spec | POCO M8 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 | Samsung Exynos 2600 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the US, China and Japan) |
| AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared | 837,903Bottom 30% | 3,064,672 |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 292,124Bottom 20% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 130,371Bottom 36% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 179,700Bottom 39% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 235,708Bottom 25% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,024Bottom 35% | 2,995+192%Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 2,960Bottom 38% | 10,824+266%Top 4% |
| Wild Life Extreme stability | 99 %Top 26% | — |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 256/512GB | 256GB/512GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | POCO M8 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | — | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 3 x |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 20 MP+67% | 12 MP |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | POCO M8 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,520 mAh+28% | 4,300 mAh |
| Wired charging | 45 W+80% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | — | 15.3 h |
Design
| Spec | POCO M8 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 178 g | 167 g+6% |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm | 7.2 mm+2% |
| IP rating | IP66 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Plastic | Armor Aluminum 2 |
Connectivity
| Spec | POCO M8 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | POCO M8 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 15 (HyperOS 2) | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | 7 years+75% |
Audio
| Spec | POCO M8 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |