realme 12 5G vs Samsung Galaxy S26
28.9Performance81
46.6Display60
33.9Camera47.3
52.5Battery62.1
86.7Features94.7
5 spec wins — realme 12 5G9 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 wins this phone face-off, 67.7 to 43.9, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+52) and display (+13). realme 12 5G still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the realme 12 5G
- 116% higher Main camera: 108 MP vs 50 MP
- 80% higher Wired charging: 45 W vs 25 W
- 16% higher capacity: 5,000 mAh vs 4,300 mAh
- Has 3.5mm jack — the other doesn't
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Stronger performance score: 81 vs 29
- Stronger display score: 60 vs 47
- Stronger camera score: 47 vs 34
- Stronger battery score: 62 vs 53
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 87
Display
| Spec | realme 12 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.72 ″+7% | 6.3 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1080x2400 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 392 ppi | 411 ppi+5% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 950 nits | 2,600 nits+174% |
| Screen-to-body | 86.5 % | 90 %+4% |
Performance
| Spec | realme 12 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ | Samsung Exynos 2600 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the US, China and Japan) |
| AnTuTu | — | 3,064,672 |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | — | 2,995Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | — | 10,824Top 4% |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 12 GB+50% |
| Storage options | 128/256/512GB | 256GB/512GB |
| Storage type | — | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | realme 12 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 108 MP+116% | 50 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.75 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | — | 12 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 3 x |
| Max video | 1080p@30fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 8 MP | 12 MP+50% |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | realme 12 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh+16% | 4,300 mAh |
| Wired charging | 45 W+80% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | — | 15.3 h |
Design
| Spec | realme 12 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 188 g | 167 g+11% |
| Thickness | 7.7 mm | 7.2 mm+6% |
| IP rating | IP54 | IP68 |
| Frame material | — | Armor Aluminum 2 |
Connectivity
| Spec | realme 12 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | — | Yes |
Software
| Spec | realme 12 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 14 (realme UI 5.0) | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) |
| OS update pledge | — | 7 years |
Audio
| Spec | realme 12 5G | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |