Redmi 9C vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
20Performance90
20Display62.7
20.5Camera74
38.8Battery61.2
28Features94.7
2 spec wins — Redmi 9C14 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins this phone face-off, 76 to 24.7, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+70) and features (+67). Redmi 9C still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Redmi 9C
- Has 3.5mm jack — the other doesn't
- Lower launch price: $119 vs $1,299
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Stronger performance score: 90 vs 20
- Stronger display score: 63 vs 20
- Stronger camera score: 74 vs 21
- Stronger battery score: 61 vs 39
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 28
Display
| Spec | Redmi 9C | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.53 ″ | 6.9 ″+6% |
| Panel type | IPS LCD | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1600x720 | 3120x1440 |
| Pixel density | 269 ppi | 498 ppi+85% |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | — | 2,600 nits |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | — | 1,017,509Top 7% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | — | 1,344,505Top 4% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | — | 390,717Top 7% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | — | 685,076Top 7% |
Performance
| Spec | Redmi 9C | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G35 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| AnTuTu 10 | 110,000Top 99% | 3,437,807+3025%Top 2% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | — | 3,850Top 1% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | — | 11,900Top 1% |
| RAM (max) | 3 GB | 12 GB+300% |
| Storage options | 32GB / 64GB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Storage type | eMMC 5.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Redmi 9C | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 13 MP | 200 MP+1438% |
| Main aperture | f/2.2 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | — | 50 MP |
| Telephoto | — | 50 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 5 x |
| Max video | 1080p@30fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 5 MP | 12 MP+140% |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Redmi 9C | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 10 W | 60 W+500% |
| Wireless charging | — | 25 W |
Design
| Spec | Redmi 9C | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 196 g+8% | 214 g |
| Thickness | 9 mm | 7.9 mm+12% |
| IP rating | — | IP68 |
| Frame material | Plastic | Titanium |
Connectivity
| Spec | Redmi 9C | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | No | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 4 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | Micro-USB | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | No | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Redmi 9C | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 10 (MIUI 12) | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) |
| OS update pledge | 2 years | 7 years+250% |
Audio
| Spec | Redmi 9C | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | No | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |