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InnoReviews

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Sony Xperia 1 VIII

WINNER
Samsung Galaxy S26 FE
63.4Inno Score
VS
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
59Inno Score
66.1Performance64.4
53.6Display65.7
46.5Camera48.4
70.5Battery49.1
94.7Features70.7
7 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26 FE5 spec wins — Sony Xperia 1 VIII

InnoReviews verdict

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE wins this phone face-off, 63.4 to 59, pulling ahead mainly in features (+24) and battery (+21). Sony Xperia 1 VIII still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE

  • Stronger battery score: 71 vs 49
  • Stronger features score: 95 vs 71
  • 75% higher OS update pledge: 7 years vs 4 years
  • 50% higher Wired charging: 45 W vs 30 W
  • 11% lower thickness: 7.4 mm vs 8.3 mm

Reasons to pick the Sony Xperia 1 VIII

  • Stronger display score: 66 vs 54
  • 500% higher telephoto: 48 MP vs 8 MP
  • 300% higher ultra-wide: 48 MP vs 12 MP
  • 100% higher RAM (max): 16 GB vs 8 GB
  • Has 3.5mm jack — the other doesn't

Display

Display comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Sony Xperia 1 VIII
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FESony Xperia 1 VIII
Screen size6.7 ″+3%6.5 ″
Panel typeDynamic AMOLED 2XLTPO OLED
Resolution1080x23401080x2340
Pixel density385 ppi—
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness1,900 nits—
Screen-to-body88.7 %—

Performance

Performance comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Sony Xperia 1 VIII
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FESony Xperia 1 VIII
ChipsetExynos 2500Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
AnTuTu2,535,201—
Geekbench 6 (single)2,438Top 22%—
Geekbench 6 (multi)8,035Top 19%—
RAM (max)8 GB16 GB+100%
Storage options128/256/512GB256GB/512GB/1TB
Storage typeUFS 4.0UFS 4.1

Camera

Camera comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Sony Xperia 1 VIII
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FESony Xperia 1 VIII
Main camera50 MP+4%48 MP
Main aperturef/1.8f/1.9
Ultra-wide12 MP48 MP+300%
Telephoto8 MP48 MP+500%
Optical zoom3 x+3%2.9 x
Max video8K—
Front camera12 MP12 MP
OISYes—

Battery

Battery comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Sony Xperia 1 VIII
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FESony Xperia 1 VIII
Capacity4,900 mAh5,000 mAh+2%
Wired charging45 W+50%30 W
Wireless charging15 W15 W
Active use endurance14.8 h—

Design

Design comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Sony Xperia 1 VIII
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FESony Xperia 1 VIII
Weight193 g+4%200 g
Thickness7.4 mm+11%8.3 mm
IP ratingIP68IP65/IP68
Frame materialAluminum Alloy—

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Sony Xperia 1 VIII
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FESony Xperia 1 VIII
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.46.0
NFCYesYes
USBUSB-CUSB-C 3.2
eSIMYes—

Software

Software comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Sony Xperia 1 VIII
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FESony Xperia 1 VIII
OS at launchAndroid 17 (One UI 9)Android 16
OS update pledge7 years+75%4 years

Audio

Audio comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Sony Xperia 1 VIII
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FESony Xperia 1 VIII
Stereo speakersYesYes
3.5mm jackNoYes

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