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InnoReviews

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE
63.4Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
77.1Inno Score
66.1Performance64.4
53.6Display69.8
46.5Camera83.6
70.5Battery92
94.7Features86.7
3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26 FE13 spec wins — Xiaomi 18 Pro Max

InnoReviews verdict

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 77.1 to 63.4, pulling ahead mainly in camera (+37) and battery (+22). Samsung Galaxy S26 FE 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 features score: 95 vs 87
  • 18% lower weight: 193 g vs 235 g
  • 12% lower thickness: 7.4 mm vs 8.4 mm
  • Has eSIM — the other doesn't

Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max

  • Stronger display score: 70 vs 54
  • Stronger camera score: 84 vs 47
  • Stronger battery score: 92 vs 71
  • 2400% higher telephoto: 200 MP vs 8 MP
  • 317% higher ultra-wide: 50 MP vs 12 MP

Display

Display comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FEXiaomi 18 Pro Max
Screen size6.7 ″6.9 ″+3%
Panel typeDynamic AMOLED 2XLTPO AMOLED
Resolution1080x23401208x2624
Pixel density385 ppi418 ppi+9%
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness1,900 nits4,000 nits+111%
Screen-to-body88.7 %91.6 %+3%

Performance

Performance comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FEXiaomi 18 Pro Max
ChipsetExynos 2500Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
AnTuTu2,535,201—
Geekbench 6 (single)2,438Top 22%—
Geekbench 6 (multi)8,035Top 19%—
RAM (max)8 GB16 GB+100%
Storage options128/256/512GB256/512GB/1TB
Storage typeUFS 4.0UFS 4.1

Camera

Camera comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FEXiaomi 18 Pro Max
Main camera50 MP200 MP+300%
Main aperturef/1.8f/1.7
Ultra-wide12 MP50 MP+317%
Telephoto8 MP200 MP+2400%
Optical zoom3 x3.2 x+7%
Max video8K8K@30fps
Front camera12 MP50 MP+317%
OISYesYes

Battery

Battery comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FEXiaomi 18 Pro Max
Capacity4,900 mAh8,500 mAh+73%
Wired charging45 W100 W+122%
Wireless charging15 W50 W+233%
Active use endurance14.8 h—

Design

Design comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FEXiaomi 18 Pro Max
Weight193 g+18%235 g
Thickness7.4 mm+12%8.4 mm
IP ratingIP68IP66/IP68/IP69
Frame materialAluminum AlloyAluminum

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FEXiaomi 18 Pro Max
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.46.0
NFCYesYes
USBUSB-CUSB-C 3.2
eSIMYesNo

Software

Software comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FEXiaomi 18 Pro Max
OS at launchAndroid 17 (One UI 9)Android 17 (HyperOS 4)
OS update pledge7 years—

Audio

Audio comparison: Samsung Galaxy S26 FE versus Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
SpecSamsung Galaxy S26 FEXiaomi 18 Pro Max
Stereo speakersYesYes
3.5mm jackNoNo

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