Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
90Performance64.4
62.7Display69.8
74Camera83.6
61.2Battery92
94.7Features86.7
5 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra7 spec wins — Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
InnoReviews verdict
This one is close to a dead heat: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra scores 76 against 77.1 for Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. Pick by the categories that matter to you — Xiaomi 18 Pro Max edges ahead in battery and camera, or by price.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Stronger performance score: 90 vs 64
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 87
- 56% higher Optical zoom: 5 x vs 3.2 x
- 19% higher Pixel density: 498 ppi vs 418 ppi
- Has eSIM — the other doesn't
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
- Stronger display score: 70 vs 63
- Stronger camera score: 84 vs 74
- Stronger battery score: 92 vs 61
- 317% higher Front camera: 50 MP vs 12 MP
- 300% higher telephoto: 200 MP vs 50 MP
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.9 ″ | 6.9 ″ |
| Panel type | LTPO AMOLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 3120x1440 | 1208x2624 |
| Pixel density | 498 ppi+19% | 418 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 2,600 nits | 4,000 nits+54% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 91.6 % |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 |
| AnTuTu | 3,437,807Top 7% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 1,017,509Top 7% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 1,344,505Top 7% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 390,717Top 19% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 685,076Top 8% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 3,850Top 1% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 11,900Top 1% | — |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256/512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 4.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 200 MP | 200 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.7 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Telephoto | 50 MP | 200 MP+300% |
| Optical zoom | 5 x+56% | 3.2 x |
| Max video | 8K@30fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 8,500 mAh+70% |
| Wired charging | 60 W | 100 W+67% |
| Wireless charging | 25 W | 50 W+100% |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 214 g+9% | 235 g |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm+6% | 8.4 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP66/IP68/IP69 |
| Frame material | Titanium | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 6.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | No |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) | Android 17 (HyperOS 4) |
| OS update pledge | 7 years | — |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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