The Galaxy S26 Ultra does not have a fancy 1-inch type sensor, nor it has the Leica color science, but instead it brings ease of use and faster apertures. Samsung claims this makes for much better “nightography.”
While all of that will make for a great debate, we decided to spare you the talking and just take a look at the real photos that come out of these devices.
Over the past few days, I’ve taken hundreds of photos using both of them in all sorts of conditions, from dark alleys to sunny parks to the office. Let’s see which one comes out on top.
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Galaxy S26 Ultra: pre-order for up to $900 off
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The Galaxy S26 Ultra has been announced, bringing a Privacy Screen feature, insanely fast processor, and multiple Galaxy AI enhancements. Right now, you can pre-order the flagship for up to $900 off with eligible trade-ins. For a limited time, you also get an exclusive $30 Samsung credit with your S26 pre-order.
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Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra Camera Specs:
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
Main camera
200 MP (OIS, PDAF)
Sensor name: Samsung ISOCELL HP2
Aperture size: F1.4
Focal length: 23 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.3″
Pixel size: 0.6 μm
50 MP
Aperture size: F1.7
Focal length: 23 mm
Sensor size: 1″
Second camera
50 MP (Ultra-wide, PDAF)
Sensor name: Samsung JN3
Aperture size: F1.9
Sensor size: 1/2.5″
Pixel size: 0.7 μm
50 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F2.2
Focal Length: 14 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.76″
Pixel size: 0.64 μm
Third camera
10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF)
Sensor name: Sony IMX754
Optical zoom: 3.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Sensor size: 1/3.94″
Pixel size: 1.12 μm
200 MP (Telephoto, Periscope)
Optical zoom: 4.2x
Aperture size: F2.4/F3.0
Focal Length: 100 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.4″
Pixel size: 0.56 μm
Fourth camera
50 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF)
Sensor name: Sony IMX854
Optical zoom: 5.0x
Aperture size: F2.9
Focal Length: 115 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.52″
Pixel size: 0.7 μm
ToF 3D depth sensing
Front
12 MP (PDAF, HDR)
50 MP
See the full
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Before we jump to the photos, though, look at the specs recap. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a massive 1-inch type sensor for the main camera, much larger than the one on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
And it also has one other important advantage with a much bigger telephoto camera sensor as well. The 1/1.4-inch sensor on the telephoto is almost as big as the main camera sensor on the Galaxy!
The Samsung phone, however, offers a big more versatility with a dual telephoto camera system.
Also read:
But let’s see what that actually means for your pictures:
Main Camera
Zoom
Ultra-wide Camera
Selfie
So, which phone gets the win: is it the new Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
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