Between the Galaxy S26+ and Xperia 5 V, the Galaxy S26+ comes out ahead in ram and wired charging, while the Xperia 5 V wins on weight and battery capacity. Overall, the Galaxy S26+ scores 68.5 and the Xperia 5 V scores 63.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Galaxy S26+ edges ahead on the Mars Score (68.5 vs 63.5), but the 5.0-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Galaxy S26+ if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are ram, wired charging, antutu, among others.
Pick the Xperia 5 V if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are weight, battery capacity, headphone jack.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Galaxy S26+ is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S26+ wins
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Wired charging — 50.00% more. 45 W vs 30 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 43.79% more. 2200000 vs 1530000.
- ▲Pixel density — 14.25% more. 513 ppi vs 449 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 9.84% more. 6.7 " vs 6.1 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 3).
Why Sony - Xperia 5 V wins
- ▲Weight — 14.00 g less. 182 vs 196.
- ▲Battery capacity — 2.04% more. 5000 mAh vs 4900 mAh.
- ▲Has Headphone jack.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Sony - Xperia 5 V |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 196 g | 182 glead |
| Thickness | 7.6 mmlead | 8.6 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Sony - Xperia 5 V |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 "lead | 6.1 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 513 ppilead | 449 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2600 nitslead | 1300 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Sony - Xperia 5 V |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Sony - Xperia 5 V |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4900 mAh | 5000 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 30 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Sony - Xperia 5 V |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | truelead |
| microSD slot | false | truelead |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26+ | Sony - Xperia 5 V |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26+ or Xperia 5 V?+
Xperia 5 V has 2.0% more battery — 4900 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26+ or Xperia 5 V?+
Xperia 5 V is 14g lighter — 196g vs 182g.
Is Galaxy S26+ waterproof?+
Galaxy S26+ has an IP68 rating.
Does Xperia 5 V support 5G?+
Yes, Xperia 5 V supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy S26+ or Xperia 5 V?+
Galaxy S26+ offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26+ or Xperia 5 V?+
Galaxy S26+ has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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