Between the Galaxy S26 and Xperia 1 VII, the Galaxy S26 comes out ahead in wired charging and weight, while the Xperia 1 VII wins on pixel density and battery capacity. Overall, the Galaxy S26 scores 64.6 and the Xperia 1 VII scores 67.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Xperia 1 VII edges ahead on the Mars Score (64.6 vs 67.7), but the 3.1-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Galaxy S26 if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are wired charging, weight, main camera, among others.
Pick the Xperia 1 VII 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 pixel density, battery capacity, screen size, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S26 wins
- ▲Wired charging — 50.00% more. 45 W vs 30 W.
- ▲Weight — 24.00 g less. 168 vs 192.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲AnTuTu — 3.37% more. 2150000 vs 2080000.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 4).
Why Sony - Xperia 1 VII wins
- ▲Pixel density — 51.29% more. 643 ppi vs 425 ppi.
- ▲Battery capacity — 25.00% more. 5000 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 4.84% more. 6.5 " vs 6.2 ".
- ▲Has Headphone jack.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 168 glead | 192 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mmlead | 8.2 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.2 " | 6.5 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 425 ppi | 643 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2400 nitslead | 1800 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 5000 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 30 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | truelead |
| microSD slot | false | truelead |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 4 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 or Xperia 1 VII?+
Xperia 1 VII has 25.0% more battery — 4000 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 or Xperia 1 VII?+
Galaxy S26 is 24g lighter — 168g vs 192g.
Is Galaxy S26 waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 has an IP68 rating.
Does Xperia 1 VII support 5G?+
Yes, Xperia 1 VII supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 or Xperia 1 VII?+
Galaxy S26 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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