Between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Xperia 1 VII, the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes out ahead in main camera / wired charging, while the Xperia 1 VII wins on weight / pixel density. Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra scores 75.6 and the Xperia 1 VII scores 67.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Galaxy S26 Ultra edges ahead on the Mars Score (75.6 vs 67.7), but the 7.9-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Galaxy S26 Ultra if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are main camera, wired charging, ram, among others.
Pick the Xperia 1 VII if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are weight, pixel density, headphone jack.
Both ship with comparable battery capacity, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Galaxy S26 Ultra 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 Ultra wins
- ▲Main camera — 316.67% more. 200 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Wired charging — 116.67% more. 65 W vs 30 W.
- ▲RAM — 33.33% more. 16 GB vs 12 GB.
- ▲AnTuTu — 11.06% more. 2310000 vs 2080000.
- ▲Screen size — 6.15% more. 6.9 " vs 6.5 ".
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 4).
Why Sony - Xperia 1 VII wins
- ▲Weight — 40.00 g less. 192 vs 232.
- ▲Pixel density — 28.34% more. 643 ppi vs 501 ppi.
- ▲Has Headphone jack.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 232 g | 192 glead |
| Thickness | 8.6 mm | 8.2 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.9 "lead | 6.5 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 501 ppi | 643 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2600 nitslead | 1800 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 200 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 65 Wlead | 30 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | truelead |
| microSD slot | false | truelead |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 4 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xperia 1 VII?+
Xperia 1 VII has 0.0% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xperia 1 VII?+
Xperia 1 VII is 40g lighter — 232g vs 192g.
Is Galaxy S26 Ultra waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 Ultra has an IP68 rating.
Does Xperia 1 VII support 5G?+
Yes, Xperia 1 VII supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xperia 1 VII?+
Galaxy S26 Ultra offers 16GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xperia 1 VII?+
Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 200 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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