Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 80 W |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MP |
| Wired charging | 65 W | 100 W |
| AnTuTu | 2310000 | 2950000 |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh | 6000 mAh |
Between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Xiaomi 16 Ultra, the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes out ahead in main camera / screen size, while the Xiaomi 16 Ultra wins on wireless charging / front camera. Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra scores 74.2 and the Xiaomi 16 Ultra scores 72.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (74.2 vs 72.4). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
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, screen size, promised os updates. The single most decisive one: Main camera — 300.00% more. 200 MP vs 50 MP.
Pick the Xiaomi 16 Ultra if you care most about wireless charging / front camera. Its strongest claims are wireless charging, front camera, wired charging, among others. The single most decisive one: Wireless charging — 433.33% more. 80 W vs 15 W.
Both ship with comparable ram, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs do not 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 says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?
Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra leads the current Mars Score by 1.8 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, pixel density, battery capacity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra if…
Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra has the measurable edge on main cam mp, screen size in, promised os years.
Choose Xiaomi 16 Ultra if…
Xiaomi 16 Ultra has the measurable edge on wireless charging w, front cam mp, wired charging w.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra wins
- ▲Main camera — 300.00% more. 200 MP vs 50 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 2.53% more. 6.9 " vs 6.73 ".
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 5).
Why Xiaomi 16 Ultra wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 433.33% more. 80 W vs 15 W.
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Wired charging — 53.85% more. 100 W vs 65 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 27.71% more. 2950000 vs 2310000.
- ▲Battery capacity — 20.00% more. 6000 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
- ▲Pixel density — 4.19% more. 522 ppi vs 501 ppi.
- ▲Weight — 3.00 g less. 229 vs 232.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 232 g | 229 glead |
| Thickness | 8.6 mmlead | 9.2 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.9 "lead | 6.73 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 501 ppi | 522 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2600 nits | 3200 nitslead |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| AnTuTuⓘ | 2310000 | 2950000lead |
| CPU total clockⓘ | 22.8 GHz | 23.4 GHzlead |
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 200 MPlead | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacityⓘ | 5000 mAh | 6000 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 65 W | 100 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 80 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Xiaomi 16 Ultra has 20.0% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 6000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Xiaomi 16 Ultra is 3g lighter — 232g vs 229g.
Is Galaxy S26 Ultra waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 Ultra has an IP68 rating.
Does Xiaomi 16 Ultra support 5G?+
Yes, Xiaomi 16 Ultra supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 Ultra or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 200 MP main camera vs 50 MP.