Between the Galaxy S26 and Nord CE 4, the Galaxy S26 comes out ahead in antutu and ram, while the Nord CE 4 wins on wired charging and battery capacity. Overall, the Galaxy S26 scores 64.6 and the Nord CE 4 scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (64.6 vs 63.2). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
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 antutu, ram, weight, among others.
Pick the Nord CE 4 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 wired charging, battery capacity, front camera, among others.
Both ship with comparable main camera, 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
- ▲AnTuTu — 198.61% more. 2150000 vs 720000.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Weight — 18.00 g less. 168 vs 186.
- ▲Pixel density — 7.87% more. 425 ppi vs 394 ppi.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP54).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 3).
- ▲Wireless charging: 15 W vs 0 W.
Why OnePlus - Nord CE 4 wins
- ▲Wired charging — 122.22% more. 100 W vs 45 W.
- ▲Battery capacity — 37.50% more. 5500 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
- ▲Front camera — 33.33% more. 16 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 8.06% more. 6.7 " vs 6.2 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 168 glead | 186 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mmlead | 8.2 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68lead | IP54 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.2 " | 6.7 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 425 ppilead | 394 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2400 nitslead | 1100 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 16 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 5500 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 W | 100 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | truelead |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 or Nord CE 4?+
Nord CE 4 has 37.5% more battery — 4000 mAh vs 5500 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 or Nord CE 4?+
Galaxy S26 is 18g lighter — 168g vs 186g.
Is Galaxy S26 waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 has an IP68 rating.
Does Nord CE 4 support 5G?+
Yes, Nord CE 4 supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy S26 or Nord CE 4?+
Galaxy S26 offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 or Nord CE 4?+
Nord CE 4 has a 50 MP main camera vs 50 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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