Poco F5 vs Samsung Galaxy S26
The Verdict
The Poco F5 and Samsung Galaxy S26 sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Poco F5 is the cheaper of the two at $349 versus $800, a difference of about $451. The Samsung Galaxy S26 is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Poco F5 stands out for snapdragon 7+ gen 2 delivers near-flagship performance, while Samsung Galaxy S26 is praised for compact 6.2-inch flagship. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Poco F5 if…
- →Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 delivers near-flagship performance
- →Bright 1000-nit 120Hz AMOLED display
- →67W fast charging at a budget price
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S26 if…
- →Compact 6.2-inch flagship
- →Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- →7 years of OS updates
Pros & Cons
Poco F5
Pros
- Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 delivers near-flagship performance
- Bright 1000-nit 120Hz AMOLED display
- 67W fast charging at a budget price
- Lightweight and slim design
- Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3
Cons
- Weak 8 MP ultrawide camera
- No wireless charging
- IP53 splash resistance is minimal
- MIUI heavy software experience
- No telephoto lens
Samsung Galaxy S26
Pros
- Compact 6.2-inch flagship
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- 7 years of OS updates
- IP68 water resistance
Cons
- Smaller 4000 mAh battery
- Only 25W charging
- 12MP ultrawide is dated
Full Specifications
| Spec | Poco F5 | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Android 13 (MIUI 14 for POCO) | Android 16, One UI 8 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 181 g | 168 g |
| Material | Plastic back, aluminum frame | Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| IP rating | IP53 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 75.4 x 7.9 mm | 146 x 70 x 7.6 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 64 MP, f/1.79, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.8, OIS |
| Front camera | 16 MP, f/2.4 | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@30fps | 8K@30fps, 4K@60fps |
| Ultrawide | 8 MP, f/2.2 | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Telephoto | — | 10 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 5000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Charging | 67W wired | 25W wired |
| Wireless charging | No | 15W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.67 inches | 6.2 inches |
| Type | AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 1080 x 2340 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 1000 | 2600 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.91 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.49 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 725 | Adreno |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.4 |
Want to compare a third product?
Add another product for a 3-way comparison.
Related Comparisons
This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
Explore more in phones, see all Xiaomi products or all Samsung products. View full details for the Poco F5 or the Samsung Galaxy S26.