Cameras of 17 Ultra and Galaxy S26 Ultra compared
At DroidApp, we like to pay extensive attention to smartphones. We take plenty of time for our reviews, and meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has been on the editorial staff for a while now. Soon you will find the review of this, and recently the extensive Xiaomi 17 Ultra review was published. We will take a closer look at the cameras in this article. Because if the camera is important, and you spend that much money, you do want to take the best pictures.
The specifications
We have collected the specifications of the two devices for you on the spec page of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. We do list the camera specifications separately though, because after all, this is what this article is all about.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Main camera: 200 megapixels (f/1.4), 1/1.3" sensor, OIS image stabilisation
- Wide-angle camera: 50 megapixels (f/1.9), 1/2.5" sensor, OIS, 120-degree field of view
- Periscope telephoto: 50 megapixels (f/2.9), 111mm, 1/2.52" sensor, OIS, 5x optical zoom
- Telephoto camera: 10 megapixel (f/2.4), 67mm, 1/3.94" sensor, OIS, 3x optical zoom
- Selfie camera: 12 megapixel (f/2.2)
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
- Main camera: 50 megapixels (f/1.7), 1" sensor, OIS image stabilisation
- Wide-angle camera: 50 megapixels (f/2.2), 1/1.4" sensor, OIS, 115-degree field of view
- Periscope telephoto: 200 megapixel (f/2.4-3.0), 75-100mm, 1/1.4" sensor, OIS, 3.2x-4.3 optical zoom with continuous zoom
- Additional lens: 3D ToF for depth
- Selfie camera: 50 megapixels (f/2.2)
Good to know
We used both devices in different conditions. We shot the photos we took with the phones in automatic mode. After all, this is the mode most people will use. Both the Xiaomi and the Samsung offer an extended Pro mode, with the Xiaomi in particular offering many additional options. With the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, you can choose between two Leica modes: Vibrant or Authentic. Here, the first mode shows the images a bit more saturated with rich colours, without going overboard. In Authentic mode, colours are a bit more neutral and calm. For comparison purposes, we have chosen the Vibrant mode as it is usually the most appreciated. In the review of the Xiaomi, you will find several photos we took in Authentic.
The comparison
We shared the review of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra earlier. In it, we also shared the photo album of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. In it, you will find many dozens of photos taken directly from the smartphone. The review of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will soon appear on DroidApp, and in it, too, we will share an extensive photo album. For now, we have already taken many photos, and we will use them directly in this comparison. All photos were taken freehand, without a tripod.
By day
In the first photo, we see the barn with the trellis. We can already see clear differences. First of all, the colour of the buildings themselves, which are just a bit stronger at Samsung. But also with the trees, which are much clearer on Xiaomi. Zooming in on the big screen, the Xiaomi is just a bit more detailed, especially in the grass.
The bunch of daffodils with the thick tree; it is clear that Xiaomi captures more detail here. For example, look at the trees in the background, which are out of focus in the Samsung, where we also see many differences with the fencing.
The horse at the wooden fence, with the typical Drenthe farmhouse behind it. It is a beautiful scene, and here too we see clear differences. The pitfall of the Xiaomi is that the lens here is on the edge of the camera module, and so here we see a piece of finger. A learning point for us. The Xiaomi just picks up a lens flare, while the colours are more consistent, where on the Samsung they are just more shallow. Also, the Samsung just doesn't seem to have focused on the horse itself, making it out of focus.
The tree at the front of the picture, with the row of trees behind it. Again, the Xiaomi shows much more detail, while the Samsung just seems to smooth it out a bit more. This benefits the details at the 17 Ultra more.
We see the more sharpness in Xiaomi in this photo too. The photo taken by the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra again looks a bit more smoothed out. The 17 Ultra is thicker with the details.
This is another interesting photo, with the two smartphones both delivering neat pictures. It might be starting to get a bit boring; but the Xiaomi is better in this. In the hair, we see more detail and we also see this in the moorland.
With some backlight, a €1,500 smartphone should also be able to take fine photos, right? We think so. So the two models do that well. We see the rich details on the Xiaomi, and it seems a little less sensitive (in this picture) to lens flare. The foreground is also better exposed on the Xiaomi.
This photo also speaks for itself. Details are much sharper in the Xiaomi. When we look at the shadows in the photo, like the trees on the left, the 17 Ultra also manages to convey the colours a bit more naturally.
The bags of wool are gathered, a great time to do a photo comparison. Look at the ceiling; the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra looks much flatter here, where the Xiaomi can control the light sources better. It makes the photo look a bit warmer.
This entrance door, along with the hallway, is better exposed than the Samsung. There is also more sharpness with the Xiaomi.
It might get a bit monotonous, but look at the differences in the sky, and in the grass. The details are more present with the Xiaomi.
Again, the sheepskin shows many differences in the cameras. The aforementioned ceiling with its wooden trim and light units is better captured here by the Xiaomi. The Samsung looks a bit sallow. Also look at the cut-through to the outside, at the back of the barn. Here, the 17 Ultra manages to hold more contrast.
The sheep is eating nicely from the rack of fresh hay. Both the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra manage to capture this excellently.
The adorned planter on the table is in full sunlight. The Samsung focused on the background several times here, so it's a good thing we took several photos of this. The Xiaomi looks more saturated and less 'dull'. Again, we see the recurring 'feature' that with the Samsung, the trees in the background get less attention.
Zoom 2x
The comparison below was taken with both devices at 2x zoom. This picture was taken at 2x zoom, at the dolmen with the tree in the foreground. The details are overwhelmingly more visible on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Zoom 3x
Below you will find two comparisons between the camera of the S26 Ultra and the 17 Ultra each time, at 3x zoom. The Samsung offers this option, with the Xiaomi it is 3.2x zoom due to the focal length of the lens used. With 3x zoom, we noticeably see the opposite than with the 2x zoom. The Xiaomi loses some details here and the Samsung is prettier and sharper.
Zoom 5x
In the 5x zoom option, Xiaomi again uses a slightly different focal length, due to the lens used. The optical zoom with the Samsung is 5x, with Xiaomi 4.3x.
The daffodils in the field, zoomed in with both devices. Here all two smartphones score really well. The Xiaomi plays a bit more with the depth of field, making the subject stand out just a bit more. This is reflected in the tree.
Thanks to the Xiaomi's variable zoom lens, working with focus and depth of field still works nicely in this photo. The hunebed is blurred more on the 17 Ultra, while the tree gets the attention. That must be missed on the Samsung, which does look calmer in the grass.
Zoomed in, both devices capture the lamb well. In terms of detail, the Xiaomi is better.
Zoom 10x
We also see differences when using 10x zoom. The Samsung offers 10x zoom, with the Xiaomi it is 8.6x zoom, although the smartphone still offers the option to zoom further in high quality, with 17.2x zoom. This is not optical. With the 10x and 8.6x, however, this is optical, ensuring the highest quality.
Then there is the 10x zoom, where the photos are still of high quality. As far as we are concerned, this is where the Xiaomi wins again. Details are much better, while blurring is applied to the tree. The blades of grass are sharper, as are the stones themselves.
Evening
If you want to take photos in the dark hours, this shouldn't be a problem either. We can see big differences. We took the photo below first with 1x zoom, the normal mode. Followed by 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x. The Xiaomi remains the sharpest. Below is the wide-angle lens. Samsung has the advantage of a wider angle of view here, bringing more into focus. Also, the Samsung is sharper. Until you zoom in, then the Xiaomi is just a bit better.
'I Love Borger', highlighted just fine by both.
The market square of the Drenthe village of Borger in the dark hours. With both devices, we cleaned the lens beforehand. That is absolutely recommended in such conditions, otherwise you get weird smudges and streaks from the lampposts. The Xiaomi wins here once again.
A big difference on automatic mode. The Xiaomi shoots in one shot, but the Samsung first fails to properly expose the sign several times. It eventually succeeds, resulting in the photo comparison below. Winner: Xiaomi.
From this photo, we were impressed by the differences. The difference in how the same image is captured is huge. Shooting from a dark angle, with lots of light sources beyond, is a challenge for a smartphone (or any camera, really). The photo taken by the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is many times calmer and more beautiful than the Samsung's. In this, we doubted the Samsung quite a bit, so we retook the photo several times. It made no difference.
Portrait in evening
We took two evening photos on the same difficult scene. First, in portrait mode. Too bad the Samsung failed to focus instantly. The Xiaomi's photo shows warmer. Also, the 17 Ultra keeps light sources in check much more and works well with depth of field.
Below is the photo in normal mode, without portrait mode.
Big differences are also seen when capturing the petrol station. Exposure is perfectly balanced on the Xiaomi, with the Samsung showing that it does have a bit more trouble with bright light sources. The foreground is also better exposed by the 17 Ultra.
Finally, the starry sky photo. Again, we took several images with the Samsung, but out of the 'freehand' it is difficult to take a picture with a long shutter speed. The Samsung had calculated it at 7 seconds, which is quite long. The Xiaomi took 5 seconds for this, and generally captures it much sharper. Points for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Which smartphone has the best camera?
We used both devices in the same way for shooting different environments. While shooting, we could already see sometimes significant differences on the phones' screens, in favour of the Xiaomi. When we put the photos side by side on the big computer screen, this difference only becomes more obvious. With less effort, the Xiaomi captures the photos instantly. Everything is spot-on, where the Samsung is sometimes just a touch more sensitive and photos (compared to the Xiaomi) a bit duller. For the best photos, we would definitely recommend the Xiaomi 17 Ultra!
Want to get started with one of these two devices yourself?
- Buy Xiaomi 17 Ultra: Belsimpel, Mobile, MediaMarkt, Bol.com and Coolblue.
- Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Samsung online shop, Coolblue, Bol.com, Belsimpel, Mobiel, MediaMarkt, KPN, Vodafone and Odido.
