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Smartphone comparison

Apple iPhone 17e vs Samsung Galaxy S26

Compare cameras, battery, screen and everyday features.

Compared products
01Selected
Apple iPhone 17e

Apple iPhone 17e

  • 169 g.
  • About 6.1 inch screen.
  • Apple A19 (3 nm) processor.
  • 8 GB RAM in this version.
  • 256 GB storage in this version.
KSh 103,500In Stock
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02
Samsung Galaxy S26

Samsung Galaxy S26

  • 167 g.
  • About 120 Hz display refresh rate.
  • About 6.3 inch screen.
  • Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) - US/CA/CN, Xclipse 960 - ROW graphics.
  • 12 GB RAM in this version.
KSh 102,000In Stock
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iPhone 15 PlusKSh 104,000
iPhone 16KSh 93,500
Google Pixel 11 256GBKSh 103,000
Honor 600 Pro 5GKSh 100,000
Samsung Galaxy S25 PlusKSh 97,000
Google Pixel 10 ProKSh 99,000
Xiaomi 15KSh 104,000
2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

Choose the Apple iPhone 17e if you want a higher 6 m rated immersion depth and a sharper 460 ppi screen. Choose the Samsung Galaxy S26 if you want more memory (12 GB RAM), a telephoto camera and a larger 6.3-inch screen.

Weight

Apple iPhone 17e
169 g
Samsung Galaxy S26
167 g

Display

Apple iPhone 17e
About 6.1 inch screen
Samsung Galaxy S26
About 6.3 inch screen

Performance

Apple iPhone 17e
Apple GPU (4-core graphics) graphics
Samsung Galaxy S26
Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) - US/CA/CN Xclipse 960 - ROW graphics

Memory

Apple iPhone 17e
8 GB RAM in this version
Samsung Galaxy S26
12 GB RAM in this version

Storage

Apple iPhone 17e
NVMe
Samsung Galaxy S26
UFS 4.X

Key differences

The main differences to help you choose.

Apple iPhone 17e

  • Higher rated immersion depth: 6 m (vs 1.5 m), both IP68.
  • Sharper screen: 460 ppi (vs 411 ppi).

Samsung Galaxy S26

  • More memory: 12 GB RAM (vs 8 GB).
  • Telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
  • Larger 6.3-inch screen (vs 6.1-inch).
  • Rated for more charge cycles: 1,200 (vs 1,000).
  • Brighter display: up to 2,600 nits (vs 1,200).
  • Newer Wi-Fi 7 (vs Wi-Fi 6).

What matters most to you?

Choose any priorities

How each product answers the questions buyers ask most. Tick a topic to add it, untick one to hide it.

More topicsFewer topics
6 priorities selected.
How each product answers the selected priorities
PriorityApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
Display6.1-inch OLED display, 460 ppi6.3-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 411 ppi
Camera48 MP main camera with OIS50 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 3x telephoto camera
PerformanceApple A19 processorQualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor
Storage256 GB storageUp to 512 GB storage
Battery capacity4,005 mAh battery4,300 mAh battery
ChargingWired, 50% in 30 min25 W wired, 15 W wireless charging

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
BrandAppleSamsung
ModelApple iPhone 17eGalaxy S26
Announced2026, March 022026, February 25
Device type / form familySmartphone—
Release statusAvailable. Released 2026, March 11Available. Released 2026, March 06
Model numbersA3634, A3575, A3635, iPhone18,5SM-S942B, SM-S942B/DS, SM-S942U, SM-S942U1, SM-S942W, SM-S942N, SM-S9420, SM-S942E, SM-S942E/DS
SAR (US)1.20 W/kg (head) 1.20 W/kg (body)—
SAR (EU)1.49 W/kg (head) 1.49 W/kg (body)1.21 W/kg (head)     1.10 W/kg (body)
Performance benchmarksAnTuTu: 2187425 (v11); GeekBench: 9296 (v6); 3DMark: 4226 (Wild Life Extreme)—
Measured display brightness814 nits max brightness (measured)—
Measured loudspeaker loudness-26.7 LUFS (Good)—
Battery testActive use score 15:30h—
EU label energyClass A—
EU label battery45:00h endurance, 1000 cycles—
EU label free fallClass B (180 falls)—
EU label repairabilityClass C—
SAR—1.19 W/kg (head)     1.20 W/kg (body)

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
Dimensions146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.31 in)149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm (5.89 x 2.82 x 0.28 in)
Weight169 g (5.96 oz)167 g (5.89 oz)
Build materialsGlass front (Ceramic Shield 2), glass back, aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame

Display

Display specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
DisplaySuper Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak); 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio)Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak); 6.3 inches, 96.5 cm2 (~90.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Screen resolution1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~411 ppi density)
Display protectionCeramic Shield 2Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Display featuresAnti-reflective coatingDynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
Display technologySuper Retina XDR OLED—
Display size6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio)—
Brightness800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)—
HDR formatsHDR10—
Pixel density~460 ppi—
Aspect ratio19.5:9 ratio—
Screen-to-body ratio~86.0% screen-to-body ratio—

Performance

Performance specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
ProcessorApple A19 (3 nm)Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) - US/CA/CN Exynos 2600 (2 nm) - ROW
CPUHexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz)Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) - US/CA/CN 10-core (1x3.80GHz C1-Ultra & 3x3.25GHz C1-Pro & 6x2.75GHz C1-Pro) - ROW
GPUApple GPU (4-core graphics)Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) - US/CA/CN Xclipse 960 - ROW
Process node3 nm—

Memory & Storage

Memory & Storage specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
RAM8GB12GB
Storage256GB128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Storage technologyNVMeUFS 4.X
Expandable storageNoNo
Memory configurations256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM

Cameras

Cameras specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
Rear camera48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
Front camera12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF; SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Rear camera featuresDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama, 3D (spatial) audioBest Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Rear camera video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, Dolby Vision HDR, OIS, stereo sound rec.8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Front camera featuresHDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec.HDR
Front camera video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, Dolby Vision HDR4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps, HDR10+
Wide camera48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS—

Battery & Charging

Battery & Charging specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
BatteryLi-Ion 4005 mAhLi-Ion 4300 mAh
ChargingWired, 50% in 30 min; 15W wireless MagSafe/Qi225W wired, PD3.0, 55% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) 4.5W reverse wireless
Battery technologyLi-Ion—
Wireless charging15W wireless MagSafe/Qi215W wireless (Qi2 Ready); 4.5W reverse wireless
Reverse charging—4.5W reverse wireless

Software

Software specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
Operating systemiOS 26.3, upgradable to iOS 27Android 16, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates, One UI 9

Network

Network specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
NetworkGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International/China); · eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100; CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3575; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66 - A36341, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA unlocked
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3575; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A36341, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - USA unlocked
Network speedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA, LTE (CA), 5G

Connectivity

Connectivity specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
NFCYesYes
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE5.4, A2DP, LE
Wi-FiWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavICGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG
Satellite featuresEmergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite—

Durability

Durability specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
Water resistanceIP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min)IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor Aluminum 2

Features

Features specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
SensorsFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
ColorsBlack, White, Soft PinkCobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
Desktop mode—Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)

Audio

Audio specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
LoudspeakersYes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
3.5 mm headphone jackNoNo
Audio features—High-bitrate audio support

Tests

Tests specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
Performance—AnTuTu: 2441481 (v10), 3064672 (v11) GeekBench: 10824 (v6) 3DMark: 7230 (Wild Life Extreme)
Display—1383 nits max brightness (measured)
Loudspeaker—-26.7 LUFS (Good)
Battery—Active use score 15:20h

EU label

EU label specifications comparison
SpecificationApple iPhone 17eSamsung Galaxy S26
Energy—Class A
Battery—51:00h endurance, 1200 cycles
Free fall—Class A (270 falls)
Repairability—Class C

Similarities

  • Both are rated IP68.
  • Both have optical image stabilisation.
  • Both have NFC.
  • Both have OLED displays.
  • Both support wireless charging.
  • Both support 5G networks.

In summary

Choose Samsung Galaxy S26 for Android, optical zoom and a larger screen; Apple iPhone 17e combines iOS and a smaller, sharper screen.

Back to compared products ↑

In-stock alternatives

iPhone 15 PlusFor Apple iPhone 17eiPhone 15 PlusView product ↗Google Pixel 11 256GBFor Apple iPhone 17eGoogle Pixel 11 256GBView product ↗Honor 600 Pro 5GFor Samsung Galaxy S26Honor 600 Pro 5GView product ↗Samsung Galaxy S25 PlusFor Samsung Galaxy S26Samsung Galaxy S25 PlusView product ↗

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