this is the good and the bad of each one

We are not even three months into 2026 and we already have four on stage compact mobiles who promise to give a lot of war. Because yes, not everything is Ultra or Pro Max phones: There are still users who prefer to have something small and manageable. Let’s put it face to face and point by point, to see what the compact bets of Xiaomi, Samsung, Google and Apple are like for 2026 (at least, so far).

The differences between the best compact phones of 2026

Screens almost the same in size, but with important differences

Ironically, inches are going to be the least important thing here. All four phones are small and their screens, very similar in size: they range from 6.1 inches of the iPhone 17e to 6.3 inches of the Xiaomi 17 and the Pixel 10staying the Samsung S26 right in the middle. With these sizes, it is clear that they are going to be phones that are going to be great to handle with one hand.

In resolution, things don’t change much either, since everyone is betting on Full HD+ except for Xiaomi, which goes up a little to 1.5K resolution. Now let’s move on to where we can notice the most difference.

While almost all of these phones opt for 120 Hz, the iPhone 17e stays at 60 Hzsince Apple continues to reserve the highest figure for its other iPhones (remember that the iPhone 17 is the first base iPhone to go above 60 Hz). This, phone in hand, implies that the fluidity between apps, when scrolling through text or when playing games, will be better on other devices.

We can also find differences in the maximum brightness. Here the crown goes to the Xiaomi 17 (3,500 nits) followed by the Pixel 10 (3,000 nits). This tells us that outdoors, in those moments when the light shines directly, we will be able to see its screens very well. We don’t have data on the Galaxy S26 yet, but it should be around the 2,600 nits of the Galaxy S25. He iPhone 17e It is the one that is the lowest here with 1,200 peak nits.

Four mobiles, four processors

As far as memory is concerned, there is not much surprise: they all come with 12 GB of RAM except for the Apple mobile, which stays at 8 GB. They all also have two storage configurations, although here it would be time to give Google a little slap on the wrist: The Pixel 10 is the only one of the four that starts at 128 GB. At this point and being a high-end mobile, it falls short. Now, let’s move on to the nougat: the processors.

The four phones have a different chip. The drawing would look like this:

• Xiaomi 17: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Galaxy S26: Exynos 2600
• Pixel 10: Google Tensor G5
• iPhone 17e: Apple A19

It is still early to talk about performance, but we already know that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the best Android processor out there right now. Samsung’s Exynos 2600, the first 2nm chip, is a mystery, although the previous Exynos was a very battery-consuming chip with some overheating problems. Google’s Tensor G5 makes a leap in performance compared to the Tensor G4, but it falls far short of the Qualcomm processor. And, the Apple A19, the same processor that it already has the iPhone 17has top performance.

The Xiaomi battery, a step above the others

Xiaomi is committed to silicon-carbon, something that the rest of the manufacturers in this comparison do not do (at the moment). What does that imply? That its battery has the most mAh: specifically, 6,330 mAh. This figure places it well above other compact phones, although, as we always say, other factors such as efficiency or optimization later come into play. Apple is the only one that has not given information about the size of its battery, although it is true that its phones usually have very good autonomy.

The differences also extend to fast charging, where the Xiaomi 17 once again has a big difference thanks to its 100 W per cable. We don’t have data on the iPhone 17e either, but we do have data on the Galaxy S26 (which stays at 25 W) and the Pixel 10, which has 30 W fast charging. Here the difference could be very big: with 100 W, you could charge your battery in about 30 minutes; with 25 W, in 70 or 80 minutes. There is also a difference in wireless charging, where Xiaomi stands out again with its 50 W.

Three cameras on three phones, one on the iPhone

The three Android phones in this comparison have a triple camera system (you can check their specifications in the table below). All three have small improvements with respect to their predecessors, which already tells us that we are going to obtain results with them very much in line with the Galaxy S25, Xiaomi 15 and Pixel 9. In other words: photographs and videos at a very good level.

Here the biggest difference is found in the iPhone 17e, since it repeats with a single rear camera. It is not that it is bad (which it is not), but that the problem is again the same as with the iPhone 16e: gives you fewer options when taking photos. The front cameras of all four are similar, although Xiaomi is betting this year on a 50 megapixel sensor.

AI and the operating system can tip the balance

We come to another of the most important differentiating points: the software. We must place the Apple iPhone, which arrives with iOS 26, on a separate side from the rest. The phone will continue to be updated until 2032so it has a parato chord. Now, loses (for now) in the field of AIsince Apple Intelligence still has a way to go.

On the other hand, Android devices. Obviously, Google’s Pixel 10 is the one that is going to give us the purest experience of this operating system and with a Gemini integrated throughout. Samsung is not far off with One UI, which, in addition to having Google AI highly integrated, also has Galaxy AI and a new player that has arrived in this generation: Perplexity.

We are left with the Xiaomi 17, which arrives with HyperOS 3. It is true that this layer suffers from excess bloatware compared to its other rivals, but it has also improved a lot in terms of customization and even AI with HyperAI (it also has Gemini integrated). However, negative point: has fewer years of guaranteed updates than the rest of the phones on this list.

In summary: which compact mobile phone to choose according to your tastes and needs

Why choose the Xiaomi 17

• Its battery is much larger than that of its rivals and without increasing the weight. Plus, 100W fast charging.
• In terms of performance, it is the most powerful option of all thanks to the Qualcomm processor.
• Its triple camera system, with a Leica sensor, promises to give us very good results.

Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S26

• It is the lightest phone on the list at 167 grams. In hand it has to be a delight.
• One UI is one of the best custom skins on Android and features Galaxy AI, which brings something extra to Gemini.
• Samsung is one of the brands that mounts the best screens on its phones and that is something it repeats in the Galaxy S26.

Why choose the Google Pixel 10

• We will find the purest Android experience on the Google mobile.
• It is the mobile phone on the list with the best Gemini integration, which increasingly offers more functions.
• Your cameras, as we explained in his analysisthey give very good results.

Why choose the iPhone 17e

• It is the cheapest on the list, something logical if we take into account that it is the cheapest of the iPhone 17.
• If you have other Apple devices at home such as AirPods or a Mac, you will have full integration.
• iOS, in addition to working great, provides support for many years.

Technical sheet with the main differences between the best compact phones of 2026

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Images | Xataka, Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung, Google

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