Big differences in battery sizes between Samsung Galaxy S26, Xiaomi 16 and other flagships expected in 2026

The difference in battery capacity between the Galaxy S25 with its 4,000 mAh battery and the Xiaomi 15 with its 5,240 mAh battery capacity is already quite significant. This gap between is set to widen even more in 2026, at least according to a post by Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, in which he reports on the first certification of the Galaxy S26 in China.

Accordingly, the Samsung model with the number SM-S9420 and a 6.27-inch display will offer a 4,300 mAh battery (net 4,175 mAh), which is 300 mAh higher than the current Galaxy S25. Certainly an improvement, but still rather small compared to certain Chinese brands. The first compact 6.3-inch camera flagships with 7,000 mAh batteries are expected to hit the market this fall, most notably the Xiaomi 16, as well as devices from Vivo and Oppo.

The larger Xiaomi 16 Pro Max, the Vivo X300 Pro and Oppo Find X9 Pro camera flagships with their 6.7- to 6.9-inch displays are expected to have even higher capacities, so Samsung looks comparatively conservative with its planned battery upgrades. On the other hand, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is also expected to feature a fast-charging upgrade to 60 watts from the current maximum of 45 watts, which was recently confirmed in an early One UI 8 firmware update.