Samsung Galaxy S26 FE vs Apple iPhone 17e
The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE scores 7.4 in our rating, and the Apple iPhone 17e scores 6.7. The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE leads in display, camera, battery, software support and value for money, while the Apple iPhone 17e is ahead in performance. At launch in the US, the Apple iPhone 17e cost $100.99 less ($599 vs $699.99). The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is the newer phone, announced Aug 27, 2026.
Key differences
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE
- Bigger battery 4,900 mAh vs 4,005 mAh
- Bigger screen 6.7 inches vs 6.1 inches
- Brighter screen 1,900 nits vs 1,200 nits
- Higher refresh rate 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
- Newer model Aug 27, 2026 vs Mar 2, 2026
- Thinner 7.4 mm vs 7.8 mm
Why choose the Apple iPhone 17e
- Lower launch price $599 vs $699.99
- Lighter 169 g vs 193 g
- Higher screen resolution 1170 × 2532 px vs 1080 × 2340 px
- Sharper display 460 ppi vs 385 ppi
- Satellite messaging
- Secure 3D face unlock
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
Overall
7.4
6.7
Display
7.5
6.4
Performance
7.1
8.3
Camera
8.0
5.9
Battery
6.1
5.7
Design
8.6
8.7
Software support
9.2
7.4
Value for money
5.5
4.9
Display
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
Size
6.7 inches
6.1 inches
Type
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
OLED, Super Retina XDR
Resolution
1080 × 2340 px
1170 × 2532 px
Pixel density
385 ppi
460 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
60 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✕ No
✕ No
Peak brightness
1,900 nits
1,200 nits
HDR
—
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Ceramic Shield 2
Performance
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
Process
3 nm
3 nm
Max CPU clock
3.3 GHz
—
GPU
Xclipse 950
Apple GPU (4-core) with Neural Accelerators
RAM
8 GB
8 GB
Storage
128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB
256 GB / 512 GB
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
Main camera
50 MP, f/1.8
48 MP, f/1.6
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
12 MP
—
Telephoto
8 MP, 3× optical
—
Optical zoom
3×
—
Rear cameras
3
1
Rear video
8K@30
4K@60
Front camera
12 MP
12 MP
Front video
—
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
Capacity
4,900 mAh
4,005 mAh
Battery type
—
Li-Ion
Wired charging
45 W
—
Wireless charging
15 W
15 W
Reverse wireless
✓ Yes
✕ No
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
Dimensions
161.6 × 76.9 × 7.4 mm
146.7 × 71.5 × 7.8 mm
Thickness
7.4 mm
7.8 mm
Weight
193 g
169 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Aluminum
Aluminum
Back
Glass
Glass
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
Under-display optical
None
3D face unlock
✕ No
✓ Yes
SIM
—
eSIM only
Colors
Blueberry, Graphite, Pistachio
Black, White, Soft Pink
Connectivity and features
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth
5.4
5.3
USB
—
USB-C 2.0
NFC
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack
✕ No
✕ No
Stereo speakers
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Satellite
✕ No
✓ Yes
IR blaster
✕ No
✕ No
Software
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
OS at launch
Android 17
iOS 26
Interface
One UI 9
—
OS updates
7 years
—
Security updates
7 years
5 years
Launch and price
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26 FEApple iPhone 17e
Announced
Aug 27, 2026
Mar 2, 2026
Released
Sep 3, 2026
Mar 11, 2026
Status
Released
Released
US launch price
$699.99
$599
Green marks the stronger value in a row. Specs come from official manufacturer data, cross-checked with established tech media; each phone page lists its sources. Report an error
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