Huawei Nova Y73 VS Samsung Galaxy A26 5G

Both phones share a similar footprint, but the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G edges out in compactness where it counts. At 7.7 mm thick versus 8.3 mm for the Huawei Nova Y73, the Galaxy A26 5G sits noticeably slimmer in hand and pocket. It also displaces less total volume (97.9 cm³ vs 105.6 cm³), making it the more refined, pocketable design despite being marginally wider. The weight difference is negligible — just 3 grams separating the two — so neither holds a practical advantage there.

The more meaningful differentiator is water protection. The Nova Y73 carries an IP64 rating, meaning it resists dust and can handle water splashes from any direction, but it is not submersion-safe. The Galaxy A26 5G steps up to IP67, which adds full dust ingress protection and the ability to withstand immersion in up to 1 meter of fresh water for 30 minutes. In real-world terms, this is the difference between surviving a rain shower and surviving an accidental drop in a sink or puddle — a meaningful upgrade for everyday risk scenarios.

Neither device features a rugged build or foldable form factor, so both target mainstream users rather than niche or adventure use cases. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G holds a clear design advantage in this group: it is slimmer, more compact by volume, and offers superior water resistance — three tangible benefits with direct day-to-day impact.

The screen sizes are virtually identical — 6.67″ vs 6.7″ — but the technology behind those panels could not be more different. The Nova Y73 uses an LCD IPS panel, while the Galaxy A26 5G features an OLED/AMOLED display. In practice, this means the Samsung delivers true blacks, higher contrast, and more vibrant colors, since each pixel generates its own light rather than relying on a backlight. For media consumption and everyday visual experience, this is one of the most impactful differences a display can have.

The resolution gap reinforces that advantage further. The Galaxy A26 5G renders at 1080 x 2340 px with a pixel density of 385 ppi, compared to 720 x 1604 px and 264 ppi on the Nova Y73. That gap is clearly visible when reading small text, viewing photos, or browsing fine-detail content — the Samsung simply looks sharper. Add a 120Hz refresh rate versus 90Hz, and scrolling and animations on the Galaxy A26 5G feel noticeably smoother and more fluid in daily use.

The Galaxy A26 5G also includes branded damage-resistant glass and an Always-On Display — practical features the Nova Y73 lacks entirely. Neither phone supports HDR10+ or Dolby Vision, so that is a genuine tie. Still, the Samsung dominates this category across every meaningful dimension: panel technology, sharpness, motion fluidity, and durability. The display advantage here is not close.

On paper, both phones arrive with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but the silicon underneath tells a very different story. The Nova Y73 runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 710A, a 12 nm chip with CPU cores clocked at up to 2.2 GHz. The Galaxy A26 5G is powered by the Samsung Exynos 1380, built on a much more modern 5 nm process with cores reaching 2.4 GHz. A smaller semiconductor node generally translates to better power efficiency and more transistor density — meaning the Exynos 1380 can do more work while consuming less energy.

The benchmark data makes the gap concrete. In Geekbench 6, the Galaxy A26 5G scores 1007 single-core and 2758 multi-core, versus 319 single-core and 1125 multi-core for the Nova Y73. That is roughly a 3× advantage in single-core tasks — which govern the responsiveness of everyday interactions like app launches and UI animations — and a similar lead in multi-core workloads. The GPU clock speed follows the same pattern: 950 MHz on the Exynos 1380 versus 650 MHz on the Kirin 710A, giving the Samsung a tangible edge in gaming and graphically intensive tasks.

Two further structural advantages compound the Galaxy A26 5G's lead: its RAM operates at 3200 MHz versus 2200 MHz, enabling faster data throughput, and it uses 4 memory channels compared to 2, allowing more parallelism when the CPU and GPU are under load. The maximum supported memory amount also favors the Samsung at 8GB vs 6GB. Taken together, the Galaxy A26 5G holds a commanding and unambiguous performance advantage in this category.

The Huawei Nova Y73 and Samsung Galaxy A26 5G both feature 50 MP main cameras, but the Galaxy A26 5G has a multi-lens setup with additional 8 MP and 2 MP sensors, while the Nova Y73 only has a single lens. The main camera on the Nova Y73 has a wide aperture of f/1.8, while the Galaxy A26 5G has a set of apertures: f/1.8, f/2.2, and f/2.4 for its three lenses. The Nova Y73 supports 1080p video recording at 30 fps, whereas the Galaxy A26 5G can record in 4K (2160p) at 30 fps, offering higher resolution video capture.

On the front, the Nova Y73 has an 8 MP camera with a wide aperture of f/2.0, while the Galaxy A26 5G has a higher-resolution 13 MP front camera with a wider aperture of f/2.2. Neither phone features a front-facing LED flash, and both have touch autofocus for photos and videos. Both devices also lack a dual-lens or multi-lens front camera and do not support HDR10 or Dolby Vision recording.

Both phones share several camera features such as continuous autofocus when recording movies, phase-detection autofocus for photos, and the ability to create panoramas in-camera. They also both support slow-motion video recording, have manual exposure and ISO controls, and can capture raw images. Neither phone has optical zoom or laser autofocus, and both use CMOS sensors with no BSI (Backside Illuminated) sensor. The Galaxy A26 5G, with its additional lenses and higher front camera resolution, offers a more versatile camera setup compared to the single-lens Nova Y73.

The Huawei Nova Y73 runs on Android 12, while the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G comes with the newer Android 15. Both devices share several common features such as clipboard warnings, location privacy options, camera/microphone privacy options, and the ability to block app tracking. However, the Galaxy A26 5G adds a few extra features not found on the Nova Y73, such as notification permissions, a media picker, and the option to offload apps.

Both phones support dark mode, dynamic theming, full-page screenshots, split screen, PiP (Picture-in-Picture), customizable notifications, Live Text, voice commands, and widgets. Additionally, both phones allow playing games while they download, offer focus modes, and have offline voice recognition. Neither device supports Quick Start, can be used as a PC, or features Mail Privacy Protection. They also both lack Wi-Fi password sharing, battery health checks, and a front-facing LED flash.

Unique to the Galaxy A26 5G, it offers a battery health check feature, which the Nova Y73 does not. Additionally, the Galaxy A26 5G has the ability to offload apps, while the Nova Y73 does not. Both devices have privacy features such as tracking the current position of the device and are multi-user systems. Overall, the operating systems on both phones offer similar functionalities, with the Galaxy A26 5G being on a more recent version of Android and including a few extra capabilities.

The Huawei Nova Y73 has a larger battery capacity of 6620 mAh compared to the 5000 mAh battery in the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G. Both phones support fast charging, but the Nova Y73 supports faster charging with a 40W charging speed, while the Galaxy A26 5G is limited to 25W. Neither phone supports wireless charging, and both have rechargeable, non-removable batteries. They also both feature a battery level indicator to monitor charge status.

Both phones lack wireless charging capabilities and have non-removable batteries, which is typical for most modern smartphones. Additionally, both devices have rechargeable batteries, which ensure long-term usability and efficient energy management.

In summary, while both phones support fast charging, the Huawei Nova Y73 offers a significant advantage in charging speed with its 40W capability, compared to the 25W charging speed of the Galaxy A26 5G. The Nova Y73 also offers a larger battery capacity, which may result in longer battery life depending on usage patterns.

Both the Huawei Nova Y73 and the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G lack a 3.5 mm audio jack, which means users will need to rely on wireless headphones or adapters for wired audio connections. Neither phone features stereo speakers, so the audio output is limited to mono sound. Additionally, neither phone supports aptX, LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, or aptX Lossless, which means they don't have advanced Bluetooth audio codec support for high-quality wireless audio. Both phones also lack a radio, meaning they cannot directly access FM or other radio broadcasts.

In summary, both phones offer a very similar audio experience, with no support for wired audio via a 3.5 mm jack, no stereo speakers, and no advanced Bluetooth audio codecs. The lack of a built-in radio further limits their audio options for users looking for traditional radio reception.

The Huawei Nova Y73 does not support 5G, while the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G offers 5G support. Both devices use Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) as a base, but the Galaxy A26 5G also supports the faster Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). The Nova Y73 has Bluetooth 5.1, while the Galaxy A26 5G is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, offering a newer version with potential improvements in connectivity. Additionally, the Nova Y73 lacks an external memory slot, while the Galaxy A26 5G provides one, allowing users to expand storage.

Both phones feature USB Type-C with USB 2.0, have NFC capabilities, and include a fingerprint scanner for biometric security. The Nova Y73 supports a download speed of 600 MBits/s and an upload speed of 150 MBits/s, while the Galaxy A26 5G supports significantly higher download speeds of 3790 MBits/s and upload speeds of 1280 MBits/s.

In terms of sensors, both phones have GPS, a compass, an accelerometer, and a cellular module. However, the Galaxy A26 5G has an additional gyroscope, which the Nova Y73 lacks. Neither phone features an infrared sensor, barometer, HDMI output, or any advanced biometric sensors like iris scanning or 3D facial recognition. Both phones support Galileo satellite navigation. Overall, the Galaxy A26 5G offers more advanced connectivity options, including 5G support and faster Wi-Fi, as well as better data transfer speeds compared to the Nova Y73.

Both the Huawei Nova Y73 and Samsung Galaxy A26 5G come with a video light, which can be used for improved visibility during video recording or in low-light conditions. Neither device features sapphire glass displays, curved displays, or e-paper displays, indicating that both phones use standard flat glass and typical display technology for their screens.

In summary, both phones have similar features in this group, with the presence of a video light being the only notable shared characteristic. The absence of advanced display features such as sapphire glass, curved edges, or an e-paper display further aligns the two devices in terms of screen construction.