Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 3 of 5. Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want longer battery life, the longest software support and to spend less.
The short answer
- CameraIt's a tie
- BatterySamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 8 out of 10, against 7. It has a 5000 mAh battery.
- SpeedIt's a tie
- UpdatesSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. 7 years of updates promised.
- PriceSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Costs 6% less.
Overall, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 3 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Apple iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹1,54,999 | ₹1,64,900 |
| Launched | 25 February 2026 | 9 September 2026 |
| Software now | One UI 9 (Android 17), launched with One UI 8.5 (Android 16) | iOS 27.0.1, launched with iOS 27 |
| Rating | 8.6/10 | 8.8/10 |
| Battery | Lasts longer than last year's model and now charges much faster, to 75% in about 30 minutes. | Lasts a full day of heavy use and charges to half in about 15 minutes with a fast charger. |
| Camera | 200MP main camera plus 3x and 5x zoom cameras; very versatile, though not the very best Android camera. | Three 48MP cameras including a 4x zoom, and a new main camera that can change its aperture for better control. |
| Speed | Extremely fast, though it slows down a bit during long heavy games. | One of the fastest phones you can buy, and it stays fast during long gaming sessions. |
| Catch | Expensive, small upgrade over the S25 Ultra, and the US price went up another $100 (about ₹9,500) in October 2026. | It costs $100 (about ₹9,500) more than the iPhone 17 Pro and the camera upgrades are small; a bit heavy for its size. |
| Updates | 7 years | 5 years |
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Apple iPhone 18 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2600 nits peak, Privacy Display, Gorilla Armor 2 anti-reflective | 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits typical, 1600 nits HBM, 3000 nits peak, Ceramic Shield 2 with anti-reflective coating |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (3nm) | Apple A20 Pro (2nm) |
| CPU | 8-core: 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L @ 4.74GHz + 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M @ 3.62GHz | 6-core: 2x performance @ 4.93GHz + 4x efficiency @ 2.64GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Adreno 840 @ 1.3GHz | Apple 7-core GPU (Apple claims up to 40% faster than A19 Pro) |
| AI chip (NPU) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) | Dual 16-core Neural Engine (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 12GB RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.x storage; RAM type not officially stated) | 12GB RAM, 256GB (NVMe storage; RAM type not officially stated) |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 4056 mAh |
| Charging | 60W wired PD 3.0 (75% in 30 min), 25W Qi2.2 wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired USB-C PD 3.2 (50% in about 15 min, wattage not officially stated), 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless, 4.5W reverse wired |
| Cameras | 200MP main (f/1.4, 1/1.3", OIS) + 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4, 1/3.94", OIS) + 50MP 5x periscope (f/2.9, 1/2.52", OIS) + 50MP ultrawide (f/1.9, 1/2.5"); 12MP front | 48MP Fusion main (f/1.5-4.0 variable aperture, sensor-shift OIS) + 48MP 4x periscope telephoto (f/2.8, 3D sensor-shift OIS) + 48MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 120 degrees) + LiDAR; 18MP front |
| Water and dust | IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 |
| Size and weight | 7.9mm thick, 214g | 8.8mm thick, 211g |
| Software | One UI 8.5 (Android 16) at launch, One UI 9 (Android 17) now | iOS 27 at launch, iOS 27.0.1 now |
| Updates | 7 years promised | 5 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 tri-band, Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort 1.2 and DeX, UWB | Wi-Fi 7 (Apple N1 chip), Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort, UWB, satellite SOS and messaging |
| Modem | Snapdragon 5G modem integrated in the chipset (exact model not officially stated) | Apple C2 5G modem (per launch coverage) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers (rated Very good by GSMArena, -25.9 LUFS); S Pen included | Stereo speakers (rated Good by GSMArena, -26.5 LUFS); haptics not officially detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | No high-frequency PWM dimming (GSMArena); touch sampling not officially stated | Not officially stated |
| Cooling | Cooling hardware not officially detailed; GSMArena found significant CPU throttling under sustained load | Redesigned vapor chamber with three times the surface area; Apple claims up to 40% better sustained performance |
| Colours | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold | Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy |
Where to buy
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra₹1,54,999
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro₹1,64,900
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Common questions
- Which is better, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Apple iPhone 18 Pro?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 3 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want longer battery life, the longest software support and to spend less.
- Which has the better camera?
- They are about even on camera.
- Which has the better battery life?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra lasts longer on a charge.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- They are about even on speed.
- How much do they cost?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra costs ₹1,54,999, Apple iPhone 18 Pro costs ₹1,64,900.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: 7 years, now on One UI 9 (Android 17). Apple iPhone 18 Pro: 5 years, now on iOS 27.0.1.