Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 2 of 5. Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want the longest software support and to spend less. Buy Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want longer battery life.
The short answer
- CameraIt's a tie
- BatteryApple iPhone 18 Pro Max. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 9 out of 10, against 8. It has a 5391 mAh battery.
- SpeedIt's a tie
- UpdatesSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. 7 years of updates promised.
- PriceSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Costs 14% less.
Overall, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 2 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹1,54,999 | ₹1,79,900 |
| 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 | 8.9/10 |
| Battery | Lasts longer than last year's model and now charges much faster, to 75% in about 30 minutes. | The biggest iPhone battery yet; easily lasts a full day and more for most people. |
| Camera | 200MP main camera plus 3x and 5x zoom cameras; very versatile, though not the very best Android camera. | Three 48MP cameras with a 4x zoom and a variable-aperture main camera; excellent video. |
| Speed | Extremely fast, though it slows down a bit during long heavy games. | Top-tier speed with improved cooling, so it stays smooth in long games. |
| Catch | Expensive, small upgrade over the S25 Ultra, and the US price went up another $100 (about ₹9,500) in October 2026. | Heavy at 249g and expensive; the 1TB and 2TB versions cost a lot more. |
| Updates | 7 years | 5 years |
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2600 nits peak, Privacy Display, Gorilla Armor 2 anti-reflective | 6.9-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 |
| 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 | 5391 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), 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless (50% in 30 min), 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, 24mm, sensor-shift OIS) + 48MP 4x periscope telephoto (f/2.8, 100mm) + 48MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 13mm, 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, 249g |
| 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; 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 claim) |
| 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 Max₹1,79,900
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Common questions
- Which is better, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra wins 2 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want the longest software support and to spend less. Buy Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want longer battery life.
- Which has the better camera?
- They are about even on camera.
- Which has the better battery life?
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max 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 Max costs ₹1,79,900.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: 7 years, now on One UI 9 (Android 17). Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max: 5 years, now on iOS 27.0.1.