Comparison

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The short verdict

The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers a superior IP68 water resistance rating of up to 6 meters and provides exclusive satellite communication features, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra distinguishes itself with an integrated S Pen, higher resolution QHD+ display, and a more versatile quad-camera system with 8K video recording. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra also supports faster 60W wired charging and includes unique software tools like Samsung DeX and Galaxy AI. Those invested in the Apple ecosystem or who prioritize extreme water protection should choose the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Users seeking advanced multitasking features, stylus integration, and high-resolution photography will find the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra the more capable option.

AI summary, written from the specifications on this page.

Specifications

30 of 35 rows differ

iPhone 17 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Network

Technology: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G; GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G

Body

Build: Ceramic Shield 2 front, aluminium frame, aluminium/glass back; Armor aluminium frame, Gorilla Armor 2 front, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back
SIM: Nano-SIM + eSIM, or dual eSIM (region dependent); Nano-SIM + eSIM, or Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (dual, region dependent)
Dimensions: 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.8 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in); 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in)
Weight: 233 g (8.22 oz); 214 g (7.55 oz)
Rating: IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min); IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)
Stylus: Not listed; S Pen

Display

Type: LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion, always-on, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1600 nits HBM / 3000 nits peak; Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits peak, anti-reflective
Size: 6.9 inches (~460 ppi density); 6.9 inches (~500 ppi density)
Resolution: 1320 x 2868 pixels; 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (QHD+)
Protection: Ceramic Shield 2, anti-reflective coating; Corning Gorilla Armor 2
Extras: Not listed; Privacy Display (Flex Magic Pixel, restricts side-angle visibility, app-selectable) — S26 Ultra exclusive

Platform

OS: iOS 26; Android 16, One UI 8.5
Chipset: Apple A19 Pro (3 nm); Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
GPU: Apple GPU (6-core); Adreno 840

Memory

Card slot: No; No
Internal: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB, 12GB RAM; 256GB / 512GB / 1TB, 12GB / 16GB (1TB) RAM (UFS 4.X)

Main Camera

Triple: 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm wide, sensor-shift OIS48 MP, f/2.8, 100mm periscope telephoto, 4x optical, 3D sensor-shift OIS48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm ultrawide; Not listed
Features: LiDAR scanner, dual-LED flash, HDR, ProRes RAW (up to 120fps); LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Video: 4K@24-120fps, Dolby Vision; 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, HDR10+
Quad: Not listed; 200 MP, f/1.4, wide, PDAF, OIS50 MP, f/2.9, 5x periscope telephoto, PDAF, OIS10 MP, f/2.4, 3x telephoto, PDAF, OIS50 MP, f/1.9, ultrawide

Selfie camera

Single: 18 MP, f/1.9, multi-aspect, PDAF; 12 MP, f/2.2, dual-pixel PDAF
Video: 4K@24-60fps; 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps

Sound

Loudspeaker: Yes, stereo speakers; Yes, stereo speakers, tuned by AKG
3.5mm jack: No; No

Comms

WLAN: Wi-Fi 7 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band; Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth: 6.0, A2DP, LE; 6.0, A2DP, LE
Positioning: GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC; GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo, QZSS
NFC: Yes; Yes
USB: USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort; USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort, OTG

Features

Sensors: Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, Ultra Wideband (gen 2); Ultrasonic fingerprint (under display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, UWB
Extras: Emergency SOS/Messages/Find My via satellite; Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI

Battery

Type: Li-Ion 4823 mAh, or 5088 mAh (eSIM-only models); Li-Ion 5000 mAh (non-removable)
Charging: Wired 50% in 20 min, 25W MagSafe wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless; 60W wired (75% in 30 min), 25W wireless (Qi2.2), 4.5W reverse wireless

Misc

Colors: Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue; Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold

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