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Comparisons

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: the big-phone final

iPhone for battery and video, S26 Ultra for zoom, the S Pen and outdoor screen visibility. Where each pulls ahead After the aluminium redesign, the iPhone 17 Pro Max now has the better battery life of the two, plus the video toolset. The S26 Ultra answers with a longer zoom, a brighter anti-reflective screen, an S Pen in the body and faster charging. The verdict is your ecosystem They are within a hair of each other on everything that is not platform lock-in. So the honest advice is: which of these two ecosystems do you already own things in? The verdict: Two maxed-out phones separated mostly by the logo. Battery and video lean iPhone; zoom, screen and stylus lean Samsung. Sources GSMArena specifications

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Reviews

Apple Watch Ultra 3 review: the small changes that add up

Satellite messaging, a wider display and better battery, the most useful Ultra yet for anyone who goes off-grid. Our score: 9 / 10 At a glance Spec Detail Display Wider LTPO3 OLED, faster refresh always-on Connectivity 5G, satellite messaging Battery Comfortably two days, ~42h normal use Durability Titanium, 100 m water resistance, EN13319 dive spec The off-grid additions matter The Ultra 3 is not a redesign, but the additions are meaningful for its target buyer: satellite messaging for when there is no cell signal, a wider always-on display, 5G, and a battery that comfortably clears two days. Who should actually upgrade If you hike, dive or run long distances, the satellite and battery improvements are real. If you bought an Ultra mainly to wear a big, rugged watch around the city, the Ultra 2 does the same job for less. The good and the bad What works Satellite messaging for genuine emergencies Wider display Two-day battery Still the toughest Apple Watch What doesn’t Iterative if you own an Ultra 2 Big on smaller wrists Expensive Who it’s for Buy it if you spend real time outdoors beyond cell coverage. Skip it if you own an Ultra 2, or you mostly wear it in the city. Alternatives worth a look Apple Watch Series 11, smaller, cheaper, most of the health features. Garmin Fenix 8, for multi-week battery and deeper sport tracking. The verdict: The best Ultra yet, and a genuine upgrade for outdoors people, less so for everyone else. Sources Apple Newsroom

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Buying guides

AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) in 2026: still the default for iPhone owners

Years in, nothing else comes close on integration, and the ANC still holds up against much newer buds. The ecosystem lock is the point The AirPods Pro 2 remain the obvious pick for anyone in Apple’s world. Adaptive Audio, the clinical-grade hearing-aid features, instant switching between iPhone, iPad, Mac and Watch, hands-free Siri, none of it works this smoothly with anything else. They have also just aged well The ANC is still competitive with buds launched much later, the H2 chip keeps getting features via firmware, and the USB-C case tidied up the last annoyance. Who it’s for Buy it if you own an iPhone and want earbuds that vanish into the ecosystem. Skip it if you are on Android, where you have better-value options. Alternatives worth a look Nothing Ear (2024), far cheaper, LDAC, strong ANC, better for Android. Sony WF-1000XM5, the cross-platform ANC bud to beat. The verdict: If you have an iPhone, you probably stop looking here. That is not laziness, it is the right call.

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Buying guides

AirPods Max (USB-C) in 2026: the same headphones, one better port

Still the most beautifully built pair in the category, still heavy, still late to lossless. What changed and what did not The USB-C update swapped the Lightning port and added new colours. The drivers, the ANC and the aluminium-and-mesh build are unchanged, which is fine, because they were always excellent. The honest caveats It is around 385 grams, the case is famously pointless, and lossless wired audio arrived later via firmware rather than at launch. For Apple households that want the best-built headphones and seamless switching, none of that is a dealbreaker. Who it’s for Buy it if you are in Apple’s ecosystem and you want the premium build and integration. Skip it if you travel light or want the best value, where the Sony XM6 is lighter, folds, and costs less. Alternatives worth a look Sony WH-1000XM6, lighter, folds, better app, cheaper. The verdict: A luxury object with real trade-offs. Worth it inside the Apple ecosystem, questionable outside it.

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Buying guides

MacBook Air 15 (M3) vs MacBook Pro 14 (M4 Pro): which one should you actually buy?

For most people the answer is the Air, and it is not close. The 15-inch M3 Air is fanless, 1.5kg, lasts 15 hours on a charge, and now drives two external displays with the lid shut. For web, office, code and photo work it never feels slow, and it costs $700 less than the Pro. The 14-inch M4 Pro earns its premium only if you need one of three things: sustained multi-core performance that does not throttle, the 120Hz mini-LED XDR display for HDR grading or just for the smoothness, or the port selection (HDMI, SD, three Thunderbolt 5). Video editors, developers compiling large projects and anyone plugging into a studio setup should get the Pro. Everyone else is paying for headroom they will not use.

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Reviews

iPhone 16 Pro Max review: the Camera Control button, one month in

The headline feature of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a physical button, which tells you how incremental this generation is. The Camera Control sits where your index finger lands in landscape, opens the camera from anywhere, and takes a half-press to lock focus and exposure. After a month it is genuinely useful for launching the camera fast, and genuinely fiddly for the slide-to-zoom gesture Apple keeps demoing. Everything else is a steady step forward. The 5x tetraprism telephoto from last year's 15 Pro Max is now paired with a 48MP ultrawide, so the whole system finally feels consistent. The A18 Pro runs cool under sustained 4K120 capture, battery comfortably clears a heavy day, and the 6.9-inch panel hits 2000 nits outdoors. If you have a 15 Pro Max there is no reason to upgrade. From a 13 Pro or older, this is the most complete iPhone Apple has shipped.

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Comparisons

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: which flagship camera actually wins?

Two 200MP-and-5x versus 48MP-and-5x systems, two very different philosophies. Samsung's S24 Ultra leans on resolution and reach: the 200MP main bins to bright, detailed 12MP shots, and the dedicated 5x periscope plus a 3x lens covers portrait ranges cleanly. Apple's 16 Pro Max shoots flatter, more color-accurate files and pulls ahead on video, where Dolby Vision, ProRes and log recording are still a category of their own. In daylight it is a wash and comes down to whether you like Samsung's contrastier processing or Apple's neutral look. At night the iPhone holds highlights better; the S24 Ultra brightens shadows more aggressively. For zoom past 10x, Samsung wins outright. For anyone who records more than they photograph, the iPhone is still the safer pick.

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Buying guides

The best phone you can buy in 2026

Three phones, three clear use cases. Buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max if you record video, want the longest software support paired with the widest app and accessory ecosystem, or simply already own AirPods and a Mac. It is the most predictable, most resold, least surprising choice, and that is a feature. Buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you want the most versatile camera hardware, the biggest bright display, an S Pen, and Samsung's seven-year update commitment on Android. Buy the Pixel 9 Pro if you want the cleanest Android, the best point-and-shoot photography, and the most useful on-device AI features shipping today, in a body that is finally comfortable to hold. You cannot go wrong; you can only pick the ecosystem you want to live in.

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