With iPhone 17 and Galaxy S26, Apple and Samsung are diverging hardware strategies
The iPhone and the Galaxy phones will no longer be two sides of the same coin.
Apple and Samsung smartphones have often been called identical in many ways, and to an extent that is very true: modern flagship phones don’t differ much in power and cameras. However, two separate reports have come in from reputable sources about the Galaxy S26, and it seems that it will differ in one key aspect compared to the iPhone 17.
From what I can tell, Samsung is applying its design philosophy for the Galaxy S25 Edge to its top tier model, while Apple is opting for more battery space instead.
If current rumors (not confirmed reports) are anything to go by, then the iPhone 17 Pro Max will come with a 5,000 mAh battery. However, so will the S26 Ultra, with some predicting that Samsung may finally use denser battery technology to achieve the same capacity in less space.
According to the reports, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be 8.76 mm thick, and the S26 Ultra will be less than 8 mm but over 7 mm. The current iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25 mm thick, which means that Apple is no longer trying to slim down its flagship model each year. If an Apple user wants a slimmer experience, they’ll have to go for the iPhone 17 Air, which will only have a battery capacity of 2,800 mAh.
Apple is doing what I’ve been wanting phone companies to do for a long time: increasing battery capacity instead of slimming down an already very slim phone. And if Samsung really is continuing to slim down its phones, then the following few years will introduce a major difference between the iPhone and Galaxy phones.
Chinese phones are hitting the limit of silicon batteries, with some phones even reaching 8,000 mAh capacities: like the Honor Power. While 5,000 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro Max isn’t much, it’s still more than its predecessor. I’m glad that at least one of these two top dogs is moving in what I think is the right direction.
The reports, courtesy of two reliable sources, pertain to both companies’ upcoming flagship products: the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. While previous reports have alleged that the next Pro Max will increase in thickness, these new reports add on to that and reveal that the Ultra will be even slimmer.
From what I can tell, Samsung is applying its design philosophy for the Galaxy S25 Edge to its top tier model, while Apple is opting for more battery space instead.
If current rumors (not confirmed reports) are anything to go by, then the iPhone 17 Pro Max will come with a 5,000 mAh battery. However, so will the S26 Ultra, with some predicting that Samsung may finally use denser battery technology to achieve the same capacity in less space.
The S25 Ultra continued Samsung’s trend of 5,000 mAh batteries. | Video credit — Samsung
According to the reports, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be 8.76 mm thick, and the S26 Ultra will be less than 8 mm but over 7 mm. The current iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25 mm thick, which means that Apple is no longer trying to slim down its flagship model each year. If an Apple user wants a slimmer experience, they’ll have to go for the iPhone 17 Air, which will only have a battery capacity of 2,800 mAh.
Apple is doing what I’ve been wanting phone companies to do for a long time: increasing battery capacity instead of slimming down an already very slim phone. And if Samsung really is continuing to slim down its phones, then the following few years will introduce a major difference between the iPhone and Galaxy phones.
Chinese phones are hitting the limit of silicon batteries, with some phones even reaching 8,000 mAh capacities: like the Honor Power. While 5,000 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro Max isn’t much, it’s still more than its predecessor. I’m glad that at least one of these two top dogs is moving in what I think is the right direction.
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