Should you upgrade from iPhone to Galaxy S26?
There are new Galaxies in town, and as every other year, we are wondering whether you should upgrade from your iPhone or not.
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Probably two of the best phones you can get in early 2026. | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung has just unveiled the Galaxy S26 series, and just as we had expected, these only come with a minimal amount of upgrades over the preceding Galaxy S25 range. From the exterior design to the internal hardware, Samsung hasn't made any bold moves, so everything is familiar and predictable.
Still, the big question remains whether it's worth upgrading to the new Galaxy S26 range. Now, this question is very easy to answer if you're already in the Android ecosystem and already using an older Android device. Samsung's One UI interface can be considered the crown jewel of the Android scene, so upgrading to a Galaxy is an easy recommendation.
However, what happens when we change the stakes and consider upgrading from another major and well-established ecosystem –– Apple's very imposing one? Is it recommended to upgrade from an iPhone to any of the new Galaxy S26 phones that just broke cover?
Well, depending on what iPhone you're coming from, there might be a few solid reasons to consider the latest Galaxies.
iPhone 15 series
Launched in 2023, the iPhone 15 series was a pivotal release for Apple. It finally introduced USB-C to the iPhone after more than a decade of Lightning cable use and shook up the design language with a new Dynamic Island instead of the old notch. Finally, it gave us a high-resolution 48 MP camera on the Pro models, which has become a staple of the whole range these days. We also got a titanium design on the Pro models, which was promptly reiterated by Samsung with the very next Galaxy S Ultra release in early 2024.
If you're still sporting one of the older but absolutely great iPhones, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, then the new Galaxy S26 Ultra might sound intriguing for a number of reasons. That is, of course, if you aren't bothered with losing access to the beloved Blue Bubble and are looking to try new grounds.
In comparison with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a larger and brighter screen that's less prone to showing you reflections or glare. It's also a bit sharper and has Gorilla Glass Armor 2, which should deliver better scratch resistance and shatter protection.
In comparison with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a larger and brighter screen that's less prone to showing you reflections or glare. It's also a bit sharper and has Gorilla Glass Armor 2, which should deliver better scratch resistance and shatter protection.
Equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 globally, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will most certainly prove to be a faster chipset than the Apple A17 Pro that clicked and ticked inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Yes, both are 3 nm chips, but the Qualcomm silicon is pretty formidable this year, which bodes well for both the efficiency and the overall performance.
Oh, and let's not forget one of the bigger differentiators: the embedded S Pen, which is a major selling point of the Galaxy S Ultra range.
The camera package is traditionally a bit more versatile on the Galaxy S Ultra flagships, the S26 Ultra included. For one, it comes with two telephoto cameras, which offer a better zoom range and a pretty imposing 200 MP main camera, which makes it an altogether more capable cameraphone than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. That one was excellent in its heyday, but it has been beaten by newer and more impressive phones.
And if you're into AI, I'd argue Android phones and Samsung devices in particular offer much more capable AI chops. Not only does the phone come with Galaxy AI everywhere around the globe, but the phones also come with the full scope of the most popular Gemini features, like the assistant itself and Circle to Search.
iPhone 16 series
What if you got the iPhone 16 Pro Max or the iPhone 16 Pro? Are the Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Galaxy S26 Plus legit upgrade targets?
I'd argue that yes, they are, but only if certain conditions are met.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are still mighty viable, and they aren't actually that different from the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Both the iPhone and the Samsung come with large 6.9-inch OLED panels and deliver similar performance. The Galaxy still has the upper hand of having a better and more versatile selection of AI features that aren't regional-locked. The S Pen continues to be a net benefit for those who'd pick the Galaxy flagship, and the iPhone has no answer to that one.
If you've grown tired of your iPhone 16 Pro Max and can't wait to get your hands on a new high-end Android, I can't really imagine going for anything besides the Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Pixel 10 Pro XL. But to me, the Galaxy definitely has the upper hand as the more complete and more versatile package.
What if you have an iPhone 16?
It was the last iPhone to lack a 120 Hz ProMotion screen but was otherwise one of the better-value iPhones to get in late 2024, and the new Galaxy S26 slots perfectly into being its natural rival and Android alternative (just like the Pixel 10/Pixel 10 Pro). The iPhone 16 is still excellent value to this day, though an upgrade to the latest iPhone 17 would make a bit more sense as it's one of the most complete iPhones you can get right now.
In this case, I wouldn't say you'd gain much from upgrading to the Galaxy S26, which is mostly a carbon copy of all previous small Galaxies.
Conclusion
Upgrading from iPhone to Samsung or vice versa has never made sense to me. Switching is easy for me being a digital nomad, but if I'm stuck with one of the two ecosystems, I definitely wouldn't be considering the other one's flagships seriously.
If you already have a MacBook, a pair of AirPods, and an iPad, it would make no sense to grab the Galaxy S26 Plus. It simply wouldn't jibe well with the rest of your gadgets, and you'd be creating a whole set of problems for yourself.
The same applies for users that are deep in the Galaxy or Android ecosystems. Sure, using an Android tablet and an iPhone with a pair of Galaxy Buds is totally possible, but wouldn't be very intuitive now, would it?
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