iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra: All the differences
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The iPhone 18 Pro Max or the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which one to pick? | Image by PhoneArena
Apple's brand-spanking-new CEO, John Ternus, debuted during the company's September 9 event and announced Cupertino's first foldable iPhone and the iPhone 18 Pro Max candy bar at the event. The latter is the best conventional iPhone released in 2026, with the best battery life, best performance, and most certainly, the most intriguing camera upgrades.
Apple has given us a main camera with variable aperture, the largest battery ever on an iPhone, and the most efficient Apple A20 Pro chip. While it might not be a perfect upgrade option for iPhone 17 Pro Max users as it still feels like an "s"-year upgrade, those using much older iPhones will certainly get much better value when they upgrade. A stretch in this economy, but if you're using an iPhone 14 Pro Max or older, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better option for your $1,299.
One of those from the Android side is Samsung's current flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra. With a built-in stylus, a quad-camera, and a cool privacy screen feature, it's definitely a phone that could sway many iPhone users over from the Apple side. It also has a completely different and way more customizable Android interface, as well as all the goodies of the Android side.
The perfect juxtaposition between equal forces of tech which are the perfect rivals.
iPhone 18 Pro On Us with T-Mobile:
iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra differences:
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Aluminum design language with an expansive camera plateau in the back | Aluminum frame and glass back with a compact quad-camera setup |
| Narrower second-gen Dynamic Island at the front | A small camera punch-hole |
| 2 nm Apple A20 Pro chip | 3 nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| 12 GB of RAM on board | 12GB of memory in the starting model, Galaxy AI support |
| Starting at 256 GB and up to 2 TB of storage | Starts at 256 GB and maxes out at 1 TB |
| Variable aperture (f/1.48-f/4.0) on the 48MP main camera | A 200 MP main camera with fixed F1.4 aperture |
| Periscope with 4X optical zoom | 5X periscope camera and shorter 3X telephoto |
| Larger 5,567 mAh battery for the eSIM model (5,391 mAh one in the international one) | A 5,000 mAh battery (reminder that it's been six years already, Samsung) |
| 60W wired charging, 25W MagSafe 2/Qi2 wireless charging | 60W wired charging, 15W wireless charging |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Two very different beasts, but not that much
Save for the color options, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is pretty much similar to the iPhone 17 Pro Max in terms of looks, with an aluminum build and the oversized camera plateau in the back.
The dimensions are also identical with 8.75 mm thickness, though the weight of the iPhone 18 Pro Max has skyrocketed to 249 grams, which is certainly a change nobody had hoped for. Phones are supposed to become lighter, not heavier.
With a customizable Action button and Camera Controls keys, the iPhone is a very different phone from Apple devices just a few years back.
|
|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm (~13.49 mm with camera bump) | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (~12.33 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 249.0 g | 214.0 g |
See the full
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
The Galaxy S26 Ultra relies on the same all-flat design language that appeared on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, titanium was switched for aluminum, and the S Pen stylus now features a slightly different design. The camera island is now slightly more pronounced, but overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a safe choice in terms of design.
It is dramatically lighter than the iPhone 18 Pro Max at around 214 grams while being thinner, too. Let's hope Samsung doesn't take this the wrong way: heavier tech definitely feels arbitrarily more premium, but in this case, I'd take lighter any day of the week.
In terms of colors, the Samsung device is available in Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, and Pink Gold colors. The iPhone 18 Pro Max, on the other hand, launches in Black, Glacier, Silver, Burgundy.
Display Differences
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is equipped with the same 6.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the peak brightness once again hits 3,000 nits. No privacy display tech or anything, just the standard anti-glare coating. So, generally, not a very different display from the ones on previous iPhone Pro Max models.
One major change with the screen is the smaller Dynamic Island notch. The size has been reduced by roughly 35% thanks to putting some Face ID components underneath the screen. Thanks to this, you can now fit up to three Live Activities on the Dynamic Island side by side.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with a slightly lower peak brightness of 2600 nits. The highlight feature here is the Privacy Display feature, which protects sensitive data on the display from prying eyes.
There is a layer of narrower pixels in the display assembly that have a much narrower field of view, making an area or the whole screen appear dark when viewing it from the side.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.9-inch | 6.9-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, Variable 1-120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
See the full
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
While the iPhone will rely on Face ID for biometrics, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. It's a toss-up which one's the better choice for convenience, but for security reasons, nothing beats a PIN code.
Performance and Software
Thouroughbreds
The iPhone 18 Pro Max arrives with the A20 Pro chip, which is built on a 2 nm manufacturing node. This means significantly improved performance that will translate to better real-life battery life, but more on that later.
Preliminary Geekbench 6 benchmarks reveal a single-core result of 4727 points and a multi-core one of 12404 points, which is a pretty decent performance!
The Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, built on a 3 nm process. It's one of the better-performing chips around, but the Apple one will likely have the upper hand in the fall.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is available in 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, and also has a 2 TB version. The Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with 256, 512, or 1TB of storage on board.
In terms of memory, both are equal, with 12 GB of RAM on either device. We've definitely seen devices with more, but right now, 12 GB of RAM appears to be the perfect amount you can expect to get on a modern phone when you factor in the pricing as well.
GPU Performance
The iPhone 18 Pro Max launches with iOS 27, which comes with upgrades to Siri and the overall performance of the operating system. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Ultra currently runs Android 16 with One UI 8.5, but the Android 17-powered One UI 9 is already available as a beta. The software will likely launch officially very soon.
Camera
Triple 48 MP versus a quad-camera setup
The iPhone 18 Pro Max flaunts the same camera setup as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, so a triple 48 MP selection in the back with a long 4X periscope camera.
The big upgrade here would be the main camera, which now employs the Sony IMX905 sensor with a six-blade aperture that can intelligently switch between f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.8, or f/4.0 apertures.
This will allow the camera to switch to a wider aperture in lower-light conditions or when you need a shallow depth of field (most often when taking portraits). In other scenarios with better lighting, the lens will close down so that you get better sharpness and detail. The iPhone 18 Pro series also score manual controls in the camera app that will give you more creative control over the camera performance.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP (PDAF, ToF 3D depth sensing, Sensor-shift OIS) Sensor name: Sony IMX905 Aperture size: F1.5/F4.0 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.28" Pixel size: 1.22 μm |
200 MP (OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung ISOCELL HP2 Aperture size: F1.4 Focal length: 23 mm Sensor size: 1/1.3" Pixel size: 0.6 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 48 MP (Ultra-wide, Sensor-shift OIS) Sensor name: Sony IMX972 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm | 50 MP (Ultra-wide, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung ISOCELL JN3 Aperture size: F1.9 Sensor size: 1/2.5" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 48 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX973 Optical zoom: 4.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 100 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX754 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Sensor size: 1/3.94" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
| Fourth camera | |
| 50 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX854 Optical zoom: 5.0x Aperture size: F2.9 Focal Length: 115 mm Sensor size: 1/2.52" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
|
| Front | |
| 18 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR) | 12 MP (PDAF, HDR) |
See the full
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
The Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a familiar setup: a 200 MP main camera with a 50 MP ultrawide, a 10 MP telephoto, and a 50 MP periscope. The brunt of improvements is thanks to software upgrades.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will launch with the 18 MP Center Stage camera, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra relies on a 12 MP one.
Battery Life and Charging
Apple will likely have the upper hand
And the iPhone has done it again: after lagging behind the Galaxy S Ultra for years in terms of battery capacity (but not in battery life), it's finally the iPhone Pro Max lineup's time to shine.
With the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple's largest iPhone is beating the Galaxy S26 Ultra in terms of raw battery capacity as it will arrive with a 5,567 mAh battery in the US, eSIM-only model. Even the international model with a physical nano-SIM card will feature a larger 5,391 mAh battery.
At the same time, the Android champ features a 5,000 mAh battery for a sixth year in a row. It's high time for a change, and Samsung fans should demand more of their favorite Android manufacturer.
With these in mind, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will most certainly beat the Galaxy S26 Ultra in terms of battery endurance. You simply can't beat a larger battery and a more efficient chip, as well as iOS' well-known optimization that further improves the efficiency.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 5567 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 60.0W Wireless: 25.0W |
Wired: 60.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
See the full
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Apple has upgraded the charging as well, so the iPhone 18 Pro Max now charges at 60 W, allowing it to score 50% charge in just 15 minutes. Wireless charging is also better on the iPhone - 25 W versus 15 W on the Galaxy.
Specs Comparison
Here's how the iPhone 18 Pro Max will compare against the Galaxy S26 Ultra specs.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm (~13.49 mm with camera bump) | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (~12.33 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 249.0 g | 214.0 g |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.9-inch | 6.9-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, Variable 1-120Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A20 Pro (2 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy SM8850-1-AD (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1TB 12GB/2TB |
12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/512GB 16GB/1024GB |
| OS | |
| iOS (27.x) | Android (16), up to 7 OS updates |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 5567 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 60.0W Wireless: 25.0W |
Wired: 60.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP (PDAF, ToF 3D depth sensing, Sensor-shift OIS) Sensor name: Sony IMX905 Aperture size: F1.5/F4.0 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.28" Pixel size: 1.22 μm |
200 MP (OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung ISOCELL HP2 Aperture size: F1.4 Focal length: 23 mm Sensor size: 1/1.3" Pixel size: 0.6 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 48 MP (Ultra-wide, Sensor-shift OIS) Sensor name: Sony IMX972 Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm | 50 MP (Ultra-wide, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung ISOCELL JN3 Aperture size: F1.9 Sensor size: 1/2.5" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 48 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX973 Optical zoom: 4.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 100 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX754 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Sensor size: 1/3.94" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
| Fourth camera | |
| 50 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX854 Optical zoom: 5.0x Aperture size: F2.9 Focal Length: 115 mm Sensor size: 1/2.52" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
|
| Front | |
| 18 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR) | 12 MP (PDAF, HDR) |
See the full
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
With the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple isn't changing the winning team; it's merely improving it. However, these improvements are already beating the Galaxy S26 Ultra in terms of raw hardware, and Samsung is definitely feeling the heat.
Better performance, promising camera upgrades, and all the benefits of living in the iOS ecosystem are a challenging foe to go against.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the better Android phones, with exceptional hardware, software, and the unmatched flexibility added by the S Pen stylus. Sadly, instead of sensible upgrades, Samsung gave us a mostly gimmicky Privacy Display feature, which has its uses, but also introduces some drawbacks.
Samsung has been resting on old laurels for a while, which has allowed Apple to surpass it in many areas, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max widens the gap.
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