Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is the cheaper of the two at $1,199 versus $1,300, a difference of about $101. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max stands out for 48mp periscope telephoto with 8x optical zoom, while Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is praised for 200mp main + 50mp 5x periscope telephoto. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max if…
- →48MP periscope telephoto with 8x optical zoom
- →4823 mAh battery for all-day use
- →Up to 2TB storage
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra if…
- →200MP main + 50MP 5x periscope telephoto
- →Privacy Display limits side-angle viewing
- →S Pen built in
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Pros
- 48MP periscope telephoto with 8x optical zoom
- 4823 mAh battery for all-day use
- Up to 2TB storage
- Ceramic Shield 2 front and back
- Spatial Video recording
Cons
- 227g is heavy
- Still 27W wired charging
- $1199 starting price
- Aluminum unibody less premium feel than titanium
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Pros
- 200MP main + 50MP 5x periscope telephoto
- Privacy Display limits side-angle viewing
- S Pen built in
- 0.3mm thinner than S25 Ultra at 214g
- 16GB RAM with up to 1TB
Cons
- $1300 starting price
- Same 45W charging as S25 Ultra
- Marginal upgrade if coming from S25 Ultra
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 19 | Android 16, One UI 8 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 227 g | 214 g |
| Material | Aluminum unibody frame, Ceramic Shield 2 | Titanium frame, Gorilla Armor 2 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 163 x 78 x 8.3 mm | 162 x 77 x 8.2 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 48 MP, f/1.6, OIS | 200 MP, f/1.7, OIS |
| Front camera | 24 MP, f/1.9 | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@120fps ProRes, Spatial Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@120fps |
| Telephoto | 48 MP, f/2.8, 8x optical zoom, periscope | 50 MP, f/2.6, 5x optical zoom, 10x optical-quality zoom |
| Ultrawide | 48 MP, f/2.2 | 50 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 4823 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 27W wired | 45W wired |
| Wireless charging | 25W MagSafe | 15W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.9 inches | 6.9 inches |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1320 x 2868 | 1440 x 3120 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 2000 | 2600 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | 6-core | Octa-core |
| GPU | 6-core GPU | Adreno |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.2 (Thunderbolt) | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.4 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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