Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is the cheaper of the two at $429 versus $1,300, a difference of about $871. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) stands out for most affordable iphone with 5g, 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 SE (3rd generation) if…
- →Most affordable iPhone with 5G
- →Powerful A15 Bionic chip
- →Compact and lightweight design
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 SE (3rd generation)
Pros
- Most affordable iPhone with 5G
- Powerful A15 Bionic chip
- Compact and lightweight design
- Touch ID home button
- Long iOS software support
Cons
- Dated design with thick bezels
- Single rear camera
- Small 4.7-inch LCD display
- Lightning port instead of USB-C
- Modest battery life
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 SE (3rd generation) | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 15 | Android 16, One UI 8 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 144 g | 214 g |
| Material | Aluminum frame | Titanium frame, Gorilla Armor 2 |
| IP rating | IP67 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm | 162 x 77 x 8.2 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP | 200 MP, f/1.7, OIS |
| Front camera | 7 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps | 8K@30fps, 4K@120fps |
| Telephoto | — | 50 MP, f/2.6, 5x optical zoom, 10x optical-quality zoom |
| Ultrawide | — | 50 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage options | 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 2018 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 20W wired | 45W wired |
| Wireless charging | 7.5W Qi | 15W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 4.7 inches | 6.9 inches |
| Type | Retina IPS LCD | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1334 x 750 | 1440 x 3120 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 625 | 2600 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Hexa-core | Octa-core |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core) | Adreno |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 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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