The Galaxy S26 Ultra, unveiled on Wednesday throughout Samsung’s Unpacked occasion, is Samsung’s newest premium gadget. It debuts with a bunch of quality-of-life upgrades. The new Samsung flagship telephone nonetheless has rather a lot in widespread with its predecessor, however does it rise up towards Apple’s highest-end iPhone 17 Pro Max? The Galaxy S26 Ultra is priced at $1,300, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro Max begins at $1,199. No matter which gadget you go for, you will be getting a number of the finest telephones available on the market. However, there are some main variations that you must take into account earlier than making a call. Here’s how the perfect of Samsung and Apple evaluate towards one another. Display and construct When the Privacy Display function is turned on, Galaxy S26 Ultra’s display screen turns nearly black from aspect angles. Prakhar Khanna/CNETThe Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 6.9-inch AMOLED show with a 120Hz dynamic refresh charge and a 3,120×1,440-pixel decision. Like final yr’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, it has a Corning Gorilla Armor 2 layer on prime that reduces reflection and glare. It retains my favourite features of the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s display screen and tops it with an all-new Privacy Display function that protects your on-screen content material from strangers in public areas. Samsung developed Privacy Display on the pixel stage. It positioned wider-angle pixels (emitting gentle in all instructions) and slender pixels (emitting gentle straight towards you) subsequent to one another. When you activate this function, the slender pixels radiate gentle at 90 levels, which limits the viewing angles. As a consequence, if somebody sees your telephone from the aspect, they will not be capable to learn your on-screen content material. Samsung lets you choose particular apps and the time of day (by way of Routines) to routinely set off Privacy Display. It has two modes: Partial Screen Privacy and Maximum Privacy Protection, the place the latter additionally decreases the brightness for a more practical consequence. Watch this: First Look on the Galaxy S26 Ultra: Camera, Battery and AI Updates
02:56 Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max lacks this function, although there are many display screen protector equipment that cut back a show’s visibility. The Cupertino, California-based firm launched a much less reflective display screen on its newest iPhones with Ceramic Shield 2, but it surely does not evaluate to Samsung’s implementation. You get a 6.9-inch OLED display screen with a 2,868×1,320-pixel decision and a dynamic 120Hz variable refresh charge. Both Samsung and Apple telephones are legible in harsh lighting, however the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s decrease reflectivity ought to enhance legibility. Both of them are massive telephones to carry. The Galaxy S26 Ultra appears to be like much like its predecessor, however is now simpler to carry, due to its new design. At 7.9mm and 214 grams, it’s slimmer and lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro Max (8.5mm and 233 grams). When in contrast, the iPhone feels denser to carry. Both telephones are IP68 rated for mud and water resistance. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is available in Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue colours, with Pink Gold and Silver Shadow accessible on-line. On the opposite hand, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is out there in a extra vibrant Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver shade choices. Extras embrace an S Pen with the Samsung telephone, whereas Apple provides Camera Control and Action buttons for one-press actions. Processor, storage and battery life Samsung up to date Bixby whereas we watch for the Siri revamp. Prakhar Khanna/CNETSamsung’s new telephone makes use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, which is paired with as much as 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Samsung has additionally redesigned the vapor cooling chamber round its chipset to enhance sustained workload efficiency, a function we most frequently hear about in gaming-focused telephones designed for intensive use over prolonged durations. For now, I obtained to demo some new AI options that allow me inform the telephone to vary settings or ebook providers, which probably profit from the chip improve. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has Apple’s newest A19 Pro chip, which can be quicker than the A18 Pro chip included in final yr’s 16 Pro Max. It homes new neural accelerators designed to assist it deal with AI duties with higher effectivity. This iPhone additionally is available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage fashions. While we watch for Apple’s smarter Siri to reach this yr, Samsung has up to date its Bixby assistant to supply conversational and contextual info. For occasion, you may ask it, “My screen is causing eye strain. What can I do to reduce it?” and it will floor Samsung’s Eye Comfort Shield setting to cut back the blue gentle in your display screen. Samsung’s Bixby assistant will perform alongside Google’s Gemini, with Samsung demoing Gemini’s upcoming skill to ebook an Uber trip (AI will not pay routinely). The Samsung Keyboard will even floor contextual actions primarily based on what you are doing, amongst different options that depend on both Bixby or Gemini. The S25 Ultra has a 5,000-mAh battery that expenses at 60 watts. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088-mAh battery and, whereas Apple does not publish its exact charging velocity, it does recharge from 0% to 69% when utilizing a 40-watt charging adapter. The iPhone 17 Pro Max additionally topped the charts in our latest battery take a look at, which in contrast 35 telephones we examined in 2025. The cameras The greater aperture in the principle lens and 5x tele digicam ought to assist the Galaxy S26 Ultra seize higher nightitme photographs and movies. Prakhar Khanna/CNETThe Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has a four-camera setup, which is similar to its predecessor. You get a 200-megapixel f/1.4 (up from f/1.7) major digicam, a 50-megapixel f/2.9 (up from f/3.4) 5x telephoto sensor, one other 10-megapixel 3x f/2.4 telephoto sensor and a 50-megapixel f/1.9 ultrawide-angle lens. On the entrance is a 12-megapixel selfie shooter with a wider 85-degree subject of view. Samsung says the larger aperture on two cameras has allowed it to enhance nighttime photographs and movies, however we’ll want to check it additional to type an opinion. As for the Apple gadget, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a trio of 48-megapixel cameras, together with a typical lens, an ultrawide-angle sensor and a 4x telephoto digicam that is able to capturing stabilized movies at 8x zoom. The largest improve lies on the entrance, adjoining to the Dynamic Island. Apple added a sq. entrance digicam to its newest iPhones, and it has been a recreation changer, no less than for me. Samsung says its “AI ISP” improves the selfie digicam on its Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it surely’ll be arduous to match iPhone 17 Pro Max’s high quality, which might routinely change body (between vertical and horizontal) without having you to vary the orientation of your telephone. Check out the chart under to check extra particulars between the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max: Specs Display dimension, tech, decision, refresh rate6.9-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive, Privacy Display 6.9-inch OLED; 2,868 x 1,320 pixel decision; 1-120Hz variable refresh charge Dimensions6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 inches 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 in Dimensions (millimeters)163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm Weight (grams, ounces)214 g (7.55 oz.) 233 g (8.22 oz) Mobile software programOne UI 8.5, primarily based on Android 16 iOS 26 Camera200-megapixel (extensive), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto) 48-megapixel (extensive) 48-megapixel (ultrawide) 48-megapixel (4x telephoto) Front-facing digicam12-megapixel 18-megapixel Video capture8K 4K as much as 120fps; spatial video at 1080p at 30fps ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy Apple A19 Pro RAM + storage12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 16GB RAM + 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB Battery5,000 mAh; 60W wired charging (charger not included), quick wi-fi charging 5,088mAh; 40W wired charging (charger not included), MagSafe wi-fi charging Fingerprint sensorUnder show None (Face ID) ConnectorUSB-C USB-C Headphone jackNone No Special features7 years of OS and safety updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dirt resistance; wi-fi PowerShare to cost different units; built-in S Pen; UWB for locating different units; Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Armor 2 cowl glass Apple N1 wi-fi networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. ProRes Raw video recording. Genlock video help. 1 to 3000 nits brightness show vary. IP68 resistance. Colors: silver, cosmic orange, deep blue. US worth begins at$1,300 (256GB) $1,199 (256GB)
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