Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Price, specs, and features

Samsung has just announced its latest flagship smartphone line for the year, the Samsung Galaxy S26.

Many eyes are going to be on the most powerful device in the lineup, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. In fact, some of those smartphone users looking at the S26 Ultra may even be iPhone owners who are considering defecting to Android.

So, how does the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra stack up to Apple's most powerful current-generation iPhone, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which was released last fall? Let's take a look at how these two phones compare.

Let's start with what will likely be one of the most important considerations when choosing between the two devices: Pricing.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the lowest intro price at $1,199 for the 256GB storage model. For the same amount of storage space, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra comes in at $100 more, with a price of $1,299.99.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Maxed out specs

If price isn't a concern and you're just looking to get the most powerful smartphone possible, this is where you'll have to make a more decisive choice.

If you want the most storage space possible, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is for you. 

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is only available in three different storage configurations: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, however, has four options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and a whopping 2TB.

If you're looking for the most memory though, which should speed up your device's performance, then you might want to take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes with 12GB RAM, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra provides two options of 12GB or 16GB of RAM.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Cameras

This is another major factor in your decision-making process.

When it comes to the number of cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has the iPhone 17 Pro Max beat. 

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has four rear cameras: 200MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. It also has a forward-facing 12MP selfie camera.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, has three 48MP lenses on the rear of the device – wide, ultrawide, and telephoto – along with an 18MP selfie camera on the front of the smartphone. 

When it comes to picture quality, a lot more factors in, such as how each device processes the images and videos, so a hands-on comparison will be necessary before determining which is a better fit for your needs.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Performance and battery life

This one is going to require a hands-on experience in order to tell exactly which device provides the best performance. However, we can still look at the specs.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses Apple's A19 Pro processor. Samsung has the custom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy powering the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Judging by the Galaxy's predecessor, which was powered by the previous Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, both phones are likely top of the line in terms of performance. We'll share more performance results in a full review soon.

Battery life is another important issue that will require further testing. Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro Max runs on 39 hours of battery life for video playback. In Mashable's review of the device, we were ecstatic over the longevity of the iPhone 17 Pro Max battery.

A leaked EU label for the new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra found that it lasted for 55 hours, which is incredible. But, again, we still need to test it out.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Display and Design

Both Samsung and Apple's devices have a big 6.9-inch display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. However, right off the bat, the Galaxy S26 Ulra has one big advantage. Samsung has introduced the industry's first built-in Privacy Display, which hides the content of the phone from anyone nearby. It's a unique and innovative feature that can be turned on and off.

However, Apple has some advantages. Apple's display can be brighter than Samsung's, especially for outdoor usage. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has 3,000 nits peak brightness, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has 2,600 nits peak brightness. 

In terms of design, the biggest difference will be found on the rear of the device. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a camera bump housing the rear lenses that extends across the entire device. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has a stacked camera lens design without any noticeable bump.

Samsung also provides more color choices for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Consumers can pick between cobalt violet, sky blue, black, and white. In addition to those, there are two online-exclusive colors: Pink gold and silver shadow.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max only has three color options: Cosmic orange, silver, and deep blue. And don't forget about the new iPhone's Scratchgate problems.