Different ecosystems, but similar flagship hardware.
Apple/Samsung
The new iPhone 18 Pro Max may not seem as exciting as the iPhone Duo. Indeed, it still has that classic iPhone form factor and, aside from some new colors, looks identical to the iPhone Pro 17 Max. Even so, you get everything you’d expect from a flagship. Large screen, multiple cameras, it checks all the boxes. But the iPhone 18 Pro Max isn’t the only flagship phone on the market. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is also a very capable device, and it’s hard not to compare the two.
Given that we’re comparing the most impressive non-folding phones Apple and Samsung makes, the choice will likely come down to some small details and personal preferences. Maybe you’re an iOS person, or you’ve got your eye on that new dark red iPhone 18 Pro Max. Or maybe you’d rather have the freedom of Android, or you like having the S Pen on the Galaxy. There are pros and cons on both sides. And even before diving into the details, the truth is neither of them disappoint.
Design and displays that aren’t all that different
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Both the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the Galaxy S26 Ultra look like regular smartphones. They’re straight, rectangular devices without a foldable screen in sight. They both have the same 6.9-inch size. But the iPhone has slightly rounder corners, while the Galaxy goes for a straighter shape. Apple went with a design that combines aluminum and glass on the back. Samsung, on the other hand, has an all-glass back.
One great thing about the S26 Ultra over the iPhone is its weight. It’s 214 grams, compared to 249 grams for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. It might not seem like much, but you can probably feel the difference when holding your phone for a long time. The Samsung phone is also thinner — 7.9 mm versus the iPhone’s 8.75 mm. Again, it’s not a huge difference, but it matters to some people, especially when you consider adding a case to them.
The differences in the displays are also subtle. The iPhone uses an OLED panel with a resolution of 2,868 by 1,320 pixels. That’s high enough to make the screen look great. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and reaches 3,000 nits of brightness. In other words, it’s a good, bright and smooth display. Samsung uses a slightly higher-resolution AMOLED display. It’s 3,120 by 1,440 pixels, but the resolution difference between these screens is extremely hard to notice in real life.
The S26 Ultra also has a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling, but the brightness is limited to 2,600 nits. And brightness matters a lot if you use your phone a lot outdoors. The S Pen is also a huge plus for the S26 Ultra. Not everyone cares about it, but it’s nice to have it. It can be a good way to take notes more naturally. On the iPhone side, you need the very expensive iPhone Duo to use the Apple Pencil.
The biggest difference is in the cameras
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Cameras are where these phones really stand out. Both have incredible specs that make the eyes of photographers and filmmakers light up. Starting with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple has kept the classic three-camera setup on the back: wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto, all of which have 48-megapixel sensors. And there’s some big news about this year’s main sensor: variable aperture.
Most phone cameras use a fixed aperture. That means the focal length and the amount of light hitting the sensor are fixed, with no way to change that. But the iPhone 18 Pro Max lets you adjust the aperture mechanically. It opens up room for more artistic control over your shots in a way that you only typically have with a dedicated camera. Not many phones currently on the market can do this.
The S26 Ultra also has great cameras — with a slightly different setup. The main lens has a 200-megapixel sensor. Such high resolution lets you crop your photos without losing quality. The ultra-wide features a 50 megapixel sensor, similar to the iPhone. But zoom capabilities set the S26 Ultra apart. That’s because it’s packed with not one, but two telephoto lenses. One for 3x zoom, the other for 5x zoom. The iPhone has a single telephoto lens for 4x zoom.
As for video, the iPhone keeps the specs it’s had for a while now: 4K up to 120 fps, HDR and Dolby Vision. Samsung goes further and lets you shoot 8K on the S26 Ultra. Not that 8K is any kind of standard yet — more of a “nice to have” than something most people will actually use.
Battery, biometrics and more
The battery capacity of both phones is also very similar. Both the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the S26 Ultra are around 5,000 mAh, with slight variations. That’s generally enough power to last a full day without needing to plug in for most people. Fast charging is finally on even footing too — both go from zero to 50 percent in about 15 minutes with a 60W charger.
In terms of performance, the S26 Ultra is powered by a 3-nanometer Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It’s a pretty decent chip that even outperforms Apple’s A19 Pro in some tests. But the iPhone 18 Pro has a new A20 Pro chip, the company’s first 2-nanometer chip. In theory, it’s faster and more efficient, but we won’t really know that until we’ve done some real-world testing. As for RAM, Samsung offers 12GB or 16GB depending on the storage option. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has 12GB of RAM in all configurations. That’s enough RAM for most of the things people do on their phones.
Then there are the little things that sets them apart. Face ID on the iPhone versus an in-screen fingerprint reader on the Galaxy. Face ID is super easy to use, but it might not work as well in some situations. Also, iPhones still have the Dynamic Island on the screen — although it’s smaller now. Samsung goes with a simple punch-hole camera that eats up less screen space.
They’re both great, but for different users
Even the prices of these phones are similar. They both start at $1,299 in the U.S. for the 256GB model. The decision really comes down to personal preference. The iPhone 18 Pro Max works best if you’re fully immersed in the Apple ecosystem. If you have AirPods or an Apple Watch, it’s an obvious choice. But the Galaxy S26 Ultra can offer you extra features like better zoom or the S Pen. There’s also the choice between iOS and Android. No matter which one you choose, they can both handle everything just fine.