iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra: comparing the two flagship giants

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max and Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra are the two most capable non-folding flagship phones on the market right now, and picking between them largely comes down to small details and personal taste.

Design and display

Both phones share a 6.9-inch screen size, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra is lighter (214g vs 249g) and thinner (7.9mm vs 8.75mm) than the iPhone. The iPhone uses an OLED panel at 2,868 by 1,320 pixels with up to 3,000 nits of brightness, while the Galaxy's AMOLED display has a slightly higher 3,120 by 1,440 resolution but tops out at 2,600 nits. Both refresh at 120Hz. The S26 Ultra also includes the S Pen stylus, while Apple Pencil support on iPhone requires the pricier iPhone Duo.

Cameras mark the biggest difference

The iPhone 18 Pro Max keeps its familiar three-camera array — wide, ultra-wide and telephoto, all 48 megapixels — and introduces a variable aperture on the main sensor for the first time, giving more creative control over exposure. The Galaxy S26 Ultra counters with a 200-megapixel main sensor and two telephoto lenses, offering 3x and 5x zoom, compared to the iPhone's single 4x telephoto lens. For video, the iPhone sticks with 4K at up to 120fps with HDR and Dolby Vision, while Samsung adds an 8K recording option.

Performance and other differences

Both phones carry roughly 5,000mAh batteries and can charge to 50% in about 15 minutes using a 60W charger. The Galaxy S26 Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max debuts Apple's first 2-nanometer chip, the A20 Pro. Samsung offers 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on storage, while the iPhone ships with 12GB across all configurations. The two also differ in biometrics, with Face ID on the iPhone versus an in-screen fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy.

Both devices start at $1,299 in the US for the 256GB model, meaning the decision mostly hinges on ecosystem loyalty and preferences like the S Pen or camera zoom capabilities.