Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S26 Ultra on Wednesday, positioning the new flagship device as a direct competitor to Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max. Priced at $1,300, the S26 Ultra enters a market where the iPhone 17 Pro Max begins at $1,199, setting the stage for a battle between the two tech giants.
A key differentiator for the Galaxy S26 Ultra is its 6.9-inch AMOLED display, featuring a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate and a 3,120×1,440-pixel resolution. Samsung has incorporated Corning Gorilla Armor 2 to reduce glare and reflection. The device also introduces a “Privacy Display” feature, designed to limit viewing angles and protect on-screen content from onlookers. This feature utilizes a combination of wider-angle and narrow-angle pixels, radiating light at 90 degrees when activated, effectively darkening the screen when viewed from the side. Users can customize the feature through Routines, selecting specific apps and times for automatic activation, with options for “Partial Screen Privacy” and “Maximum Privacy Protection.”
While the Galaxy S26 Ultra boasts several upgrades, it shares similarities with its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The baseline Galaxy S26, priced at $899 for a 256GB model, is also entering a competitive space against the iPhone 17, which starts at $799 for the same storage capacity. This represents a $40 increase over last year’s S25 model, attributed to ongoing memory shortages, according to reports.
Design-wise, the Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 exhibit striking similarities in form factor and screen size. Both phones measure 149.6mm in height, with minimal difference in width. The iPhone 17 is slightly thicker at 7.95mm compared to the S26’s 7.2mm and also heavier, weighing 177 grams versus the S26’s 167 grams. The S26 retains boxy corners, distinguishing it from the rounded corners of the iPhone 17. Both utilize aluminum frames, while the S26 features Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both sides, and the iPhone 17 employs Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2 on the front, which Apple claims offers improved scratch resistance.
Under the hood, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is powered by either a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 or an Exynos 2600 processor, while the iPhone 17 features Apple’s A19 chip. The iPhone 17 has 8GB of RAM, while the S26 has 12GB. The S26 offers storage options of 256GB or 512GB, while the iPhone 17 also provides 256GB or 512GB. The Galaxy S26 Ultra features a rear camera system comprised of a 50MP wide lens, a 10MP 3x telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. The iPhone 17 includes a 48MP wide lens and a 48MP ultrawide lens. The S26 Ultra’s selfie camera is 12MP, while the iPhone 17’s is 18MP with a 3D depth sensor.
Battery capacity differs between the two devices, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra housing a 4300mAh battery and the iPhone 17 a 3692mAh battery. The S26 Ultra supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, while the iPhone 17 offers prompt wired charging and 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless charging. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also supports reverse wireless charging, a feature also available via wired connection on the iPhone 17.
The Galaxy S26 runs Android 16 with Samsung’s One UI 8, while the iPhone 17 operates on iOS. Both devices are rated IP68 for water and dust resistance.
