Samsung S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Enough is Enough!

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Need-to-knows

• Privacy display on the S26 Ultra is the biggest difference
• Camera and video performance is very similar
• Both incredibly well-built and designed
• Ecosystem is the deciding factor

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It’s March, which means it’s time for me to do my annual Apple versus Samsung flagship smartphone battle thing.

There are two problems with this. Firstly, I’m always late to the post with this particular comparison, because so much happens after Samsung Unpacked each year. That was particularly the case this year when Apple decided to drop a motherload of exciting new products right when lots of us weren’t expecting it.

Secondly, we’ve reached a point where comparing these two titans of the smartphone industry is getting harder and harder.

This has led me to a conclusion which might be slightly unpopular. But, before I get to that, I’ve decided to compare just three things between the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

I know. What a maverick, eh?

1. Hey, good-looking

These are two very different-looking phones – particularly in the shades I have to hand; my iPhone 17 Pro Max has been doused in Cosmic Orange, while my S26 Ultra is sporting Samsung’s Cobalt Violet hero colour. They could not look any different.

If I had to choose between the two based on colour alone, it would be the iPhone, because I’d basically have orange everything if I could. But there’s no doubting that the S26 Ultra is a damn handsome-looking smartphone. It’s ultra-non-fussy, purposeful, and looks every bit the flagship. The iPhone 17 Pro Max simply strolls in with a bit more pizzazz.

I’m totally bored with the titanium versus aluminium thing, and having experienced both materials on both brands’ premium devices, I can tell you it does not matter. At all. They both still feel and look as expensive as they should.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max

The display is where things swing slightly in Samsung’s favour. I like the new privacy display, which makes it a lot harder for people to ‘shoulder surf’ you on the train. I also prefer the less-rounded corners Samsung uses, and the fact that the S26 Ultra maintains the industry-leading antireflective coating. The iPhone is no slouch, though – it still has a superb, bright, and engaging display.

The only other point of differentiation with the design is the presence of the S-Pen on the S26 Ultra. I don’t use it (save for the odd occasion when I need to quickly jot something down and nothing else is to hand), but it might be important to you and, if that’s the case, there’s only one choice here.

Overall, when it comes to design, it’s a tie.

2. The camera battle

Here we go. The big one. The most subjective one. The one that is guaranteed to spark up a million Reddit threads.

The camera comparison. iPhone versus Samsung. Which is better?

Check out my list of the best phones here!

On paper, they are vastly different camera systems. The S26 Ultra has a 200MP main sensor, but the rest of the lenses are a bit of a mixed bag in terms of megapixels. Apple, on the other hand, has opted for 48MP as standard across all three rear lenses.

Does this matter? Not really. Both phones are capable of shooting with high megapixel counts, and both shoot RAW, regardless, so you can get your resulting snaps looking pretty much however you like, if you’re that way inclined.

What matters to me is reliability and performance when I’m in Dad Mode. So, I took both cameras to the park with my family and snapped away. Both produced beautiful shots of our surroundings and some lovely portraits. The S26 Ultra, in particular, managed to take one of my favourite photos of my son as he poked his head around a tree. I just found it slightly more pleasing than the iPhone’s effort.

That evening, I took some portrait shots of my son and our dog, Nala, in a dimly lit living room. The iPhone did a better job of capturing the moment. Just. Although both phones were admirable performers in that tricky environment, with two fidgety subjects.

I like the focal lengths Samsung and Apple have chosen on their respective devices. They’re flagship-worthy in that respect. As is the video performance; both phones can shoot in LOG format with stellar results.

More: MacBook Neo review

My verdict on the camera? It’s a tie.

3. Ecosystem vs ecosystem

Another hugely subjective point of comparison is iOS versus One UI and, more specifically, the worlds Apple and Samsung offer if you look beyond your smartphone.

They both have great smartwatch options. Both have tablets which are more powerful than anyone needs at the moment (the iPad is still the best, though, in my humble opinion). Both have interconnectivity between all of their respective first-party devices – and third-party home stuff – that will make your life more connected and convenient than ever.

Oh, and did I mention that Samsung recently updated the S26 line-up to be compatible with Apple’s AirDrop? That’s huge.

The differentiator, possibly, is AI. Galaxy AI is a few steps ahead of Apple Intelligence. But that gap is closing, and we’re possibly going to get a rather significant AI update from Apple later this year following the announcement of a link-up with Google’s Gemini. The agentic AI stuff Samsung has been talking about? Well, we need that to filter out into the wider world before casting judgment.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S25 Ultra

It is, once again, a tie.

This brings me to a startling and possibly not-that-surprising conclusion. 

Final word

I don’t think anyone tunes into Samsung vs Apple smartphone comparisons in search of help for which one to buy. You’ve already made your mind up. You’re already sitting on one side of that particular fence.

I think people just enjoy this battle for what it is: the two biggest players asserting their authority at the top-end of the smartphone tree. It’s fun. It’s just tech. It doesn’t really matter.

Related: M4 iPad Air review

However, my conclusion is that the S26 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max are just as good as each other. They’re simply for different people. Which is cool.

It’s a good time to be a tech fan.