Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Unveiled: Is It Better Than iPhone 18 Pro Max?

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S26 Ultra, a flagship smartphone packing a new privacy display, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, and 60W charging, sparking immediate comparisons to Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max. The device went official this week, with a slimmer 7.9mm-thick design weighing 214 grams and a 6.9-inch QHD+ LTPO AMOLED screen hitting 2,600 nits brightness.

What stands out is how Samsung's concrete specs invite head-to-head scrutiny against iPhone rumours, especially in cameras and everyday usability where the two have long tussled for supremacy. The S26 Ultra is here now, priced at £1,279, while iPhone 18 Pro Max details remain in the leaks, like a rumoured 24MP front camera and a shrunken Dynamic Island. This piece weighs the verified S26 Ultra features against those whispers to see if it pulls ahead.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Edges Out iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumours

The S26 Ultra feels good in the hand right away. Trimmed to 7.9mm thick and 214 grams, it sheds bulk compared to the S25 Ultra, using an aluminium frame instead of titanium for better colour matching with the rear glass in black, white, blue, purple, or exclusives like silver shadow and pink gold. Its 6.9-inch QHD+ LTPO AMOLED display blasts 2,600 nits peak brightness, shielded by Gorilla Armour 2 with an anti-reflective layer that cuts glare on sunny streets.​

Privacy Display steals the show. Adjust it, and side viewers see a dimmed mess while your content stays sharp straight on, ideal for banking on the bus or scrolling in crowds. Apple leaks hint at shrinking the Dynamic Island by using partial under-display Face ID, freeing up pixels for movies, but that is speculation without a date.

Under the hood, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 powers the whole lineup, with options for 12GB or 16GB RAM and storage up to 1TB. A larger vapour chamber tames heat during Genshin Impact sessions or 4K edits, and One UI 8.5 atop Android 16 deploys Galaxy AI for screenshot searches and personalised nudges. Bixby 4.0 now screens calls more intelligently, stripping out background racket from chats.

Galaxy S26 Ultra Cameras And Speed Humiliate iPhone 18 Pro Max Whispers

Samsung has leaned heavily into imaging. The S26 Ultra's primary camera uses a 200MP sensor with an f/1.4 aperture, which the company says increases light capture by 47 percent compared with the previous generation. It is joined by a 50MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP 5x telephoto lens at f/2.9, a refreshed 10MP 3x module and a 12MP front camera. The setup supports 8K video with APV codec options and on‑device AI colour adjustments. Creative Studio tools allow users to convert photos into stickers or graphics.

Leaks around the iPhone 18 Pro Max emphasise a 24MP selfie camera — reportedly a 33 per cent resolution jump aimed at improving low‑light clarity through pixel‑binning. According to Zeera Wireless, these features would rely on processing enhancements expected from the rumoured 2nm A20 Pro chip. Rear‑camera specifications remain unreported. None of this has been confirmed by Apple.

Samsung includes a 5,000mAh battery, which GSMArena reports can reach 75 percent charge in approximately 30 minutes using 60W wired charging. Wireless charging at 25W remains supported with a compatible case. No equivalent figures have been published for Apple's upcoming model.

Samsung retains its S Pen, offering note‑taking and sketching functions absent from Apple's phone lineup. Whether Apple will counter with creator‑focused software remains unknown until formal announcements.

As it stands, the comparison between Samsung's released handset and Apple's unconfirmed plans remains limited by the lack of verified data on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra provides published specifications and immediate availability, while details surrounding Apple's next flagship are based solely on early reporting and should be treated accordingly.