In early 2026, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra was launched at the Galaxy Unpacked event. It is positioned against the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both phones have 6.9-inch displays, big batteries, and each sports premium computing hardware. They differ, however, in some of the hardware specs and the software. Samsung, for example, has a 200-megapixel main sensor and an actual Privacy Display. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max buyers get an A19 Pro, which along with software hooks to Indians is an Apple classic. For Indian buyers, the base Galaxy S26 Ultra priced at Rs. 1,39,999 is slightly cheaper than the base iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Key Takeaways:
- The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is equipped with a Privacy Display mode and a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen.
- The A19 Pro chip powers the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, which also has a 2TB storage option.
- Samsung includes a quad-camera with 200-megapixel and 5x optical zoom.
- The iPhone 17 Pro Max is capable of 37 hours of video playback.
- The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a starting price of Rs. 1,39,999 and the iPhone starts at Rs. 1,49,900.
Display and Design Differences
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra boasts one of the largest displays on the smartphone market, at 6.9 inches. Its Dynamic AMOLED 2X display shows content at QHD+ resolution and at a 120Hz refresh rate. To protect the displays of buyers, Samsung used Corning Gorilla Armor 2 and supplied a Privacy feature that limits the ability of neighboring passengers to see display content. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is not without its software limitations, it comes pre-loaded with with One UI 8.5, an Android 16 skin.
With a display size similar to the S26 Ultra, at 6.9 inches, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is lower end than its competitor but still comes with a Super Retina XDR OLED. Apple uses LTPO display technology that adapts display refresh rate to content at a maximum of 120Hz and can exceed 3,000 nits. Apple also uses a Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 17 Pro Max to protect the front display. The iPhone 17 Pro Max software is also more recent than the Galaxy S26 Ultra with iOS 26.
Performance and Battery Life
With the performance unit combined with an AI acceleration unit, the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processors, Apple has also used A19 Pro processors that feature 6 physical cores, in addition to AI accelerators. But in contrast to Samsung, that offers customers the ability to purchase RAM of up to 16GB, Apple limits its customers to a maximum of 2TB of storage, available for those who shoot a lot of videos in high resolution.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery with 60W wired charging, and can play videos for around 31 hours. While Apple does not disclose the battery size, it is estimated to be 4,832mAh. The iPhone 17 Pro Max also claims to be the longest for Apple with video playback of 37 hours and supports 40W fast charging.
Camera Capabilities and Pricing
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a total of 4 rear cameras. It’s primary sensor has 200-megapixels and there is a 50-megapixel periscope zoom lens with 5x zoom. Additionally, there is a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x zoom. For selfies, there is a 12-megapixel camera.
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max has triple rear cameras. These include a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens, a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom and a 48-megapixel main lens. For selfies, there is an 18-megapixel camera with autofocus.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra 256 GB variant price in India is Rs. 1,39,999. The price of its 512 GB and 1 TB variants are Rs. 1,59,999 and Rs. 1,89,999. The price of iPhone 17 Pro Max is higher starting at Rs. 1,49,900 for the 256 GB variant. The price for its 2 TB variant goes up to Rs. 2,29,900.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the price of the Galaxy S26 Ultra in India?
A1: In India, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is priced starting at Rs. 1,39,999 for the base model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
Q2: Is the battery of the iPhone 17 Pro Max better than that of the Galaxy S26 Ultra?
A2: For the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple says there is a video playback capacity of 37 hours, and for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung states there is a video playback capacity of 31 hours but of short videos.
Q3: What colors does the Galaxy S26 Ultra come in?
A3: The Galaxy S26 Ultra is available in Black, Blue, Purple, and White.
Q4: Which one has better zoom capabilities?
A4: The S26 Ultra has a 50-megapixel periscope camera which is capable of 5x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel with 3x optical zoom as compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max which has 4x optical zoom.
Q5: What is the maximum storage capacity of the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
A5: The maximum storage capacity for the iPhone 17 Pro Max is 2TB, which is priced at Rs. 2,29,900 in India.
