Samsung
Galaxy S26 Ultra
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 · 6.9″ · 200 MP
94
/ 100
From $1,399
VS
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins by 4
Apple
iPhone 17 Pro Max
A19 Pro · 6.9″ LTPO · Titanium
98
/ 100
From $1,199
Specdex verdict
iPhone 17 Pro Max takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Galaxy S26 Ultra lands at 94 and iPhone 17 Pro Max at 98. That puts iPhone 17 Pro Max ahead by 4 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Galaxy S26 Ultra if…
- ✓Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (3 nm refined)
- ✓Galaxy AI Gen 3 with Agent Flow
- ✓7-year updates through Android 23
Pick iPhone 17 Pro Max if…
- ✓Industry-leading A19 Pro silicon
- ✓New vapor-chamber cooling
- ✓Apple Intelligence Gen 2
Score breakdown
Galaxy S26 Ultra
94 cpu 97
gpu 97
camera 95
battery 90
display 97
design 93
iPhone 17 Pro Max
98 cpu 100
gpu 98
camera 98
battery 90
display 95
design 96
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Galaxy S26 Ultra
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Display
6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 3120×1440
6.9″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2868×1320
Chipset
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAM
16 GB
12 GB
Storage
256 / 512 GB / 1 TB
256 / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB
Battery
5200 mAh
4800 mAh
OS
Android 16, One UI 8
iOS 19
Rear camera
—
48 MP + 48 MP UW + 48 MP 6× tele
Charging
—
45W wired, 30W MagSafe
Weight
—
232 g
IP rating
—
IP68
Galaxy S26 Ultra
Pros
- +Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (3 nm refined)
- +Galaxy AI Gen 3 with Agent Flow
- +7-year updates through Android 23
Cons
- −Price crept up $100 vs S25 Ultra
- −AI features vary by region
- −Still 45W charging
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Pros
- +Industry-leading A19 Pro silicon
- +New vapor-chamber cooling
- +Apple Intelligence Gen 2
Cons
- −Premium price
- −Weight crept up with titanium chassis
- −Still 45 W charging ceiling
FAQ: Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
Which is better, Galaxy S26 Ultra or iPhone 17 Pro Max? +
iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 4. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Galaxy S26 Ultra worth the price? +
At $1,399, Galaxy S26 Ultra delivers a Specdex score of 94 — strongest in cpu.
Is iPhone 17 Pro Max worth the price? +
At $1,199, iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in cpu.
Does Galaxy S26 Ultra or iPhone 17 Pro Max last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.