Apple’s $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max now stands as the company’s newest high-end non-foldable flagship phone. Announced at the company’s Surprise and Shine event on Wednesday, it includes big camera and battery upgrades. But with a starting price that’s $100 higher than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the 256GB model of the phone is now priced close to Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra at $1,300. While each iPhone received a $100 price increase that is likely influenced by the current RAM shortage, Apple’s top-of-the-line iPhone appears to be a close rival to the S26 Ultra in several key areas, especially when it comes to battery life and cameras. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.Andrew Lanxon/CNET iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra Design and Display While Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra are both large phones, their design aesthetics are quite different. The 18 Pro Max has an aluminum unibody design similar to the one that debuted on last year’s 17 Pro Max. It comes in burgundy red, glacier blue, silver and black colors. Its shape gives it a rugged appearance, but it fits well when the phone is used as a professional camera for events such as Apple TV’s Major League Baseball broadcasts. And at 249 grams (8.8 ounces), the 18 Pro Max isn’t light at all. The phone has a 6.8-inch OLED display that should be plenty wide for videos, websites, and games. The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a slightly larger 6.9-inch AMOLED display, but at 214 grams, it’s noticeably lighter than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. It also comes in six colors: rose gold, shadow silver, cobalt violet, sky blue, white, and black. The S26 Ultra is also the thinnest in its line, but its Privacy Display is its most unique feature. The S26 Ultra’s screen can make it difficult to view specific apps or notifications from an off-angle, making it easy to hide content from prying eyes without needing to apply a privacy screen protector. No other company has replicated Samsung’s privacy screen, which makes the phone stand out. The iPhone 18 Pro Max in glacier blue. Apple/CNET iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra Battery Capacity Both phones have large batteries. While Apple doesn’t reveal its battery specs in the US (instead citing it can play 45 hours of video), its Irish website claims the physical SIM edition will have a capacity of 5,391 mAh. That’s slightly higher than the S26 Ultra’s 5,000mAh capacity and could be even higher on the eSIM model that will be sold in the US. Apple hasn’t yet revealed the charging speed of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but this is an area where Samsung already excels: the S26 Ultra has 60W wired charging and won our CNET Lab Test award for the phone’s fastest wired charging when recharging from 0% to 76% in 30 minutes. That said, last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max had a 40-watt charging speed that was one of our best performers, recharging from 0% to 69% in the same 30-minute test. We look forward to testing the 18 Pro Max to see how it fares. You can turn on Screen Privacy in Quick Settings to prevent others from seeing what’s on your screen. Celso Bulgatti/CNET iPhone 18 Pro Max Cameras vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra Both phones also have their respective companies’ highest-end cameras, and Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max now features a variable aperture camera that can be physically opened or closed to take better photos in darker or lighter environments. This feature comes with the Pro Max’s three-camera setup that includes a 49-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom. While the S26 Ultra doesn’t feature a variable aperture, it does have four cameras on the back including a 200-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra Processor Features Apple’s A20 Pro processor powers the company’s latest AI features, headlined by the new Siri AI assistant created in Apple’s collaboration with Google’s Gemini. It can help you find specific information hidden in your emails and text messages and turn them into actionable items, like new reminders or calendar events. Apple also set out to show off the A20 Pro’s gaming capabilities and how the phone’s vapor chamber helps keep it running cool while driving intensive graphics. But Samsung’s phone packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Galaxy processor, which powers its own suite of Galaxy AI features focused on proactive suggestions, along with photo editing. It is also quite capable of playing high-end games. Check out the specifications below to further compare both phones. Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S26 UltraScreen size, 6.8-inch OLED resolution, 2868 × 1320 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate 6.9-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120 Hz adaptive refresh rate Pixel density 460 ppi 500 ppi Dimensions (inches) 6.4 × 3.1 × 0.3 inches 6.44 × 3.07 × 0.31 Dimensions (millimeters) 163.4 x 78 x 8.75 mm 163.6 × 78.1 × 7.9 Weight (ounces, grams) 249 g (8.8 oz.) 214 g (7.55 oz.) Mobile Software iOS 27 Android 16 Camera 48 megapixels (wide), 48 megapixels (ultra wide), 48 megapixels (telephoto) 200 megapixels (wide), 50 megapixels (ultra wide), 10 megapixels (3x telephoto), 50 megapixels (5x telephoto)Front camera18 megapixels12 megapixelsVideo capture4K at 60 fps8KProcessorA20 ProQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxyRAM/StorageRAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB12GB RAM + 256GB; 16GB RAM + 512GB, 1TBExpandable storageNoneNoneBattery/ChargerUp to 30 hours of typical use5,000 mAhFingerprint sensorNone (Face ID)Under displayConnectorUSB-CUSB-CHeadphone jackNoneNoneSpecial featuresApple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera control button. Dynamic island. Apple Intelligence. Visual intelligence. Siri AI. Dual eSIM. Brightness display range from 1 to 3000 nits. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, silver, glacier, burgundy. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using a 40W or higher adapter via a charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using a 30W or higher adapter via the MagSafe charger. Aluminum frame; 7 years of security and operating system updates; IP68 water and dust resistance; Wireless PowerShare for charging other devices; Integrated S Pen; UWB to search for other devices; 60W wired charging (charger not included); 25W wireless charging; no magnets for accessories; galaxy AI; Gorilla Glass Armor 2 glass cover; privacy screen Price (USD) $1,299 (256GB); $1,499 (512GB); $1,899 (1TB); $2,499 (2TB)$1,300 (256GB); $1,500 (512GB); $1,800 (1TB) Mike Sorrentino Senior Editor Mike Sorrentino is a senior mobile editor covering phones, texting apps, and smartwatches, and he’s obsessed with how we can get the most out of them. Mike also has his eye on the film and toy industries, and outside of work he enjoys riding his bike and making pizza. See full biography
