Apple iPhone Air vs Samsung Galaxy S26+
The Apple iPhone Air scores 6.8 in our rating, and the Samsung Galaxy S26+ scores 7.7. The Samsung Galaxy S26+ leads in camera, battery and value for money. At launch in the US, the Apple iPhone Air cost $100.99 less ($999 vs $1,099.99). The Samsung Galaxy S26+ is the newer phone, announced Feb 25, 2026.
Key differences
Why choose the Apple iPhone Air
- Brighter screen 3,000 nits vs 2,600 nits
- Lower launch price $999 vs $1,099.99
- More storage 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB vs 256 GB / 512 GB
- Lighter 165 g vs 190 g
- Thinner 5.64 mm vs 7.3 mm
- Satellite messaging
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S26+
- Bigger battery 4,900 mAh vs 3,149 mAh
- Faster wired charging 45 W vs 20 W
- Bigger screen 6.7 inches vs 6.5 inches
- Newer model Feb 25, 2026 vs Sep 9, 2025
- Higher screen resolution 1440 × 3120 px vs 1260 × 2736 px
- Stereo speakers
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
Overall
6.8
7.7
Display
8.6
8.6
Performance
8.8
8.9
Camera
5.9
7.4
Battery
4.4
6.2
Design
8.7
8.8
Value for money
4.0
6.1
Display
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
Size
6.5 inches
6.7 inches
Type
OLED, Super Retina XDR
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution
1260 × 2736 px
1440 × 3120 px
Pixel density
460 ppi
—
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Peak brightness
3,000 nits
2,600 nits
HDR
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
—
Protection
Ceramic Shield 2
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Performance
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
Process
—
3 nm
Max CPU clock
—
4.74 GHz
GPU
Apple 5-core GPU
Adreno 840
RAM
12 GB
12 GB
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
256 GB / 512 GB
Storage type
NVMe
—
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
Main camera
48 MP, f/1.6
50 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.56"
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
—
12 MP
Telephoto
—
10 MP, 3× optical
Optical zoom
—
3×
Rear cameras
1
3
Rear video
4K@60
—
Front camera
18 MP
12 MP
Front video
4K@60
—
Battery and charging
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
Capacity
3,149 mAh
4,900 mAh
Battery type
Li-Ion
—
Wired charging
20 W
45 W
Wireless charging
20 W
20 W
Reverse wireless
✕ No
✓ Yes
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
Dimensions
156.2 × 74.7 × 5.64 mm
158.4 × 75.8 × 7.3 mm
Thickness
5.64 mm
7.3 mm
Weight
165 g
190 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Titanium
Aluminum
Back
Glass
Glass
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
None
Under-display ultrasonic
3D face unlock
✓ Yes
✕ No
SIM
eSIM only
Nano-SIM + eSIM
Colors
Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, Space Black
Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
Connectivity and features
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth
6.0
6.0
USB
USB-C 2.0
—
NFC
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack
✕ No
✕ No
Stereo speakers
✕ No
✓ Yes
Satellite
✓ Yes
✕ No
IR blaster
✕ No
✕ No
Software
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
OS at launch
iOS 26
Android 16
Interface
—
One UI 8.5
OS updates
—
7 years
Security updates
—
7 years
Launch and price
Spec
Apple iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26+
Announced
Sep 9, 2025
Feb 25, 2026
Released
Sep 19, 2025
Mar 11, 2026
Status
Released
Released
US launch price
$999
$1,099.99
Green marks the stronger value in a row. Specs come from official manufacturer data, cross-checked with established tech media; each phone page lists its sources. Report an error
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