Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Apple iPhone Air
The Samsung Galaxy S26+ scores 7.8 in our rating, and the Apple iPhone Air scores 6.9. The Samsung Galaxy S26+ leads in camera, battery, software support 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 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
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
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
Overall
7.8
6.9
Display
8.5
8.5
Performance
8.9
8.8
Camera
7.4
5.9
Battery
6.2
4.4
Design
8.8
8.7
Software support
9.2
7.4
Value for money
5.3
3.9
Display
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
Size
6.7 inches
6.5 inches
Type
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
OLED, Super Retina XDR
Resolution
1440 × 3120 px
1260 × 2736 px
Pixel density
—
460 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Peak brightness
2,600 nits
3,000 nits
HDR
—
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Ceramic Shield 2
Performance
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
Process
3 nm
—
Max CPU clock
4.74 GHz
—
GPU
Adreno 840
Apple 5-core GPU
RAM
12 GB
12 GB
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
Storage type
—
NVMe
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
Main camera
50 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.56"
48 MP, f/1.6
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
12 MP
—
Telephoto
10 MP, 3× optical
—
Optical zoom
3×
—
Rear cameras
3
1
Rear video
—
4K@60
Front camera
12 MP
18 MP
Front video
—
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
Capacity
4,900 mAh
3,149 mAh
Battery type
—
Li-Ion
Wired charging
45 W
20 W
Wireless charging
20 W
20 W
Reverse wireless
✓ Yes
✕ No
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
Dimensions
158.4 × 75.8 × 7.3 mm
156.2 × 74.7 × 5.64 mm
Thickness
7.3 mm
5.64 mm
Weight
190 g
165 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Aluminum
Titanium
Back
Glass
Glass
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
Under-display ultrasonic
None
3D face unlock
✕ No
✓ Yes
SIM
Nano-SIM + eSIM
eSIM only
Colors
Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, Space Black
Connectivity and features
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
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
✓ Yes
✕ No
Satellite
✕ No
✓ Yes
IR blaster
✕ No
✕ No
Software
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
OS at launch
Android 16
iOS 26
Interface
One UI 8.5
—
OS updates
7 years
—
Security updates
7 years
5 years
Launch and price
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26+Apple iPhone Air
Announced
Feb 25, 2026
Sep 9, 2025
Released
Mar 11, 2026
Sep 19, 2025
Status
Released
Released
US launch price
$1,099.99
$999
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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