Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Apple iPhone 17
The Samsung Galaxy S26 scores 7.7 in our rating, and the Apple iPhone 17 scores 7.3. The Samsung Galaxy S26 leads in performance, camera and software support, while the Apple iPhone 17 is ahead in display and battery. At launch in the US, the Apple iPhone 17 cost $100.99 less ($799 vs $899.99). The Samsung Galaxy S26 is the newer phone, announced Feb 25, 2026.
Key differences
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Bigger battery 4,300 mAh vs 3,692 mAh
- Newer model Feb 25, 2026 vs Sep 9, 2025
- More RAM 12 GB vs 8 GB
- Lighter 167 g vs 177 g
- Thinner 7.2 mm vs 7.95 mm
- Higher-resolution video 8K@30 vs 4K@60
Why choose the Apple iPhone 17
- Faster wired charging 40 W vs 25 W
- Brighter screen 3,000 nits vs 2,600 nits
- Lower launch price $799 vs $899.99
- Faster wireless charging 25 W vs 15 W
- Higher screen resolution 1206 × 2622 px vs 1080 × 2340 px
- Sharper display 460 ppi vs 409 ppi
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26Apple iPhone 17
Overall
7.7
7.3
Display
8.2
8.5
Performance
8.9
8.3
Camera
8.0
6.9
Battery
5.1
5.7
Design
8.9
8.8
Software support
9.2
7.4
Value for money
5.5
5.5
Display
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26Apple iPhone 17
Size
6.3 inches
6.3 inches
Type
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
OLED, Super Retina XDR
Resolution
1080 × 2340 px
1206 × 2622 px
Pixel density
409 ppi
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
Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Ceramic Shield 2
Performance
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26Apple iPhone 17
Process
3 nm
3 nm
GPU
Adreno 840
Apple GPU (5-core, with Neural Accelerators)
RAM
12 GB
8 GB
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB
256 GB / 512 GB
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26Apple iPhone 17
Main camera
50 MP, f/1.8
48 MP, f/1.6
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
12 MP
48 MP
Telephoto
10 MP, 3× optical
—
Optical zoom
3×
—
Rear cameras
3
2
Rear video
8K@30
4K@60
Front camera
12 MP
18 MP
Front video
—
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26Apple iPhone 17
Capacity
4,300 mAh
3,692 mAh
Battery type
—
Li-Ion
Wired charging
25 W
40 W
Wireless charging
15 W
25 W
Reverse wireless
✓ Yes
✕ No
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26Apple iPhone 17
Dimensions
149.6 × 71.7 × 7.2 mm
149.6 × 71.5 × 7.95 mm
Thickness
7.2 mm
7.95 mm
Weight
167 g
177 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Aluminum
Aluminum
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, Pink Gold, Silver Shadow
Lavender, Mist Blue, Sage, White, Black
Connectivity and features
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26Apple iPhone 17
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth
5.4
6.0
USB
USB-C 3.x
USB-C 2.0
NFC
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack
✕ No
✕ No
Stereo speakers
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Satellite
✕ No
✓ Yes
IR blaster
✕ No
✕ No
Software
Spec
Samsung Galaxy S26Apple iPhone 17
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 S26Apple iPhone 17
Announced
Feb 25, 2026
Sep 9, 2025
Released
Mar 11, 2026
Sep 19, 2025
Status
Released
Released
US launch price
$899.99
$799
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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