A fight as aged because the time length smartphone itself – Apple vs. Samsung has continuously been a spectacle whether it’s promoting, fan opposed, aspects or hardware. So, right here is the most up-to-date one for you – we set the most up-to-date Apple iPhone 18 Official Max subsequent to most up-to-date Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely.
Desk of Contents:
- Produce
- Stamp
- Battery Lifestyles
- Charging
- Speaker Test
- Performance
- Cameras
- Verdict
For starters, you would perchance well well perchance compare the complete specs sheets or directly proceed with our editor’s evaluate in the next textual stutter.
Measurement comparison
The iPhone 18 Official Max aspects a polished iteration of Apple’s distinctive possess language, combining multi-textured ingredients in a cohesive chassis. The phone comes with Ceramic Defend 2 entrance, aluminum unibody and a Ceramic Defend 1st Gen over the wireless charging coil on the support. The iPhone is IP68-rated, but Apple guarantees it might well well stay on for 30 minutes in 6m-deep water.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely takes a decidedly no-nonsense capacity, boasting no doubt one of many cleanest and most honest designs in the marketplace. It has flat Gorilla Armor 2 on the entrance and flat Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the support. The frame and the chassis are fabricated from aluminum. The machine carries a frail IP68 score, ensuring water resistance as a lot as 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.
Both smartphones own identical footprints as evident by their measurements, however the Galaxy S26 Extremely is noticeably lighter at 214g vs. the frightful 249g for the iPhone.
Winner: Galaxy S26 Extremely for its tidy looks to be like and lighter physique.
Stamp comparison
The iPhone 18 Official Max packs a 6.9-shuffle LTPO OLED display camouflage camouflage with 1320 x 2868 pixels (460ppi), dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10 give a take to. It has a tablet-fashioned notch and is safe by Ceramic Defend 2 with oleophobic coating.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely aspects a 6.9-shuffle LTPO OLED display camouflage camouflage with a elevated resolution with 1440 x 3120 pixels or 500ppi, dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ give a take to. The panel has a small punch-gap, aspects Gorilla Armor 2 protection, and also offers DX anti-reflective coating plus Privacy Stamp feature.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely offers elevated maximum automatic brightness at 1,480nits vs. 969 nits for the iPhone 18 Official Max. The height brightness of both devices within reason identical at about 2,800 nits.
Winner: Galaxy S26 Extremely. While both monitors are feast for the eyes, the one on the Galaxy has a elevated resolution, a smaller cutout, and the Privacy Stamp feature.
Battery lifestyles
The iPhone 18 Official Max is powered by a 5,391mAh battery, whereas the Galaxy S26 Extremely packs a 5,000mAh battery cell. The phones feature diversified display camouflage camouflage panels and chipsets, though, so persistence is now not all about capability.
The iPhone 18 Official Max achived an Active Use Ranking of 19:20h, whereas the Galaxy S26 Extremely posted a 16:22h score. The iPhone did better across all on-display camouflage camouflage tests – web searching out, video streaming, gaming.
Winner: iPhone 18 Official Max.
Charging roam
The iPhone 18 Official Max helps as a lot as 54W wired charging and as a lot as 25W wireless charging.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely helps as a lot as 60W wired and as a lot as 25W wireless charging. It also helps reverse wireless charging, something Apple did now not inform.
The iPhone and the Galaxy reach 50% of tag in quarter-hour, and north of 80% in 30 minutes. A stout tag is executed 12 minutes faster on the Galaxy S26 Extremely, though.
Winner: Tie. Both phones recharge equally snappily in the key 30 minutes, that are the ones that subject basically the most.
Speaker check
Both the iPhone 18 Official Max and the Galaxy S26 Extremely offer stereo speakers and they both scored a Very Appropriate designate on our loudness check.
Furthermore, both phones sound practically the same with equally rich and deep audio output.
Winner: Galaxy S26 Extremely, but totally whenever you happen to care about stout tag instances.
Performance
The iPhone 18 Official Max is powered by the Apple A20 Official chip constructed on a 2nm route of. Apple touts its desktop-class CPU cores, a extra remarkable GPU, twice as many Neural Engine cores, and a 50% amplify in memory bandwidth.
The A20 Official aspects a 6-core processor with 2x Huge Cores clocked at 4.93GHz and 4x Atmosphere friendly Cores clocked at 2.64GHz. The Apple GPU now has a 7-core possess, with Apple promising as a lot as 40% faster performance when put next to the A19 Official. The Neural Engine now has 32 cores, up from 16 on the A19 Official, promising a abundant boost to AI performance. And the complete component is being cooled by a worthy elevated vapor chamber machine.
The iPhone is accessible with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB of storage. All of them arrive with 12GB RAM.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely employs an overclocked model of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with a faster 8-core CPU and Adreno GPU than the long-established mannequin, and that’s why Samsung calls it SD 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, model SM8850-AD. The “AD” suffix means that the key 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L cores are clocked at 4.74 GHz as an different of 4.6 GHz. The leisure of the 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M cores stay at 3.62 GHz.
The Adreno 840 GPU would perchance be supposedly clocked elevated. The AD model of the SoC might want to own its Adreno 840 clocked at 1300 MHz, as in opposition to 1200 MHz on the vanilla AC model.
The accessible memory configurations for the Galaxy are 12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB.
Benchmark performance
All things opinion to be, it looks these two devices attain arrive with basically the most spirited seemingly hardware this year.
Our tests confirmed a small abet for the Apple chip in the raw CPU and GPU performance. The iPhone ratings extra AI elements in AI benchmarks ensuing from its remarkable Neural Engine. And indirectly, it also offers better sustained performance than the Galaxy (per our stories).
Winner: iPhone 18 Official Max.
Camera comparison
The iPhone 18 Official Max would now not bring worthy of a trade to the digicam machine when put next to the outdated mannequin (the variable aperture makes much less of a distinction than Apple would own you trust) and the 18 Official Max is plenty treasure the 17 Official Max. That’s also the case with the Galaxy S26 Extremely, which is roughly on par with its predecessor. So, we’re searching at one other iteration or roughly the same comparison between two digicam systems that are diversified, but additionally very identical.
Both feature roughly linked cameras – what issues most is sensor size, and the one on the Galaxy is specced at 1/1.3″ while Apple lists the Pro Max’s at 1/1.28″. So what if Samsung’s is 200MP and Apple’s is 48MP? The Galaxy would now not own a downhearted aperture, as an different being ‘stuck’ at f/1.4, whereas the iPhone’s wide birth environment is f/1.forty eight and it might well well quit down to f/4.0 (f/1.8 and f/2.8 are also accessible).
The parity continues on the ultrawides, the build both phones use equally-sized sensors (1/2.5″) and beautiful coarse lenses. Both phones feature telephotos spherical the 100mm designate – Samsung’s is 111mm and they’re calling it 5x zoom, whereas Apple goes for a 100mm identical and a 4x brand. The Galaxy also has a 3x zoom digicam which has in no device really been worthy of an asset.
Both phones feature confirmed selfie cameras, though the one on the iPhone does sound extra impressive – an 18MP multi-component sensor that can take landscape pictures whenever you happen to are holding the phone vertically (works the opposite capacity spherical too), plus or now not it’s got a huge-attitude, 20mm-identical lens. The Galaxy has a extra frail 12MP sensor and a 23mm lens (nonetheless heaps wide).
Image quality
Daylight
Predictably, both phones will bag you very ultimate sunlight hours photos at 1x, though they’ve their variations. For one, the iPhone defaults to 24MP and it honest might well well bag to the bottom of a small bit extra true component, however the distinction is now not incessantly dramatic and the Galaxy’s 12MP pictures nonetheless own a variety of definition. Both own likeable colors, with the iPhone leaning a small warmth in its white balance and the Galaxy having a small little bit of extra saturation, particularly in greenery. Dynamic vary is terribly ultimate on both. There’s now not incessantly any fair winner right here.
Daylight comparison, significant digicam (1x): iPhone 18 Official Max • Galaxy S26 Extremely
2x is now not incessantly the Galaxy’s forte, but it no doubt nonetheless does alright. The iPhone is superior right here, though – no doubt in the extra natural capacity it renders vivid component, but perchance also in the volume of component that it resolves.
Daylight comparison, significant digicam (2x): iPhone 18 Official Max • Galaxy S26 Extremely
The Galaxy’s 3x zoom digicam is first rate at simplest, but it no doubt’s presumably of some use whenever you happen to treasure to must bridge the outlet between 2x and 5x, particularly when accounting for the so-so 2x performance.
Daylight samples, telephoto digicam (3x): Galaxy S26 Extremely
Comparing the iPhone’s 4x zoom digicam and the Galaxy’s 5x telephoto on the complete is a small bit anxious ensuing from the a small diversified focal length and the 24MP vs 12MP resolution. The iPhone is now not really stellar on a pixel stage in 24MP at 4x and the Galaxy’s pictures detect better at 1:1. Sooner or later, they both presumably seize the same quantity of component, or now not it’s honest that the S26 Extremely’s photos are less complicated to treasure.
Daylight comparison, telephoto digicam: iPhone 18 Official Max (4x) • Galaxy S26 Extremely (5x)
At twice the nominal zoom stage, the Galaxy’s 10x photos in gleaming prerequisites are substantially better than the iPhone’s 8x ones. The Galaxy mercurial falls apart in dimmer settings though – indoors or now not it’s miles the iPhone that has the upper hand.
Daylight comparison, telephoto digicam: iPhone 18 Official Max (8x) • Galaxy S26 Extremely (10x)
The ultrawides return pictures with surely the same component phases even supposing the iPhone insists on the use of twice as many megapixels for its take. The Galaxy’s greenery is over over again extra lush than the iPhone’s, but it no doubt’s now not incessantly a secure resolution-altering distinction.
Daylight comparison, ultrawide digicam: iPhone 18 Official Max (0.5x) • Galaxy S26 Extremely (0.6x)
Low light
Aggressive Evening mode-vogue processing is now not really what either of these phones is targeted on doing at silly evening and people conservative approaches will even be detrimental to image quality, particularly on the Galaxy, broadly speaking.
Even so, both the iPhone and the Galaxy will bag you valid low-light pictures at 1x in stout auto. The iPhone’s default results are likely to be sharper and extra detailed than the Galaxy’s, though or now not it’s now not a mountainous distinction.
Low-light comparison, significant digicam (1x), stout auto: iPhone 18 Official Max • Galaxy S26 Extremely
The Galaxy’s dedicated Evening mode can sharpen its output but now we own seen it alter white balance and on the complete attain uncommon things with colors, so we’re now not obvious or now not it’s miles the better opinion.
Low-light comparison, significant digicam (1x), Evening mode: Galaxy S26 Extremely
At 2x zoom, the Galaxy is price of conserving up with the iPHone in the better-lit scenes, but in darker settings the iPhone has a extra principal abet.
Low-light comparison, significant digicam (2x), stout auto: iPhone 18 Official Max • Galaxy S26 Extremely
At the same time as you happen to power the Galaxy to use its Evening mode (or the phone deems it wanted itself), the outlet gets smaller.
Low-light samples, significant digicam (2x), Evening mode: Galaxy S26 Extremely
The Galaxy’s 3x telephoto is now not really amazing at silly evening, taking pictures gentle and wretched pictures in stout auto, though it does liven up in Evening mode. Silent, we’re now not seeing it as any true abet over the iPhone.
Low-light samples, telephoto digicam (3x): Galaxy S26 Extremely
Low-light samples, telephoto digicam (3x), Evening mode: Galaxy S26 Extremely
Comparing the correct telephotos, we’d argue that the Galaxy tends to own an abet in sharpness and definition.
Low-light comparison, telephoto digicam, stout auto: iPhone 18 Official Max (4x) • Galaxy S26 Extremely (5x)
The Galaxy’s Evening mode trades in a few of that sharpness for stronger noise nick price, and or now not it’s now not necessarily the next detect.
Low-light samples, telephoto digicam (5x), Evening mode: Galaxy S26 Extremely
At 8x/10x zoom, or now not it’s if truth be told presumably the iPhone that has a minor edge, though or now not it’s honest one other instance of now not being sufficient to really subject.
Low-light comparison, telephoto digicam, stout auto: iPhone 18 Official Max (8x) • Galaxy S26 Extremely (10x)
The Galaxy’s compelled Evening mode is now not really making things better – honest diversified.
Low-light samples, telephoto digicam (10x), Evening mode: Galaxy S26 Extremely
On the ultrawide quit, we’re liking the Galaxy’s exposures better – the iPhone’s pictures are beautiful dusky and own principal light plunge off towards the perimeters. Detail is broadly linked, however the Galaxy’s rendition is critically superior.
Low-light comparison, ultrawide digicam, stout auto: iPhone 18 Official Max (0.5x) • Galaxy S26 Extremely (0.6x)
The Galaxy’s Evening mode brings an extra shadow boost and is per chance a small bit better-searching nonetheless, though it’s inclined to a few of those fraudulent color considerations now we were seeing.
Low-light samples, ultrawide digicam (0.6x), Evening mode: Galaxy S26 Extremely
Selfies
The Galaxy’s no-frills selfie digicam captures very ultimate photos with a few of basically the most spirited component renditions available in the market. The iPhone is now not really as mountainous by the use of absolute quality, but it no doubt’s nonetheless beautiful valid, plus you attain bag the convenience of shooting landscape selfies with a vertical phone.
Selfies comparison: iPhone 18 Official Max • Galaxy S26 Extremely
Video quality
Video capabilities are also wide-ranging on the 2 phones. You bag 4K60 all spherical from both the Galaxy and the iPhone, and both can attain 4K24 on all cameras too. 4K120 accessible on the key digicam and the ultrawide on the Galaxy, whereas the iPhone’s 4K120 is totally accessible on the key digicam on the support. For what or now not it’s price, the S26 Extremely also enables for 8K30 seize at 0.6x, 1x, and 5x. Dolby Imaginative and prescient recording is seemingly on both phones and both offer expert-grade codecs and recording to exterior storage. Some extreme stuff.
The iPhone’s 4K30 videos from the ultrawide digicam are noticeably sharper than on the Galaxy. The Official Max would perchance be a small sharper than the Extremely when comparing significant digicam 4K30 pictures – both at 1x and at 2x. The iPhone maintains an abet at 4x vs. the Galaxy’s 5x digicam – it captures a small bit extra component and renders it in a nicer capacity. The 8x vs. 10x comparison also ends with an iPhone victory. In terms of world properties, or now not it’s onerous to bitch about something else on either phone – both own very ultimate dynamic vary and magnificent colors.
Daylight video screengrabs, iPhone 18 Official Max: 0.5x • 1x • 2x • 4x • 8x
Daylight video screengrabs, Galaxy S26 Extremely: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 3x • 5x • 10x
At silly evening, the iPhone’s ultrawide is trailing on the support of the Galaxy’s by the use of sharpness and it runs underexposed subsequent to the successfully-developed Galaxy rendition. Predominant digicam pictures is terribly identical from a world perspective, however the one on the iPhone is cleaner – the Galaxy has some beautiful disturbing chroma noise. The iPhone 4x pictures would perchance be on the least a small bit bit sharper than the Galaxy’s 5x zoomed clips, and the iPhone is much less imperfect when examining 8x vs 10x videos.
Low-light video screengrabs, iPhone 18 Official Max: 0.5x • 1x • 2x • 4x • 8x
Low-light video screengrabs, Galaxy S26 Extremely: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 3x • 5x • 10x
Winner: We are going to enable you to name this one, relying on which aspects of the digicam performance subject extra to you
Verdict
We can now not incessantly take into accounts many die-onerous followers of either camp leaping ship for the competitor. The iPhone 18 Official Max represents basically the most spirited Apple has to present, and it reveals: the phone delivers an very ultimate price, a mighty demonstrate, the quickest chip in the marketplace, class-main battery lifestyles, and a versatile digicam setup with consistently mountainous video output.
The Galaxy S26 Extremely does beautiful worthy the same whereas at the side of an S-Pen into the mix. The Galaxy boasts a polished possess, an exceptionally interesting OLED panel, basically the most capable Android processor, and some of basically the most spirited cameras spherical (selfies, too!). Its battery performance is now not far on the support of the iPhone’s, and its charging roam is equally snappily.
Sooner or later, the selection comes down to inside of most workflow – select whichever fits your wants simplest and ignore the emblem contention.
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient demonstrate and Dynamic Island perks.
- More challenging possess.
- Longer battery lifestyles.
- Better sustained performance.
- Better video total.
- Apple iOS.
Catch the Apple iPhone 18 Official Max for:
| 256GB 12GB RAM | £ 1,299.00 |
€ 1,599.00 |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | £ 1,499.00 |
€ 1,849.00 |
| Demonstrate all costs | ||
- Greater-resolution display camouflage camouflage, smaller cutout.
- Natty possess.
- S-Pen.
- Nicest selfies in the section
- Android OS.
Catch the Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely for:
| 256GB 12GB RAM | £ 797.99 |
€ 936.78 |
| 512GB 12GB RAM | £ 942.49 |
€ 1,089.00 |
| Demonstrate all costs | ||
