Samsung Galaxy S26 / Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Samsung varies the processor by market: the US, China and Japan versions use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. This entry covers the Exynos 2600 SM-S942B version.

The viewable area is smaller than the rectangular measurement because of the corners and camera hole.

ProMotion raises the refresh rate to 120 Hz for scrolling and games and lowers it for static content to save power, which lets the Always-On lock screen stay lit at a very low rate. Measured as a standard rectangle the diagonal is 6.27 inches.

The panel lowers its rate to match the content, slowing down on static images to save power and rising to 120 Hz for scrolling and games.

This is Samsung's peak figure, not a brightness held across the full screen.

Samsung says this GPU supports hardware ray tracing and is up to 50% faster at it than its predecessor.

Samsung states up to 29% better heat dissipation for the S26; this is a figure from the maker's own testing.

Usable space is lower than the total because of preloaded software. Options vary by country and carrier.

Usable space is lower than the label because the OS and apps take room. There is no memory card slot.

The 2× view is not a separate lens; it uses the centre of the 48MP sensor for a 12MP image. Default photos are 24MP.

8× (200 mm) is a crop from the centre of the 4× telephoto sensor, which Apple calls optical-quality zoom. The telephoto sensor is 56% larger than the previous generation's.

The 2x optical-quality zoom uses the centre of the main camera's Adaptive Pixel sensor; it is not a separate lens.

The square sensor allows landscape group selfies while holding the phone upright; Dual Capture records front and rear cameras at once, up to 4K 30 fps.

4K 120 fps ProRes records only to external storage over USB-C. Apple Log 2 and ProRes RAW leave room for colour grading; Genlock keeps several cameras in sync.

Samsung quotes up to 30 hours of video playback; the typical figure was measured by a third-party lab to IEC 61960.

These figures are for the nano-SIM + eSIM model (A3523/A3526). Apple says eSIM-only models last longer because they fit a bigger battery.

The figure was measured from 0% with a 25 W Samsung adapter and 3 A USB-C cable, screen off. The adapter and cable are sold separately.

Fast charging needs a high-wattage USB Power Delivery adapter; a 20 W adapter charges more slowly.

PowerShare works only with certain Qi-compatible phones and wearables and may not work below 30% battery.

25 W needs the new MagSafe Charger or a Qi2 25 W-capable charger; older Qi chargers run at lower power.

Wi-Fi 7 speeds need a Wi-Fi 7 router; 6 GHz use varies by country.

USB 3.2 Gen 1 carries up to 5 Gbit/s of data, which speeds up wired transfers of large video files to a computer.

Band support varies by market.

Weight may vary by country and configuration.

Water and dust resistance can decline over time with normal wear.

3,000 nits is a short peak reached in sunlight under auto-brightness, not sustained full-screen brightness. The 1-nit floor helps reading in the dark without glare.

Apple says Ceramic Shield 2 resists scratches 3x better than the previous generation, and the back resists cracks 4x better than the previous back glass. The anti-reflective coating is meant to keep the screen readable in bright light.

The vapor chamber spreads A19 Pro heat into the chassis; Apple claims up to 40% better sustained performance than the previous generation. Aluminium conducts heat better than the titanium frame of earlier Pro models.

Neural Accelerators in the GPU cores speed up on-device AI work; hardware ray tracing computes realistic lighting and reflections in games.

Macro shots use the Ultra Wide camera; the phone can switch automatically when you get close to a subject.

10 Gb/s needs a USB 3 cable; the cable in the box is a charging cable. Video can go to a monitor or TV over a suitable USB-C cable.

Thread builds a low-power mesh with smart-home devices; Ultra Wideband finds AirTags and compatible devices with direction and distance. Wi-Fi 7 needs a compatible router.

This model has a physical SIM tray; models sold in some countries are eSIM-only. eSIM needs carrier support.

Dual-frequency GPS reduces location drift among tall buildings. Satellite features vary by country; Apple offers them free for two years after activation.

Testing is done in lab conditions; resistance may decline over time and liquid damage is not covered by warranty.

Camera Control is a touch-sensitive side button that opens the camera and lets you slide to adjust zoom and exposure. LiDAR helps autofocus in the dark and portrait depth.

Outside this range the phone may pause charging or dim the display.