Apple iPhone 18 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
How the independent professional reviews compare these two products. Higher values are highlighted; a difference of a few points is within normal disagreement between reviewers.
Reviewers agree the iPhone 18 Pro has the best camera Apple has put in an iPhone and the longest battery life of any regular Pro, and that the A20 Pro is a genuine generational step. Battery life and performance drew praise from all five independent editorial groups analysed, and the camera from four of the five. All five faulted the price, and three found the software unfinished.
Best for: Upgrading from an iPhone 15 Pro or older. Every group analysed treats that as the case where the change is worth paying for; several say owners of an iPhone 16 Pro or 17 Pro should wait.; Buyers who want the longest battery life Apple has put in a 6.3-inch phone. Reviewers measured about a day and a half of mixed use, with GSMArena calling it the best of any regular Pro.; Photographers who want manual control. The variable aperture, and the Pro controls that go with it, are the feature all five groups singled out.
Skip it if: You already own an iPhone 16 Pro or 17 Pro. Reviewers describe the update as incremental and say there is nothing here that justifies leaving a recent phone.; You are in the European Union and the new Siri is why you were upgrading. It was not available there at launch.; Weight or price decides your purchase: at 211 g this is heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro, and the $100 increase was a stated criticism of every group analysed.
From $1,199.00 at Apple Store (US, checked Sep 27, 2026)
Nine full reviews across seven independent editorial groups give the Galaxy S26 Ultra a positive but qualified verdict. Every group that covers the display praises the Privacy Display, and battery runtime improved in each outlet that measured it. Two attributes split: The Verge calls the wider apertures real, unequivocal improvements where Android Police says the camera does not impress, and the $1,299.99 base price held while the 512 GB and 1 TB tiers rose to $1,499 and $1,799. The unchanged 5,000 mAh cell and the 8-bit panel are the recurring regressions.
Best for: People who handle sensitive information in public, such as banking, messages or work documents, and who want an on-demand hardware privacy filter instead of a screen protector that stays on.; Buyers who want the S Pen, the largest display and the most versatile camera array in the S26 line, and who value low-light and 5x telephoto reach.; Existing Galaxy owners who want the longest software commitment in the line: seven years of OS and security updates on Samsung's most feature-complete phone.
Skip it if: You already own a Galaxy S24 Ultra or S25 Ultra. Android Police and 9to5Google, among others, call the changes incremental and the design barely evolved.; Multi-day endurance or the fastest charging matters more than features. The 5,000 mAh cell is unchanged, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max and OnePlus 15 outlast the Ultra substantially in independent testing.; You want magnetic Qi2 accessories out of the box, or you are sensitive to screen flicker: there are no built-in magnets, and reported flicker is an unresolved accessibility complaint.
From $1,299.99 at Amazon (US, checked Sep 30, 2026)
Attribute by attribute
| Attribute | Apple iPhone 18 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 4 positive, 0 negative | 3 positive, 2 negative |
| Battery life | 5 positive, 0 negative | 2 positive, 1 negative |
| Performance | 5 positive, 0 negative | 4 positive, 0 negative |
| Display | 1 positive, 0 negative | 4 positive, 1 negative |
| Software | 1 positive, 3 negative | 0 positive, 2 negative |
| Value | 0 positive, 5 negative | 2 positive, 3 negative |
| Design and build | 0 positive, 2 negative | 0 positive, 4 negative |
Counts are independent sources; scores appear only where sources published one for that attribute.