iPhone 18 Pro vs Galaxy S26+
Only the differences are shown. 6 specs stay the same.
+1you gain
−2you give up
iPhone 18 Pro came out in September 2026. Galaxy S26+ came out in March 2026.
Note on iPhone 18 Pro: Battery and weight figures are for the eSIM-only model.
Camera
4x optical zoom → 3x optical zoom
50 MP, 12 MP front
Screen
6.3 in → 6.7 in screen
Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Charging & connections
Wireless MagSafe, up to 25W → up to 20W
USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Wired up to 45W
Chip & storage
256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB → 256 GB, 512 GB
Samsung's pages differ
Price check
Galaxy S26+ launched at $1,099.99
All 19 differences
Updates1 change
Software updates
Last security update: iOS 27.0.1 on September 28, 2026›Security updates until February 2033, 7 Android upgrades
Samsung publishes a guaranteed support period; Apple publishes the last security update instead. They are shown as they are, without a gain or a loss.
What does this mean?
Samsung promises security updates until a month and a number of Android upgrades. For recent models Samsung's own page gives the month; for older promises the site works it out from the years Samsung announced, and says so under the row. Apple gives no end date: its security releases page lists each update and which iPhones it is for.
On the Galaxy side you see the month Samsung's promise runs until, or that Samsung no longer updates it; on the iPhone side, the latest update Apple has released for the newest iOS that iPhone can run. One is a promise about the future and the other a record of the past, so neither is marked as a gain or a loss.
Matters most if: You plan to keep the phone for many years, or you are buying one used.
Price1 change
Price check
Galaxy S26+ — launched at $1,099.99
What your iPhone 18 Pro sells for
- Apple Trade In estimate
- Sold listings on eBay
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Links open in a new tab. Prices are set by each seller and change daily.
Starting price
$1,199›$1,099.99−$99.01(both start at 256 GB)
Battery2 changes
Battery life (each maker's figure)
Up to 36 hours of video playback›Up to 31 hours of video playbackDifferent
What does this mean?
Each maker's own battery test. Apple's figure and Samsung's figure are both hours of video playback on recent phones, but each maker runs its own test.
The tests are not the same, so the site shows both without picking a winner.
Matters most if: You often run out of battery before the end of the day.
Battery capacity
Not published by Apple›4900 mAh
What does this mean?
mAh (milliamp-hours) measures how much charge a battery holds, like the size of a fuel tank.
Samsung lists a capacity for each Galaxy. Apple's iPhone tech specs give no capacity in mAh, so the iPhone side says "Not published by Apple". A bigger number alone does not mean longer battery life.
Camera1 gain · 2 losses
Main camera
48 MP›50 MP
What does this mean?
MP stands for megapixels. One megapixel is one million tiny dots. A 12 MP photo is made of 12 million dots, a 48 MP photo of 48 million dots.
On a phone screen, a 12 MP and a 48 MP photo look almost the same. The difference shows when you zoom in, crop part of the photo, or print it large: more dots means detail holds up longer. More megapixels also lets the phone zoom 2x by cropping without losing quality.
Matters most if: You crop photos, print them, or zoom in on details later.
Optical zoom
4x optical zoom›3x optical zoom
Only optical zoom is compared. Samsung's Space Zoom and digital zoom use processing, not a lens.
What does this mean?
How much the zoom lens (telephoto camera) magnifies with glass, so the photo stays sharp. Where a phone has two zoom lenses, the longer one is compared.
Only lenses are compared. Samsung's Space Zoom and Apple's "optical-quality" steps are made with processing or by cropping a high-resolution camera, not with a separate lens, so they are not counted.
Matters most if: You photograph kids' sports, concerts, pets or wildlife from a distance.
Front camera
18 MP›12 MP
Rear cameras
3 (same on both)
What does this mean?
How many cameras are on the back. Each one has a different lens: standard, wide, or zoomed-in.
More cameras means more ways to frame a shot without walking closer or further away: fit a whole room in with the wide lens, or get a close shot of something far away with the zoom lens.
Ultra wide camera
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
A second lens that sees a much wider area than the main camera.
You can fit a whole room, a tall building or a big group into one photo without stepping back. On many models it is also used for macro (very close-up) photos.
Matters most if: You take photos indoors, of landscapes, or of groups.
Telephoto camera
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
A zoom lens: a separate camera that sees things far away as if you were closer.
Zooming with a real zoom lens keeps the photo sharp. Without one, the phone has to cut out part of the image, so it gets blurrier the more you zoom. It also makes portrait photos look more flattering, because you can stand further back.
Matters most if: You photograph kids' sports, concerts, pets or wildlife from a distance.
Screen2 changes
Screen size
6.3 in›6.7 in
Screen type (each maker's name)
OLED›Dynamic AMOLED 2XDifferent
What does this mean?
Each maker's own words for the screen: Samsung's names such as Dynamic AMOLED 2X, and on the iPhone side the screen technology Apple lists (OLED or LCD).
A name alone does not tell you which screen is brighter or sharper, so the row is marked "Different" without a winner.
Design & buttons3 changes
Unlock
Face ID›Fingerprint (in the screen)Different
Weight
211 g›190 g
Water and dust resistance
IP68 (6 m)›IP68Different
Charging & connections3 changes
Cable transfer speed
USB 3 (10 Gb/s)›USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1Different
Galaxy S26+: from Samsung's page for the Europe version, as its page for the US version does not give it.
Wired charging
Up to 50% charge in around 15 minutes when using 60W-capable adapter or higher with Adjustable Voltage Supply (available separately) paired with USB-C charging cable›Up to 45WDifferent
What does this mean?
How fast the phone charges with a cable, in each maker's own words.
Samsung names its charging speed in watts (such as Super Fast Charging, 45W) and Apple states how much charge you get in a set time. The two are not the same measure, so the row shows both side by side as "Different". Older iPhones whose Tech Specs give no fast-charge figure say "Not published by Apple".
Wireless charging
MagSafe, up to 25W›Up to 20WDifferent
Port
USB-C (same on both)
Galaxy S26+: from Samsung's page for the Europe version, as its page for the US version does not give it.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7 (same on both)
Ultra Wideband
Yes (same on both)
Safety1 change
Satellite messaging or SOS
Emergency SOS via satellite›Satellite messaging through a carrierDifferent
Each maker's own service, in its own words. Samsung's satellite messaging depends on the carrier and the country. Samsung's page
Chip & storage3 changes
Chip
A20 Pro›Samsung's pages differDifferent
Galaxy S26+: values for the US version. Samsung sells it in other versions too, where the chip and other details can differ; see its Galaxy page.
RAM
Not published by Apple›12 GB
What does this mean?
RAM is the phone's working memory for the apps you have open right now, measured in GB (gigabytes). It is separate from storage.
Samsung lists RAM for each Galaxy. Apple's iPhone tech specs do not list RAM, so the iPhone side says "Not published by Apple" and the site does not estimate it.
Storage options
256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB›256 GB, 512 GB