Buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It lasts longer, zooms further, charges faster and is the one you can still buy new. Pick the iPhone 17 Pro only if you're staying on iPhone, shoot serious video and can still find one new or certified refurbished. Apple no longer sells it; the iPhone 18 Pro replaced it.
Our picks
Live pricesBuy the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It lasts longer, zooms further, charges faster and is the one you can still buy new. Pick the iPhone 17 Pro only if you're staying on iPhone, shoot serious video and can still find one new or certified refurbished. Apple no longer sells it; the iPhone 18 Pro replaced it.
Spec analysis · Published Oct 9, 2026
|
If you are… |
Buy |
Why |
|---|---|---|
|
Most Android buyers |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
Longer battery, 5x zoom, S Pen, 60W charging |
|
iPhone owner staying on iOS |
iPhone 17 Pro |
Same ecosystem, pro video tools, smaller and lighter |
|
Video creator |
iPhone 17 Pro |
ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2 and genlock |
|
Zoom and concert shooter |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
Dedicated 3x and 5x telephotos |
|
Note-taker or sketcher |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
Built-in S Pen |
Scoreboard
|
Round |
Winner |
|---|---|
|
Cameras (stills and zoom) |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|
Cameras (video) |
iPhone 17 Pro |
|
Battery and charging |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|
Display |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|
Performance |
Draw |
|
Software support |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|
Size and weight |
iPhone 17 Pro |
Gadget Clash readers' preference:
Key differences
|
|
iPhone 17 Pro |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
|
Screen |
6.3-inch (160 mm), 120Hz, 3,000 nits outdoor (Apple claim) |
6.9-inch (175 mm) QHD+, 1–120Hz, 2,600 nits peak (Samsung claim), Privacy Display |
|
Rear cameras |
48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 4x telephoto |
200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP 5x, 10MP 3x |
|
Video playback |
Up to 33 hours (Apple claim) |
Up to 31 hours (Samsung claim) |
|
Wired charging |
50% in 20 min with a 40W adapter |
60W, 75% in about 30 min |
|
Wireless |
MagSafe and Qi2, up to 25W, magnets built in |
25W, no built-in magnets |
|
Weight |
7.27 oz (206 g) |
7.55 oz (214 g) |
|
Storage |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
|
Water resistance |
IP68, 6 m (20 ft) |
IP68, 1.5 m (5 ft) |
|
Stylus |
No |
Built-in S Pen |
Cameras
Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra for photos, iPhone 17 Pro for video.
Samsung gives you two telephotos: a 50MP 5x and a 10MP 3x, with a 10x "optical quality" setting (Samsung claim). Its main sensor is 200MP at f/1.4. The iPhone 17 Pro runs three 48MP cameras, including a 4x tetraprism telephoto at 100 mm, and Apple rates 8x as optical quality. At 5x and beyond, the Ultra has real glass where the iPhone crops.
Video flips it. The iPhone records 4K120 Dolby Vision, ProRes RAW and Apple Log 2, and supports genlock for multi-camera shoots. That's a working-pro feature set. The Ultra counters with 8K30 and 4K120, but it doesn't match Apple's pro formats. The iPhone also has the better selfie camera on paper: 18MP Center Stage against 12MP.
Battery and charging
Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra.
On paper Apple claims more: 33 hours of video against Samsung's 31. In one independent lab's web-browsing test, the order flipped: the S26 Ultra ran 16 h 10 min, the iPhone 17 Pro 15 h 32 min. That's a narrow gap.
Charging isn't close. Samsung's 60W wired charging reaches 75% in about 30 minutes. Apple gets to 50% in 20 minutes, but only with a 40W adapter that isn't in the box. The iPhone takes this round back on wireless: MagSafe and Qi2 magnets are built in, while the S26 Ultra still needs a magnetic case for Qi2 accessories.
Display
Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The Ultra's 6.9-inch QHD+ panel is bigger and sharper, and its Privacy Display can hide the screen from side angles. That's a first for a phone. The trade-off: viewing angles are narrower than the S25 Ultra's even with it switched off. The iPhone's 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 screen hits 3,000 nits outdoors by Apple's rating, against 2,600 nits peak on the Ultra. Both have Always-On and adaptive refresh up to 120Hz.
Performance
Draw. The A19 Pro (6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, vapor-chamber cooling) and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy are both top-tier chips. Neither phone will feel slow for years. Pick on the other rounds.
Software support
Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung commits to seven Android OS upgrades and seven years of security updates (Samsung claim). Apple doesn't publish an update window. It historically supports iPhones for years, but there's no written promise to quote. The iPhone 17 Pro also has a second clock running: it's already a previous-generation model.
What you get
- iPhone 17 Pro: Gadget Clash score 8.7. USB-C cable in the box, no charger. USB 3 at up to 10Gb/s for fast file transfers.
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Gadget Clash score 8.6. The S Pen lives inside the phone. Seven OS upgrades and seven years of security updates.
Who should buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra
Android users who want the most complete phone: S Pen, two telephotos, fast charging and a big, sharp screen.
Cons:
- No built-in Qi2 magnets.
- The cameras and 5,000 mAh battery carry over from the S25 Ultra, so S25 Ultra owners should skip it.
- At 6.9 inches it's hard to use one-handed.
Who should buy the iPhone 17 Pro
iPhone owners who shoot video seriously, or who want a smaller flagship with MagSafe, and can find one new or certified refurbished.
Cons:
- Apple no longer sells it new.
- Zoom trails the Ultra's beyond 4x.
- Heavier than the iPhone 16 Pro.
Consider instead
If you're on iPhone and buying new, look at the iPhone 18 Pro. It adds a variable-aperture main camera and claims 36 hours of video playback (Apple claim). See iPhone 18 Pro vs Galaxy S26 Ultra or the iPhone 18 Pro page.
Final verdict
Galaxy S26 Ultra for most buyers. It wins battery, zoom, charging, screen and update promises. The iPhone 17 Pro stays the better tool for video creators already on iPhone, as long as you can still buy one. Full specs: iPhone 17 Pro · Galaxy S26 Ultra.
How we evaluated this: This is a spec analysis. Gadget Clash hasn't tested either phone hands-on. We compared official manufacturer specs (labeled as claims), independent lab results where both phones ran the same test, and Gadget Clash scores. Every spec was checked against the manufacturers' official pages on Oct 9, 2026. AI assisted with research and drafting. How we score