Buy the iPhone 18 Pro. In the same lab's tests it ran far longer on a charge and posted the higher graphics score, and it's the stronger video camera. Buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra if you're on Android or want an S Pen, a 5x telephoto, or a bigger screen with Privacy Display.
Our picks
Live pricesBuy the iPhone 18 Pro. In the same lab's tests it ran far longer on a charge and posted the higher graphics score, and it's the stronger video camera. Buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra if you're on Android or want an S Pen, a 5x telephoto, or a bigger screen with Privacy Display.
Spec analysis · Published Oct 9, 2026
|
If you are… |
Buy |
Why |
|---|---|---|
|
iPhone owner on a 15 Pro or older |
iPhone 18 Pro |
A20 Pro, variable aperture, much longer battery |
|
iPhone 17 Pro owner |
Neither |
Same screen, telephoto and selfie camera |
|
Android user |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
S Pen, two telephotos, seven OS upgrades |
|
Video creator |
iPhone 18 Pro |
ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, genlock |
|
Zoom and concert shooter |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
Dedicated 3x and 5x telephotos |
Scoreboard
|
Round |
Winner |
|---|---|
|
Cameras (stills and zoom) |
Galaxy S26 Ultra for zoom, iPhone 18 Pro for low light |
|
Cameras (video) |
iPhone 18 Pro |
|
Battery and charging |
iPhone 18 Pro |
|
Display |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|
Performance |
iPhone 18 Pro |
|
Software support |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
Gadget Clash readers' preference:
Key differences
|
|
iPhone 18 Pro |
Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
|
Screen |
6.3-inch (160 mm), 2622 x 1206, 3,000 nits outdoor (Apple claim), Ceramic Shield 2 |
6.9-inch (175 mm) QHD+, 1–120Hz, 2,600 nits peak (Samsung claim), Privacy Display |
|
Main camera |
48MP, variable aperture f/1.48 to f/4.0 |
200MP, f/1.4 |
|
Telephoto |
48MP 4x (8x optical quality) |
50MP 5x and 10MP 3x (10x optical quality) |
|
Video playback |
Up to 36 hours (Apple claim) |
Up to 31 hours (Samsung claim) |
|
Wired charging |
50% in about 15 min with a 60W-capable adapter |
60W, 75% in about 30 min |
|
Wireless |
MagSafe and Qi2, up to 25W, magnets built in |
25W, no built-in magnets |
|
Weight |
7.44 oz (211 g) |
7.55 oz (214 g) |
|
Storage |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
|
Stylus |
No |
Built-in S Pen |
Cameras
Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra for zoom; iPhone 18 Pro for low light and video.
The iPhone 18 Pro's headline is a 48MP main camera with a mechanical variable aperture: f/1.48 for low light, f/1.8 for portraits, and f/2.8 or f/4.0 for more depth of field (Apple claim). Its new manual controls cover aperture, shutter speed and white balance. The 48MP ultrawide and 4x tetraprism telephoto carry over from the 17 Pro.
Samsung still has more reach. Its 50MP 5x and 10MP 3x telephotos give you real optics at both portrait and long distances, plus a 200MP f/1.4 main sensor. Past 4x, the Ultra wins.
Video goes to Apple: 4K120 Dolby Vision, ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2 and genlock. The Ultra answers with 8K30, but not Apple's pro formats. The iPhone's 18MP Center Stage selfie camera also beats Samsung's 12MP.
Battery and charging
Winner: iPhone 18 Pro.
Apple claims 36 hours of video playback against Samsung's 31. One independent lab's battery test made the gap bigger: 23 h 45 min for the iPhone 18 Pro against 15 h 5 min for the S26 Ultra.
Charging is close. The iPhone reaches 50% in about 15 minutes with a 60W-capable adapter, and 50% in 30 minutes wirelessly on MagSafe (Apple claim). Neither adapter is in the box. Samsung's 60W gets to 75% in about 30 minutes. The iPhone's built-in Qi2 magnets settle it.
Display
Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra. It's bigger and sharper, with a 6.9-inch QHD+ panel, and Privacy Display hides the screen from side angles. The catch: viewing angles are narrower than on the S25 Ultra. The iPhone's 6.3-inch screen is unchanged from the 17 Pro apart from tougher Ceramic Shield 2 glass. Apple rates it at 3,000 nits outdoors.
Performance
Winner: iPhone 18 Pro. The A20 Pro pairs a 6-core CPU with a 7-core GPU that Apple says is up to 40% faster than the A19 Pro's (Apple claim). In one lab's GPU stress test it posted 8,579 frames against 7,847 for the S26 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy. The iPhone gets warm under sustained heavy load.
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, though its record of long iPhone support is strong.
What you get
- iPhone 18 Pro: Gadget Clash score 9.0. USB-C cable in the box, no adapter. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 via Apple's N1 chip, USB 3 at up to 10Gb/s, IP68 to 6 m (20 ft), dual eSIM only.
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Gadget Clash score 8.6. S Pen built in, IP68 to 1.5 m (5 ft), seven OS upgrades.
Who should buy the iPhone 18 Pro
iPhone owners on a 15 Pro or older, video creators, and anyone who puts battery life first.
Cons:
- Same design and screen as the 17 Pro.
- Zoom trails the Ultra's beyond 4x.
- Gets warm under heavy load.
Who should buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra
Android users who want the most complete Galaxy: S Pen, two telephotos, a big sharp screen and the longest written update promise here.
Cons:
- Shorter battery life than the iPhone in the same lab test.
- No built-in Qi2 magnets.
- Cameras and battery carry over from the S25 Ultra.
Consider instead
Already own an iPhone 17 Pro? You don't need this upgrade; see how it stacks up in iPhone 17 Pro vs Galaxy S26 Ultra. Android users who want a Pixel should read Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Final verdict
iPhone 18 Pro for most buyers. It wins battery, performance and video. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the pick for Android users and anyone who wants an S Pen or a longer zoom. Full specs: iPhone 18 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