Between the Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the Galaxy S26 comes out ahead in weight and wired charging, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max wins on wireless charging and battery capacity. Overall, the Galaxy S26 scores 64.6 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 67.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (64.6 vs 67.5). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Galaxy S26 if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, wired charging, main camera, among others.
Pick the iPhone 17 Pro Max if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are wireless charging, battery capacity, screen size, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S26 wins
- ▲Weight — 59.00 g less. 168 vs 227.
- ▲Wired charging — 50.00% more. 45 W vs 30 W.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲AnTuTu — 2.38% more. 2150000 vs 2100000.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 6).
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 66.67% more. 25 W vs 15 W.
- ▲Battery capacity — 17.13% more. 4685 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 11.29% more. 6.9 " vs 6.2 ".
- ▲Pixel density — 8.24% more. 460 ppi vs 425 ppi.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 168 glead | 227 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mmlead | 8.3 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.2 " | 6.9 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 425 ppi | 460 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2400 nitslead | 2200 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 4685 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 30 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 25 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 6 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
iPhone 17 Pro Max has 17.1% more battery — 4000 mAh vs 4685 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
Galaxy S26 is 59g lighter — 168g vs 227g.
Is Galaxy S26 waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Pro Max support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Pro Max supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
Galaxy S26 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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