Between the Galaxy S26 and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Galaxy S26 comes out ahead in wired charging and weight, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max wins on battery capacity and pixel density. Overall, the Galaxy S26 scores 64.6 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (64.6 vs 63.2). 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 push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are wired charging, weight, ram, among others.
Pick the iPhone 15 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 battery capacity, pixel density, screen size.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, water resistance, 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
- ▲Wired charging — 66.67% more. 45 W vs 27 W.
- ▲Weight — 53.00 g less. 168 vs 221.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲AnTuTu — 40.52% more. 2150000 vs 1530000.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 5).
Why Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max wins
- ▲Battery capacity — 10.55% more. 4422 mAh vs 4000 mAh.
- ▲Pixel density — 8.24% more. 460 ppi vs 425 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 8.06% more. 6.7 " vs 6.2 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 168 glead | 221 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mmlead | 8.25 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.2 " | 6.7 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 425 ppi | 460 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2400 nitslead | 2000 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 15 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 15 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 4422 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 27 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 or iPhone 15 Pro Max?+
iPhone 15 Pro Max has 10.5% more battery — 4000 mAh vs 4422 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 or iPhone 15 Pro Max?+
Galaxy S26 is 53g lighter — 168g vs 221g.
Is Galaxy S26 waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 15 Pro Max support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 15 Pro Max supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy S26 or iPhone 15 Pro Max?+
Galaxy S26 offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 or iPhone 15 Pro Max?+
Galaxy S26 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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