Between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and ROG Phone 9, the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes out ahead in main camera and pixel density, while the ROG Phone 9 wins on front camera and refresh rate. Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra scores 75.6 and the ROG Phone 9 scores 75.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (75.6 vs 75.1). 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 Ultra if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are main camera, pixel density, screen size, among others.
Pick the ROG Phone 9 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 front camera, refresh rate, battery capacity, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, 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 Ultra wins
- ▲Main camera — 300.00% more. 200 MP vs 50 MP.
- ▲Pixel density — 29.12% more. 501 ppi vs 388 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 1.77% more. 6.9 " vs 6.78 ".
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 3).
Why ASUS - ROG Phone 9 wins
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Refresh rate — 54.17% more. 185 Hz vs 120 Hz.
- ▲Battery capacity — 16.00% more. 5800 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
- ▲AnTuTu — 11.69% more. 2580000 vs 2310000.
- ▲Weight — 5.00 g less. 227 vs 232.
- ▲Has Headphone jack.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 232 g | 227 glead |
| Thickness | 8.6 mmlead | 8.9 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.9 "lead | 6.78 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 501 ppilead | 388 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 185 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2600 nitslead | 2500 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 200 MPlead | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh | 5800 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 65 W | 65 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | truelead |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S26 Ultra or ROG Phone 9?+
ROG Phone 9 has 16.0% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 5800 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S26 Ultra or ROG Phone 9?+
ROG Phone 9 is 5g lighter — 232g vs 227g.
Is Galaxy S26 Ultra waterproof?+
Galaxy S26 Ultra has an IP68 rating.
Does ROG Phone 9 support 5G?+
Yes, ROG Phone 9 supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S26 Ultra or ROG Phone 9?+
Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 200 MP main camera vs 50 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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