Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 200 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MP |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 185 Hz |
| Pixel density | 501 ppi | 388 ppi |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh | 5800 mAh |
| AnTuTu | 2310000 | 2580000 |
Between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and ROG Phone 9, the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes out ahead in main camera / pixel density, while the ROG Phone 9 wins on front camera / refresh rate. Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra scores 74.2 and the ROG Phone 9 scores 72.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (74.2 vs 72.4). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is 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. The single most decisive one: Main camera — 300.00% more. 200 MP vs 50 MP.
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. The single most decisive one: Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
Both ship with comparable ram, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs do not 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 says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra or ASUS - ROG Phone 9?
Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra leads the current Mars Score by 1.8 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, pixel density, battery capacity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra if…
Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra has the measurable edge on main cam mp, pixel density ppi, screen size in.
Choose ASUS - ROG Phone 9 if…
ASUS - ROG Phone 9 has the measurable edge on front cam mp, refresh rate hz, battery capacity mah.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
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
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S26 Ultra | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 |
|---|---|---|
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| AnTuTuⓘ | 2310000 | 2580000lead |
| CPU total clockⓘ | 22.8 GHzlead | 22.0 GHz |
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.