The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max is set to challenge Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra with comparable display and pricing, while potentially surpassing Samsung in performance and battery life features, signalling a closer race than ever before.
Apple’s next premium iPhone appears set to enter the market in direct competition with Samsung’s current Android flagship, and the contest may be tighter than the names suggest. According to Tom’s Guide, the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra are both expected to carry 6.9-inch displays, top-tier chipsets and starting prices of $1,299, placing them in the same bracket for buyers weighing up the biggest and most expensive handsets.
The strongest difference may be timing. Tom’s Guide reports that Apple has scheduled its September event for 9 September 2026, where it is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro line and its new foldable iPhone Ultra, while the standard iPhone 18 is said to have slipped to 2027. That leaves the Pro Max as the main non-folding iPhone in this cycle, and it is also expected to absorb a price rise, albeit a smaller one than earlier rumours suggested.
On design, the changes are likely to be restrained. Tom’s Guide says the iPhone 18 Pro Max should look much like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with only small adjustments to thickness, weight and the size of the Dynamic Island. Samsung, by contrast, has already launched the Galaxy S26 Ultra with a familiar Ultra-style design, a built-in S Pen and its new Privacy Display feature, which limits side viewing on selected apps. That gives Samsung a practical lead in usability, even if the overall hardware language is not dramatically different from last year.
Performance is where Apple may regain ground. The Galaxy S26 Ultra, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, already posts strong benchmark results and ships with either 12GB or 16GB of memory. But Tom’s Guide says the iPhone 18 Pro Max is likely to use Apple’s A20 Pro chip, reportedly built on a 2nm process, which could bring a meaningful jump in speed and efficiency. If the leak proves accurate, Apple may overtake Samsung in raw performance after trailing or matching it in some current-generation tests.
Battery life could be another area where Apple stretches ahead. Tom’s Guide says the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumoured to use a larger cell than the 17 Pro Max, with capacity varying depending on whether the phone includes a SIM tray. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra uses a 5,000mAh battery, which is respectable but smaller on paper. In Tom’s Guide’s testing, the S26 Ultra lasted 16 hours and 10 minutes, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max managed 17 hours and 54 minutes, suggesting Apple may widen the gap further if the reported battery gains arrive.
The cameras may tell a more mixed story. Samsung currently leads Tom’s Guide’s camera-phone rankings, helped by a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide lens and dual telephoto cameras at 3x and 5x. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is still rumoured to keep a three-camera 48MP layout, but Tom’s Guide says variable aperture could be the differentiator, allowing more control over light intake and depth of field. That would not necessarily beat Samsung on specification count, but it could give Apple a more serious tool for experienced photographers. For now, the clearer conclusion is that Samsung remains the safer all-round Android choice, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max may be the more compelling performance upgrade, if the rumours prove correct.
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