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iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra

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Starting at

£923.39

£1,199 new

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Starting at

£863.99

£1,279 new

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iPhone 17 Pro MaxStarting at £923.39See options
Galaxy S26 UltraStarting at £863.99See options
1.0/5 (1 review)
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In a nutshell

They share the same 6.9-inch screen size, the same 120Hz refresh rate and the same IP68 rating. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the lower launch price, a brighter 3000-nit screen and faster USB transfers. The Galaxy S26 Ultra counters with longer OS support until about 2033 (est.), a 5x optical telephoto and a lighter 214g body.

At 256GB, the iPhone 17 Pro Max launched at £1199 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra at £1279.

Available models

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Capacity

Condition grades in stock

Pristine, Excellent, Great, Good

Galaxy S26 Ultra

Capacity

Condition grades in stock

Pristine, Excellent, Great, Good

Durability

iPhone 17 Pro Max 89/100
Galaxy S26 Ultra 95/100

The Galaxy S26 Ultra should be supported for longer, with OS updates until about 2033 (est.) against about 2032 (est.) on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Software support:The iPhone 17 Pro Max should get OS updates until about 2032 (est.) and the Galaxy S26 Ultra until about 2033 (est.). That gives the Galaxy S26 Ultra the longer support window.

Frame:The iPhone 17 Pro Max has an aluminium frame and the Galaxy S26 Ultra an armour aluminium one.

Front glass:The iPhone 17 Pro Max has Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and the Galaxy S26 Ultra Gorilla Armor 2.

Weight:The iPhone 17 Pro Max weighs 231g and the Galaxy S26 Ultra 214g, so the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the lighter phone.

Released

2025
2026Newer

Updates until (est.)

2032
2033Supported for longer

Water resistance

IP68
IP68

Frame

Aluminium
Armour Aluminium

Weight

231g
214gLighter

Release date

19 September 2025
11 March 2026

Front glass

Ceramic Shield 2
Gorilla Armor 2

Dimensions

163.4 x 78 x 8.75 mm
163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm

Biometrics

Face ID
–

Repairability

EU repairability class C
EU repairability class C

Security updates until

–
2033

Performance

iPhone 17 Pro Max 94/100
Galaxy S26 Ultra 100/100

The iPhone 17 Pro Max runs the A19 Pro and the Galaxy S26 Ultra the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.

AI features:The iPhone 17 Pro Max supports Apple Intelligence and the Galaxy S26 Ultra supports Galaxy AI.

Storage:The iPhone 17 Pro Max launched in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB and the Galaxy S26 Ultra in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

Chip

A19 Pro
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy

RAM

12GB
–

Storage options

256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
256GB, 512GB, 1TB

AI features

Yes
Yes

Screen quality

iPhone 17 Pro Max 98/100
Galaxy S26 Ultra 97/100

The same 6.9-inch size and the same 120Hz refresh rate on both.

Panel:The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses a Super Retina XDR OLED panel at 2868 x 1320 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 3120 x 1440.

Brightness:The iPhone 17 Pro Max peaks at 3000 nits against 2600 on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, by the makers' figures, so it is easier to read in bright sun.

Screen size

6.9"
6.9"

Screen type

Super Retina XDR OLED
Dynamic AMOLED 2X

Refresh rate

120Hz
120Hz

Resolution

2868 x 1320
3120 x 1440

Peak brightness

3000 nits (maker figure)
2600 nits (maker figure)

Camera

iPhone 17 Pro Max 85/100
Galaxy S26 Ultra 83/100

The Galaxy S26 Ultra reaches further, with a 5x optical telephoto.

Main camera:The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 200MP main camera against 48MP on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which leaves more detail to crop into.

Ultrawide:The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 48MP ultrawide and the Galaxy S26 Ultra a 50MP one.

Zoom:The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 5x optical telephoto against 4x on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, so it gets closer to distant subjects.

Selfies:The iPhone 17 Pro Max has an 18MP selfie camera against 12MP on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Main camera

48MP
200MPMore megapixels

Ultrawide

48MP
50MPMore megapixels

Telephoto

48MP
50MP

Optical zoom

4x
5xMore zoom

Front camera

18MPSharper selfies
12MP

Video recording

4K 120fps Dolby Vision
8K 30fps

Battery

iPhone 17 Pro Max 100/100
Galaxy S26 Ultra 79/100

Battery

4823mAh
5000mAhBigger battery

Wired charging

–
60W

Wireless charging

MagSafe 25W, Qi2 25W
Qi, Super Fast Wireless Charging

Video playback (maker)

Up to 37 hours
Up to 31 hours

Connectivity

iPhone 17 Pro Max 95/100
Galaxy S26 Ultra 90/100

Both have 5G and the same Wi-Fi 7.

Port:The iPhone 17 Pro Max has USB-C (USB 3, 10Gb/s) and the Galaxy S26 Ultra USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1). The iPhone 17 Pro Max's port moves files faster over a cable.

SIM:The iPhone 17 Pro Max takes Nano-SIM + eSIM and the Galaxy S26 Ultra Dual Nano-SIM or Nano-SIM + eSIM.

Bluetooth:Both have the same Bluetooth 6.

5G

Yes
Yes

Port

USB-C (USB 3, 10Gb/s)
USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7

SIM

Nano-SIM + eSIM
Dual Nano-SIM or Nano-SIM + eSIM

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 6
Bluetooth 6.0

Our verdict

Buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max if you want the lower launch price and a brighter 3000-nit screen. Buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want longer OS support until about 2033 (est.) and a 5x optical telephoto.

Buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max if

  • You want the lower launch price
  • You want a brighter 3000-nit screen
  • You want faster USB transfers
Shop from £923.39

Buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra if

  • You want longer OS support until about 2033 (est.)
  • You want a 5x optical telephoto
  • You want a lighter 214g body
Shop from £863.99

FAQs

The iPhone 17 Pro Max should get OS updates until about 2032 (est.) and the Galaxy S26 Ultra until about 2033 (est.). That gives the Galaxy S26 Ultra the longer support window.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 5x optical telephoto against 4x on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, so it gets closer to distant subjects.

Every Reboxed phone has a minimum of 80% battery health. If you want the closest thing to new, some phones offer our New Battery Upgrade, professionally installed before your phone is dispatched. If it's available, you'll see it on the product page.

Pristine, Excellent, Great and Good. Pristine has zero blemishes and at least 90% battery health. Good can show noticeable wear on the casing but works perfectly. Every grade is TechCheck certified and comes with a 12-month warranty.

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