Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 scores higher on the OH Rank (76 vs 75), winning 2 of 10 categories including Screen and Desktop Replacement. Apple iPhone 17 Pro is 0.2mm wider than Samsung Galaxy S26. Samsung Galaxy S26 is the more recent release, from Mar 4, 2026.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
76
75
Samsung Galaxy S26
71.7mm (2.82in) · Mar 4, 2026 · Rank #34
13+7+13+12+12+5+4+0+5+5 = 76
* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement* TOP Compact
EDITORIAL: Like S26 Ultra and the S26+, the vanilla S26 will be remembered for the sad lack of improvement. S26 gained the latest processor and a silly 300mAh more of battery capacity. And that’s it. Oh, it grew 1.2mm in width – when rivals are all shrinking. Still, in a small world of compacts (pun intended) many will love this phone’s performance, bright screen, proficient imaging, Samsung’s polished ecosystem and having the DeX on board.
PROs
one-hand friendly and well build, fast SD 8 Elite Gen 5 (Exynos 2600 in EU) with UFS 4.0 performance, 24hr endurance from a 4300mAh (old Lithium tech) battery with sub-70min 25W (15 wireless) charging, IP69 protection, very good (same as last year) front and back camera setup with a 50MP 24mm main + 10MP 67mm telephoto (both OIS PDAF) + 12MP 13mm sans-AF ultrawide, excellent 12MP 26mm dual pixel PDAF selfie, above average video recording skills, polished and AI feature-packed OneOS with up to 7 years of updates, excellent DeX and fast USBC 3.2 port with DisplayPort and OTG
CONs
same as last year save for updated processor and extra 300mAh of battery, wider then S25, no expandable memory, walled-off Samsung garden you may wish you didn’t enter
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
71.9mm (2.83in) · Sep 19, 2025 · Rank #43
13+10+11+12+14+5+5+0+5+0 = 75
FLY* BEST Video* TOP Compact
EDITORIAL: A major redesign means bigger and heavier (in every way) 17 Pro with a new camera "plateau". The processor is improved and the first iPhone cooling chamber was added. It comes with a minimum of 256GB of storage, less bright but less reflective screen, new periscope telephoto and a new selfie camera. It has the same starting price as 16 Pro but arrived with no mention of any AI additions. Same old battery tech and 30hr endurance means you may still have to carry a charging brick.
PROs
compact size, attractive new colors (but no black), fast A19 Pro performance with fast NVMe memory, barely 30hr endurance from a 3900mAh battery with a sub-80min 30W wired charging (25W wireless), 460ppi LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED with Dolby Vision and new anti reflective coating, excellent triple (24mm, 100mm & 13mm) 48MP PDAF camera setup (main + periscope with OIS) with ProRes, excellent "Center Stage" 18MP selfie with OIS PDAF and ProRes too, best video recording in industry, stable OS with up to 6 years of updates, USB-C 3.2 with Video-out tech
CONs
sub-1050nits bright screen, 24MP default pic size eats up twice the space and forces use of iCloud (reenforcing dependency on Apple), no expandable memory, no desktop replacement feature, silence on AI improvements, overall lack of innovation Apple used to be known for
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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