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Smartphone comparison

iPhone Air vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

Compare cameras, battery, screen and everyday features.

Compared products
01Selected
iPhone Air

iPhone Air

  • 165 g.
  • About 6.5 inch screen.
  • Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) processor.
  • 12 GB RAM in this version.
  • Storage: NVMe.
KSh 123,000In Stock
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02
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

  • 190 g.
  • About 120 Hz display refresh rate.
  • About 6.7 inch screen.
  • Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) - US/CA/CN, Xclipse 960 - ROW graphics.
  • 12 GB RAM in this version.
KSh 112,000In Stock
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iPhone 17KSh 117,000
iPhone 16 ProKSh 134,000
Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraKSh 121,000
Google Pixel 10 Pro XLKSh 125,000
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraKSh 124,000
OnePlus Ace 5 ProKSh 120,500
Google Pixel 11 Pro XL 256GBKSh 132,000
2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

With the same 12 GB of RAM and IP68 rating, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus runs Android and has a much bigger battery (4,900 mAh), optical zoom, 8K video recording and a larger 6.7-inch, sharper screen, while the iPhone Air runs iOS and has a brighter screen for outdoor use, sharper selfies (18 MP) and a premium titanium build with a glass back.

Weight

iPhone Air
165 g
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus
190 g

Display

iPhone Air
About 6.5 inch screen
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus
About 6.7 inch screen

Performance

iPhone Air
Apple GPU (5-core graphics) graphics
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) - US/CA/CN Xclipse 960 - ROW graphics

Storage

iPhone Air
NVMe
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus
UFS 4.X

Battery capacity

iPhone Air
3,149 mAh battery capacity
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus
4,900 mAh battery capacity

Key differences

The main differences to help you choose.

iPhone Air

  • Higher rated immersion depth: 6 m (vs 1.5 m), both IP68.
  • Brighter display: up to 3,000 nits (vs 2,600).
  • Higher-resolution selfie camera: 18 MP (vs 12 MP).
  • Titanium frame and glass back (vs aluminium frame and glass back).
  • Lighter: 165 g (vs 190 g).
  • Slimmer: 5.6 mm thick (vs 7.3 mm).

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

  • Bigger battery: 4,900 mAh (vs 3,149 mAh).
  • Telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
  • Sharper screen: 516 ppi (vs 460 ppi).
  • Larger 6.7-inch screen (vs 6.5-inch).
  • Rated for more charge cycles: 1,200 (vs 1,000).
  • 8K video recording (vs 4K).

What matters most to you?

Choose any priorities

How each product answers the questions buyers ask most. Tick a topic to add it, untick one to hide it.

More topicsFewer topics
6 priorities selected.
How each product answers the selected priorities
PriorityiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Display6.5-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 460 ppi6.7-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 516 ppi
Camera48 MP main camera with OIS50 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 3x telephoto camera
PerformanceApple A19 Pro processorQualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor
StorageUp to 1 TB storageUp to 512 GB storage
Battery capacity3,149 mAh battery4,900 mAh battery
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min45 W wired, 20 W wireless charging

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
BrandAppleSamsung
ModelApple iPhone AirGalaxy S26+
Announced2025, September 092026, February 25
Device type / form familySmartphone—
Release statusAvailable. Released 2025, September 19Available. Released 2026, March 06
Model numbersiPhone18,4, A3517, A3260, A3518, A3516SM-S947B, SM-S947B/DS, SM-S947U, SM-S947U1, SM-S947W, SM-S947N, SM-S9470, SM-S947E, SM-S947E/DS
SAR (US)1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body)—
SAR (EU)1.49 W/kg (head) 1.49 W/kg (body)0.78 W/kg (head)     1.22 W/kg (body)
Measured display brightness998 nits max brightness (measured)—
Measured loudspeaker loudness-29.8 LUFS (Average)—
Battery testActive use score 12:44h—
EU label energyClass A—
EU label battery40:00h endurance, 1000 cycles—
EU label free fallClass B (180 falls)—
EU label repairabilityClass C—
SAR—1.15 W/kg (head)     1.17 W/kg (body)

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Dimensions156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6 mm (6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 in)158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm (6.24 x 2.98 x 0.29 in)
Weight165 g (5.82 oz)190 g (6.70 oz)
Build materialsGlass front (Ceramic Shield 2), titanium frame (grade 5), glass back (Ceramic Shield)Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame

Display

Display specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
DisplayLTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak); 6.5 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio)Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak); 6.7 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio)
Screen resolution1260 x 2736 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~516 ppi density)
Display protectionCeramic Shield 2Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Display featuresAnti-reflective coatingDynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
Display technologyLTPO Super Retina XDR OLED—
Display size6.5 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio)—
Refresh rate120Hz—
Brightness1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak)—
HDR formatsHDR10, Dolby Vision—
Pixel density~460 ppi—
Aspect ratio19.5:9 ratio—
Screen-to-body ratio~89.9% screen-to-body ratio—

Performance

Performance specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
ProcessorApple A19 Pro (3 nm)Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) - US/CA/CN Exynos 2600 (2 nm) - ROW
CPUHexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz)Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) - US/CA/CN 10-core (1x3.80GHz C1-Ultra & 3x3.25GHz C1-Pro & 6x2.75GHz C1-Pro) - ROW
GPUApple GPU (5-core graphics)Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) - US/CA/CN Xclipse 960 - ROW
Process node3 nm—

Memory & Storage

Memory & Storage specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
RAM12GB12GB
Storage256GB, 512GB, 1TB256GB / 512GB
Storage technologyNVMeUFS 4.X
Expandable storageNoNo
Memory configurations256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM

Cameras

Cameras specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Rear camera48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
Front camera18 MP multi-aspect, f/1.9, 20mm (ultrawide), PDAF; SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Rear camera featuresDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)Best Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Rear camera video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec.8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Front camera featuresHDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec.HDR, HDR10+
Front camera video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Wide camera48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS—

Battery & Charging

Battery & Charging specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
BatteryLi-Ion 3149 mAhLi-Ion 4900 mAh
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min; 20 wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China); 4.5W reverse wired45W wired, PD3.0, 69% in 30 min 20W wireless (Qi2.2) 4.5W reverse wireless
Battery technologyLi-Ion—
Wireless charging20 wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China)20W wireless (Qi2.2); 4.5W reverse wireless
Reverse charging4.5W reverse wired4.5W reverse wireless

Software

Software specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Operating systemiOS 26, upgradable to iOS 27Android 16, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates, One UI 9

Network

Network specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
NetworkGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
SIMeSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; CDMA 800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100; CDMA2000 1xEV-DOHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100; CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66 - A3517; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3260; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - A35181, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA unlocked
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3517; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3260; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A35181, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA unlocked
Network speedHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 MbpsHSPA, LTE (CA), 5G

Connectivity

Connectivity specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
NFCYesYes
Bluetooth6.0, A2DP, LE6.0, A2DP, LE
Wi-FiWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
PositioningGPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS, BDS, NavICGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG
Ultra Wideband (UWB)Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip)Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Satellite featuresEmergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite—

Durability

Durability specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Water resistanceIP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min)IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor Aluminum 2

Features

Features specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
SensorsFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
ColorsSpace Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky BlueCobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold
Desktop mode—Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)

Audio

Audio specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
LoudspeakersYesYes, with stereo speakers
3.5 mm headphone jackNoNo
Audio features—High-bitrate audio support

Tests

Tests specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Performance—AnTuTu: 2459298 (v10), 3142032 (v11) GeekBench: 10982 (v6) 3DMark: 7138 (Wild Life Extreme)
Display—1498 nits max brightness (measured)
Loudspeaker—-26.2 LUFS (Good)
Battery—Active use score 16:25h

EU label

EU label specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Plus
Energy—Class A
Battery—55:00h endurance, 1200 cycles
Free fall—Class A (270 falls)
Repairability—Class C

Similarities

  • Both have 12 GB RAM.
  • Both have 120 Hz displays.
  • Both are rated IP68.
  • Both have optical image stabilisation.
  • Both support Wi-Fi 7.
  • Both use Bluetooth 6.0.

In summary

For most buyers the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is the better buy; the iPhone Air makes sense if you want iOS.

Back to compared products ↑

In-stock alternatives

Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraFor iPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraView product ↗iPhone 17For iPhone AiriPhone 17View product ↗Google Pixel 9 Pro XLFor Samsung Galaxy S26 PlusGoogle Pixel 9 Pro XLView product ↗

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