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Smartphone comparison

iPhone Air vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

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 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

  • 214 g.
  • About 120 Hz display refresh rate.
  • About 6.9 inch screen.
  • Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) processor.
  • Storage: UFS 4.X.
KSh 124,000In Stock
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iPhone 17KSh 117,000
iPhone 16 ProKSh 134,000
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OnePlus Ace 5 ProKSh 120,500
Google Pixel 11 Pro XL 256GBKSh 132,000
Xiaomi 17 Pro MaxKSh 129,000
2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra runs Android and has a much bigger battery (5,000 mAh), optical zoom, a higher-resolution main camera (200 MP) and a larger 6.9-inch 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 Ultra
214 g

Display

iPhone Air
About 6.5 inch screen
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
About 6.9 inch screen

Performance

iPhone Air
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) processor
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) processor

Storage

iPhone Air
NVMe
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
UFS 4.X

Battery capacity

iPhone Air
3,149 mAh battery capacity
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
5,000 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 214 g).
  • Slimmer: 5.6 mm thick (vs 7.9 mm).

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

  • Bigger battery: 5,000 mAh (vs 3,149 mAh).
  • Telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
  • Higher-resolution main camera: 200 MP (vs 48 MP).
  • Larger 6.9-inch screen (vs 6.5-inch).
  • Rated for more charge cycles: 1,200 (vs 1,000).
  • Higher frame rates for 4K recording: up to 120 fps (vs 60 fps).

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 Ultra
Display6.5-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 460 ppi6.9-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 500 ppi
Camera48 MP main camera with OIS200 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 3x telephoto camera
PerformanceApple A19 Pro processorQualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor
Memory12 GB RAMUp to 16 GB RAM
Battery capacity3,149 mAh battery5,000 mAh battery
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min60 W wired, 25 W wireless charging

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
BrandAppleSamsung
ModelApple iPhone AirGalaxy S26 Ultra
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-S948B, SM-S948B/DS, SM-S948U, SM-S948U1, SM-S948W, SM-S948N, SM-S9480, SM-S948E, SM-S948E/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)1.28 W/kg (head)     1.35 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—1.09 W/kg (head)     1.19 W/kg (body)

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Dimensions156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6 mm (6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 in)163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in)
Weight165 g (5.82 oz)214 g (7.55 oz)
Build materialsGlass front (Ceramic Shield 2), titanium frame (grade 5), glass back (Ceramic Shield)Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Stylus support—Stylus

Display

Display specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
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); 6.9 inches, 115.9 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 (~500 ppi density)
Display protectionCeramic Shield 2Corning Gorilla Armor 2
Display featuresAnti-reflective coatingDynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) DX anti-reflective coating Privacy Display
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 Ultra
ProcessorApple A19 Pro (3 nm)Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm)
CPUHexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz)Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M)
GPUApple GPU (5-core graphics)Adreno 840 (1.3GHz)
Process node3 nm—

Memory & Storage

Memory & Storage specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
RAM12GB12GB / 16GB
Storage256GB, 512GB, 1TB256GB / 512GB / 1TB
Storage technologyNVMeUFS 4.X
Expandable storageNoNo
Memory configurations256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM

Cameras

Cameras specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Rear camera48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS200 MP, f/1.4, 23mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, 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)Laser AF, 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@30/60/120fps, 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 Ultra
BatteryLi-Ion 3149 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min; 20 wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China); 4.5W reverse wired60W wired, PD3.0, 75% in 30 min 25W wireless (Qi2.2) 4.5W reverse wireless
Battery technologyLi-Ion—
Wireless charging20 wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China)25W wireless (Qi2.2); 4.5W reverse wireless
Reverse charging4.5W reverse wired4.5W reverse wireless

Software

Software specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
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 Ultra
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 Ultra
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 Ultra
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) Stylus Armor Aluminum 2

Features

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

Tests

Tests specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone AirSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Performance—AnTuTu: 2627986 (v10), 3892165 (v11) GeekBench: 11566 (v6) 3DMark: 7744 (Wild Life Extreme)
Display—1480 nits max brightness (measured)
Loudspeaker—-25.9 LUFS (Very good)
Battery—Active use score 16:23h

EU label

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

Similarities

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

In summary

For most buyers the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 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 ↗iPhone 16 ProFor Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraiPhone 16 ProView product ↗

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