iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26+

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

7 years

Display specification

6.9-inch OLED · 2868 × 1320 · 460 ppi · adaptive refresh up to 120 Hz

Source

Not verified

Chipset

Apple A20 Pro · 6 CPU cores · 7 GPU cores · dual 16-core Neural Engine

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

RAM and storage configuration

256 GB fixed storage; RAM capacity is not published in Apple’s specification

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Camera system

48 MP main with f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4 apertures; 48 MP ultrawide; 48 MP 4× telephoto; 8× optical-quality crop mode

Source

Not verified

Battery and charging

UK claim: up to 43 h local video; up to 50% in 15 minutes with a 60W-capable USB-C adapter supporting AVS; adapter sold separately. Battery capacity in mAh is not published.

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Dimensions

163.4 × 78 × 8.75 mm (height × width × thickness)

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Regional SIM / network configuration

UK model A3717: nano-SIM + eSIM and dual-eSIM support; 5G sub-6 GHz. Carrier services need separate confirmation.

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Storage

256 GB

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

RAM

Not verifiedNot published by Apple in the checked specification.

Source

Not verified

Height

163.4 mm

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Form factor

slab

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Colour

Burgundy

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Claimed streamed video

38 hoursApple UK claim.

Source

Not verified

Time to 50% wired charge

15 minutesApple claim with a separately sold 60W-capable adapter supporting AVS.

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

MagSafe / Qi2 charging

25 WCompatible charger and adapter required.

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Ingress protection

IP68Apple controlled test: 6 metres for 30 minutes; resistance is not permanent.

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

eSIM only

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Optical-quality zoom

8 ×Manufacturer crop-mode claim; not a separate lens.

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Front cameras

18 MP Center Stage · f/1.9 · autofocus

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Connections

USB-C · DisplayPort · USB 3 up to 10 Gb/s

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Wireless connectivity

Wi-Fi 7 · Bluetooth 6 · Thread

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Biometric authentication

Face ID

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Launch operating system

iOS 27

Source

Not verified

Announced

2026-09-09

Source

Not verified

Pre-orders open

2026-09-12

Source

Not verified

Announced availability

2026-09-18

Source

Not verified

Apple UK reference price

£1,299Announced 256 GB configuration price; not a current retailer offer.

Source

Apple US iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

US specification difference

US model is eSIM-only; Apple lists 45 h local video and 40 h streamed video. Those figures are not substituted for this UK model.

Source

Not verified

Published professional camera workflows

4The existing capability model counts RAW stills, professional codecs, log capture and external production tools. Apple lists ProRAW, ProRes, Apple Log 2 and Genlock.

Source

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specifications

Not verified

Exact variants · Manufacturer specificationsView sources

GO BEYOND THE SPECS

A little perspective. A better decision.

Make this comparison yours.

THE PRICE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING

What price changes your mind?

A great phone. An even better deal. Find the point where the value flips.

Galaxy S26+ matches value at£1,241.39

vs iPhone 18 Pro Max
£1,299.00 reference MSRP

MORE SCORE PER £ ↑

Galaxy S26+iPhone 18 Pro Max reference

Try a Galaxy S26+ price£1,099.00

Galaxy S26+ offers more score per £ at this price.

A score-per-price simulation, not an objective buying verdict. Starts from reference MSRP; no live retailer offers.

Good comparisons start with good sources.7 cited sources for this pair. Every number has a story.See the evidence

Your selected categories: Display, Battery. Scores reflect published capabilities, not hands-on testing. Manufacturer battery claims can use different test conditions. Verified specifications remain visible even where a category cannot be scored.

How we calculate scores

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max

256 GB · checked 9 Sept 2026

Your weighted score96.5 / 100Selected categories: Display, Battery.

(93.00 × 1 + 82.00 × 0 + 100.00 × 1) ÷ 2

Display93.0 / 100

Published brightness, pixel density and maximum refresh under the existing capability model. This is not a laboratory display rating.

Selected weight: 1.

medium confidence · 100% model coverage

Published peak brightnessSource value: 3000

100.00 × 40% = 40.00

Manufacturer-published peak figure; not an independent measurement.

Pixel densitySource value: 460

80.00 × 35% = 28.00

Published or explicitly calculated pixel density.

Maximum adaptive refresh rateSource value: 120

100.00 × 25% = 25.00Apple

Category score = 40.00 + 28.00 + 25.00 = 93.00

Camera82.0 / 100

The existing camera-capability model uses lens reach, modules and published recording workflows. It does not measure photo quality.

Not included in your current weighted score.

medium confidence · 100% model coverage

Native telephoto reachSource value: 4

80.00 × 25% = 20.00

Manufacturer crop-mode claim; not a separate lens.

Published optical-quality reachSource value: 8

80.00 × 15% = 12.00

Manufacturer crop-mode claim; not a separate lens.

Published pro workflowsSource value: 4

100.00 × 35% = 35.00

The existing capability model counts RAW stills, professional codecs, log capture and external production tools. Apple lists ProRAW, ProRes, Apple Log 2 and Genlock.

8K recording availableSource value: 0

0.00 × 5% = 0.00Apple

Native rear camera modulesSource value: 3

75.00 × 20% = 15.00Apple

Category score = 20.00 + 12.00 + 35.00 + 0.00 + 15.00 = 82.00

Battery100.0 / 100

Uses the listed playback mode and short charging claim. Manufacturer protocols differ; this is not measured endurance.

Selected weight: 1.

low confidence · 100% model coverage

Manufacturer-claimed local video playbackSource value: 43

100.00 × 65% = 65.00

Apple UK local-video claim; not a mixed-use endurance test.

Manufacturer-claimed charging rateSource value: 3.33

100.00 × 35% = 35.00

Apple claim with a separately sold 60W-capable adapter supporting AVS. 50 divided by 15 minutes; not a sustained charging rate.

Category score = 65.00 + 35.00 = 100.00

PerformanceNot scored

Comparable independent CPU, GPU and sustained-performance measurements are not available here.

Not included in your current weighted score.

Missing: Independent benchmarks.

LongevityNot scored

The published update policy is listed separately; remaining support is not converted into a quality score.

Not included in your current weighted score.

Missing: Comparable remaining-support scoring methodology.

Specifications & verification

Weight249 gmanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Width78 mmmanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Thickness8.75 mmmanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Display size6.9 inchesmanufacturer · high confidence

Nominal diagonal; actual viewable area is smaller.

Peak brightness3000 nitsmanufacturer · high confidence

Manufacturer claim, not an independent measurement.

Claimed video playback43 hoursmanufacturer · high confidence

Apple UK local-video claim; not a mixed-use endurance test.

Claimed charging rate3.3333333333333335% per minutecalculated · low confidence

Apple claim with a separately sold 60W-capable adapter supporting AVS. 50 divided by 15 minutes; not a sustained charging rate.

Published total supportNot verified

not published

Wireless chargingYesmanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Reverse wireless chargingNot verified

not published

Headphone jackNot verified

not published

Expandable storageNot verified

not published

eSIM onlyNomanufacturer · high confidenceApple

IP ratingIP68manufacturer · high confidence

Apple controlled test: 6 metres for 30 minutes; resistance is not permanent.

RAMNot verified

not published

Pixel density460 ppimanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Maximum refresh rate120 Hzmanufacturer · high confidence

Adaptive ProMotion; refresh depends on content.

Native telephoto reach4×manufacturer · high confidence

Dedicated 100 mm equivalent telephoto.

Claimed optical-quality reach8×manufacturer · high confidence

Manufacturer crop-mode claim; not a separate lens.

Rear camera modules3manufacturer · high confidenceApple

8K recordingNomanufacturer · high confidence

Apple lists recording up to 4K at 120 fps; 8K is not included in the complete published recording specifications.

Reference MSRP£1,299.00Apple

All sources4

Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specificationsApple · accessed 2026-09-09
Apple US iPhone 18 Pro Max technical specificationsApple · accessed 2026-09-09
Apple UK iPhone 18 Pro Max, 256 GB, BurgundyApple · accessed 2026-09-09
Apple announces iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple · accessed 2026-09-09

Samsung Galaxy S26+

256 GB · checked 4 Sept 2026

Your weighted score92.2 / 100Selected categories: Display, Battery.

(94.67 × 1 + 89.77 × 1 + 100.00 × 0) ÷ 2

Display94.7 / 100

Uses Samsung's 2,600-nit peak, calculated pixel density from 3120×1440 / 6.7 inches and maximum adaptive 120Hz. These are published capabilities, not lab quality measurements.

Selected weight: 1.

medium confidence · 100% model coverage

Published peak brightnessSource value: 2600

86.67 × 40% = 34.67

Manufacturer-published peak figure; not an independent measurement.

Pixel densitySource value: 512.88

100.00 × 35% = 35.00

PPI is calculated from published full-rectangle diagonal and resolution; it is not a separately measured specification.

Maximum adaptive refresh rateSource value: 120

100.00 × 25% = 25.00Samsung Business UK Samsung Newsroom UK

Category score = 34.67 + 35.00 + 25.00 = 94.67

CameraNot scored

Native zoom, camera modules and 8K support are verified below. A complete model-specific pro-workflow audit is still missing, so the v1 camera score is withheld rather than assuming unknown features are absent.

Not included in your current weighted score.

Missing: Complete verification of the four model-defined pro workflows.

Battery89.8 / 100

Uses Samsung's up-to 31-hour local-video claim and up-to-69%-in-around-30-minutes charging claim. Manufacturer test methods differ across brands.

Selected weight: 1.

low confidence · 100% model coverage

Manufacturer-claimed local video playbackSource value: 31

88.57 × 65% = 57.57

Samsung's internal pre-release estimate uses locally stored 720p video, Bluetooth earphones and default settings over LTE; it is not mixed-use endurance.

Manufacturer-claimed charging rateSource value: 2.3

92.00 × 35% = 32.20

Derived from Samsung's up-to-69% in around 30 minutes with a 45W adapter. Not a sustained charging measurement.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Business UK

Category score = 57.57 + 32.20 = 89.77

PerformanceNot scored

No comparable independently measured CPU/GPU and sustained-performance results are included.

Not included in your current weighted score.

Missing: Comparable CPU, GPU and sustained-performance measurements.

Longevity100.0 / 100

Samsung's seven-year security-update commitment reaches the v1 duration ceiling. This is total support from launch, not support remaining today.

Not included in your current weighted score.

high confidence · 100% model coverage

Published software-support durationSource value: 7

100.00 × 100% = 100.00

Seven years from global launch; not an estimate of physical lifespan.

Category score = 100.00 = 100.00

Specifications & verification

Weight190 gmanufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Business UK Samsung Newsroom UK

Width75.8 mmmanufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Business UK Samsung Newsroom UK

Thickness7.3 mmmanufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Business UK Samsung Newsroom UK

Display size6.7 inchesmanufacturer · high confidence

Full-rectangle diagonal; actual viewable area is smaller. The model-specific specification takes precedence over the buying guide's inconsistent S26 6.2-inch table entry.

Peak brightness2600 nitsmanufacturer · medium confidence

Manufacturer's FAQ lists 2,600-nit peak for both S26 and S26+; not independently measured.

Claimed video playback31 hoursmanufacturer · medium confidence

Samsung's internal pre-release estimate uses locally stored 720p video, Bluetooth earphones and default settings over LTE; it is not mixed-use endurance.

Claimed charging rate2.3% per minutecalculated · low confidence

Derived from Samsung's up-to-69% in around 30 minutes with a 45W adapter. Not a sustained charging measurement.

69 percent divided by approximately 30 minutes.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Business UK

Published total support7 yearsmanufacturer · high confidence

Seven years of security updates from launch, not seven years remaining from today. Model-specific security support is listed to 28 February 2033.

Wireless chargingYesmanufacturer · high confidence

Samsung publishes WPC-compatible wireless charging.

Reverse wireless chargingYesmanufacturer · high confidence

Published as Wireless PowerShare; subject to device compatibility and battery-level restrictions.

Headphone jackNomanufacturer · high confidence

The earjack specification is USB Type-C, not a 3.5mm socket.

Expandable storageNomanufacturer · high confidence

Samsung's model comparison marks Micro SD as N/A. Storage capacity is verified against the model-specific specification.

Samsung UK

eSIM onlyNomanufacturer · high confidence

The UK model supports nano-SIM and eSIM combinations.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Business UK

IP ratingIP68manufacturer · high confidence

Controlled-lab fresh-water claim: up to 1.5m for 30 minutes. Resistance is not permanent.

RAM12 GBmanufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Business UK Samsung Newsroom UK

Native telephoto reach3×manufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Business UK Samsung Newsroom UK

Claimed optical-quality reach2×manufacturer · high confidence

Published Adaptive Pixel mode at 2x. A separate native telephoto lens reaches 3x; this value is the named sensor-crop mode, not maximum optical reach.

Rear camera modules3manufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Business UK Samsung Newsroom UK

8K recordingYesmanufacturer · high confidence

Samsung lists 8K recording at 30fps, distinct from playback capabilities.