iPhone Air vs Galaxy S26 Ultra

214g

Width

74.7mm

Source

78.1mm

Thickness

5.64mm

Source

7.9mm

Screen size

6.5″

Nominal diagonal; actual viewable area is smaller.

Source

6.9″

Published peak brightnessManufacturer peak claims use different test conditions.

3000 nits

Published outdoor peak · Outdoor peak claim.

Source

2600 nits

Pixel density

460 ppi

Source

498.01 ppi

Maximum refresh rate

120Hz

Adaptive ProMotion.

Source

120Hz

Native telephoto reach

No dedicated lensDedicated telephoto reach · The 2× mode crops the main sensor; there is no dedicated telephoto module.

Source

5×

Rear camera modules

Source

8K video recording

NoThe complete recording-mode list reaches 4K at 60 fps.

Source

Yes

Claimed video playbackUp-to manufacturer claims. Playback protocols differ.

27 hours

Claimed local video playback · Apple UK up-to claim, without an external battery; not mixed-use battery life.

Source

31 hours

Wireless charging

Yes

Source

Yes

Published support term

Not verifiedUpdate policy

Source

7 years

Display specification

6.5-inch OLED; 2736 × 1260; 460 ppi; adaptive refresh up to 120 Hz

Source

Not verified

Chipset

Apple A19 Pro · 6 CPU cores · 5 GPU cores · 16-core Neural Engine

Source

Not verified

RAM and storage configuration

256 GB fixed storage; RAM capacity is not stated in the checked Apple specification.

Source

Not verified

Camera system

48 MP main, f/1.6; 12 MP 2× crop mode from the main sensor; 18 MP front camera. There is one rear camera module.

Source

Not verified

Battery and charging

Apple claim: up to 27 h local video or 22 h streaming; up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with a separately sold 20W or higher USB-C adapter. MagSafe / Qi2 charging up to 20W. Battery capacity in mAh is not stated.

Source

Not verified

Dimensions

156.2 × 74.7 × 5.64 mm (height × width × thickness)

Source

Not verified

Regional SIM / network configuration

UK A3517; eSIM only, with two active eSIMs; no physical SIM slot. 5G sub-6 GHz; carrier services need separate confirmation.

Source

Not verified

Storage

256 GB

Source

Not verified

RAM

Not verifiedNot stated in the checked manufacturer specification; not treated as zero or absent.

Source

Not verified

Panel technology

OLED

Source

Not verified

Display resolution

2736 × 1260

Source

Not verified

Height

156.2 mm

Source

Not verified

Form factor

slab

Source

Not verified

Colour

Space Black

Source

Not verified

Claimed streamed video

22 hoursApple UK up-to claim.

Source

Not verified

Time to 50% wired charge

30 minutesApple claim using a separately sold 20W or higher USB-C adapter.

Source

Not verified

MagSafe / Qi2 power

20 WCompatible charger and adapter required.

Source

Not verified

eSIM only

Yes

Source

Not verified

Ingress protection

IP68Apple laboratory condition: 6 m for 30 minutes. Resistance is not permanent.

Source

Not verified

Optical-quality crop reach

2 ×Main-sensor crop mode, not a separate telephoto lens.

Source

Not verified

Front camera

18 MP, f/1.9; autofocus; Center Stage

Source

Not verified

Published professional camera workflows

0The model counts RAW stills, professional codecs, log capture and external production tools. The checked capture formats list HEIF/JPEG and HEVC/H.264; none of these four workflows is listed.

Source

Not verified

USB connection

USB-C; USB 2 data up to 480 Mb/s

Source

Not verified

Wireless connectivity

Wi-Fi 7 · Bluetooth 6 · Thread · second-generation UWB

Source

Not verified

Device unlock

Face ID

Source

Not verified

Listed operating system

iOS 26

Source

Not verified

Apple UK reference price

£1,099Exact 256 GB configuration price checked on 10 September 2026; not a current retailer quote.

Source

Not verified

Exact variants · Manufacturer specificationsView sources

GO BEYOND THE SPECS

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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 Ultra matches value at£1,752.03

vs iPhone Air
£1,099.00 reference MSRP

MORE SCORE PER £ ↑

Galaxy S26 UltraiPhone Air reference

Try a Galaxy S26 Ultra price£1,279.00

Galaxy S26 Ultra 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.11 cited sources for this pair. Every number has a story.See the evidence

Your selected categories: Display, Camera, 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 Air

256 GB · checked 10 Sept 2026

Your weighted score58.2 / 100Selected categories: Display, Camera, Battery.

(93.00 × 1 + 8.00 × 1 + 73.47 × 1) ÷ 3

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

Camera8.0 / 100

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

Selected weight: 1.

medium confidence · 100% model coverage

Native telephoto reachSource value: 0

0.00 × 25% = 0.00

Main-sensor crop mode, not a separate telephoto lens.

Published optical-quality reachSource value: 2

20.00 × 15% = 3.00

Main-sensor crop mode, not a separate telephoto lens.

Published pro workflowsSource value: 0

0.00 × 35% = 0.00

The model counts RAW stills, professional codecs, log capture and external production tools. The checked capture formats list HEIF/JPEG and HEVC/H.264; none of these four workflows is listed.

8K recording availableSource value: 0

0.00 × 5% = 0.00Apple

Native rear camera modulesSource value: 1

25.00 × 20% = 5.00Apple

Category score = 0.00 + 3.00 + 0.00 + 0.00 + 5.00 = 8.00

Battery73.5 / 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: 27

77.14 × 65% = 50.14

Apple UK up-to claim, without an external battery; not mixed-use battery life.

Manufacturer-claimed charging rateSource value: 1.67

66.67 × 35% = 23.33

Apple claim using a separately sold 20W or higher USB-C adapter. 50 divided by 30 minutes; not a sustained charging rate.

Category score = 50.14 + 23.33 = 73.47

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

Weight165 gmanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Width74.7 mmmanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Thickness5.64 mmmanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Display size6.5 inchesmanufacturer · high confidence

Nominal diagonal; actual viewable area is smaller.

Peak brightness3000 nitsmanufacturer · high confidence

Outdoor peak claim.

Claimed video playback27 hoursmanufacturer · high confidence

Apple UK up-to claim, without an external battery; not mixed-use battery life.

Claimed charging rate1.6666666666666667% per minutecalculated · low confidence

Apple claim using a separately sold 20W or higher USB-C adapter. 50 divided by 30 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 onlyYesmanufacturer · high confidenceApple

IP ratingIP68manufacturer · high confidence

Apple laboratory condition: 6 m for 30 minutes. Resistance is not permanent.

RAMNot verified

not published

Pixel density460 ppimanufacturer · high confidenceApple

Maximum refresh rate120 Hzmanufacturer · high confidence

Adaptive ProMotion.

Native telephoto reach0×manufacturer · high confidence

The 2× mode crops the main sensor; there is no dedicated telephoto module.

Claimed optical-quality reach2×manufacturer · high confidence

Main-sensor crop mode, not a separate telephoto lens.

Rear camera modules1manufacturer · high confidenceApple

8K recordingNomanufacturer · high confidence

The complete recording-mode list reaches 4K at 60 fps.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK Samsung UK

Reference MSRP£1,099.00Apple

All sources3

Apple UK iPhone Air technical specificationsApple · accessed 2026-09-10
Apple UK iPhone Air configurationsApple · accessed 2026-09-10
iPhone Air exact UK configurationApple · accessed 2026-09-10

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

256 GB · checked 4 Sept 2026

Your weighted score92.7 / 100Selected categories: Display, Camera, Battery.

(94.32 × 1 + 91.25 × 1 + 92.57 × 1 + 100.00 × 0) ÷ 3

Display94.3 / 100

Scores Samsung-published 2,600-nit peak brightness and 120Hz, plus 498.01 ppi calculated from its published resolution and full-rectangle diagonal. Brightness is not independently measured.

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: 498.01

99.01 × 35% = 34.65

Samsung does not publish PPI. This value is calculated from its published 3120x1440 resolution and 6.9-inch full-rectangle diagonal.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK Samsung UK

Maximum adaptive refresh rateSource value: 120

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

Category score = 34.67 + 34.65 + 25.00 = 94.32

Camera91.3 / 100

A published-capability score, not an image-quality verdict. It counts native 5x reach, Samsung's 10x optical-quality mode, four rear modules, 8K and three named pro workflows.

Selected weight: 1.

medium confidence · 100% model coverage

Native telephoto reachSource value: 5

100.00 × 25% = 25.00

Samsung identifies 3x and 5x as optical zoom and 2x and 10x as Adaptive Pixel optical-quality zoom.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Developer Samsung Support UK

Published optical-quality reachSource value: 10

100.00 × 15% = 15.00

Samsung identifies 3x and 5x as optical zoom and 2x and 10x as Adaptive Pixel optical-quality zoom.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Developer Samsung Support UK

Published pro workflowsSource value: 3

75.00 × 35% = 26.25

Counts Samsung Log, Expert RAW and recording to external USB storage. Samsung does not publish genlock support. This measures support, not output quality.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Developer Samsung Support UK

8K recording availableSource value: 1

100.00 × 5% = 5.00Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Developer Samsung Support UK

Native rear camera modulesSource value: 4

100.00 × 20% = 20.00Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Developer Samsung Support UK

Category score = 25.00 + 15.00 + 26.25 + 5.00 + 20.00 = 91.25

Battery92.6 / 100

Combines Samsung's up-to 31-hour local-720p-video estimate with its up-to-75%-in-around-30-minutes claim. Different manufacturer test methods make cross-brand confidence low.

Selected weight: 1.

low confidence · 100% model coverage

Manufacturer-claimed local video playbackSource value: 31

88.57 × 65% = 57.57

Samsung's up-to figure is an internal estimate using a locally stored 720p video on pre-release hardware; it is not mixed-use or web-browsing endurance.

Samsung UK

Manufacturer-claimed charging rateSource value: 2.5

100.00 × 35% = 35.00

Derived from Samsung's up-to-75% in around 30 minutes claim with a 60W adapter; it is not a sustained charging rate.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Business UK

Category score = 57.57 + 35.00 = 92.57

PerformanceNot scored

Samsung publishes chip identity and relative generation-over-generation claims, but no comparable cross-platform benchmark under this methodology.

Not included in your current weighted score.

Missing: Comparable independently measured CPU benchmark, Comparable independently measured GPU benchmark, Comparable sustained-performance test.

Longevity100.0 / 100

Samsung promises seven OS generations and seven years of security updates from global launch; this scores the published seven-year commitment at the model ceiling.

Not included in your current weighted score.

high confidence · 100% model coverage

Published software-support durationSource value: 7

100.00 × 100% = 100.00

Samsung promises seven OS generations and seven years of security updates from global launch; its UK business specification lists security support through 28 February 2033.

Category score = 100.00 = 100.00

Specifications & verification

Weight214 gmanufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK

Width78.1 mmmanufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK

Thickness7.9 mmmanufacturer · high confidenceSamsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK

Display size6.9 inchesmanufacturer · high confidence

Full-rectangle diagonal; Samsung states 6.7 inches accounting for rounded corners and that actual viewable area is smaller.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK

Peak brightness2600 nitsmanufacturer · medium confidence

Manufacturer-published peak, not an independent measurement.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung UK

Claimed video playback31 hoursmanufacturer · medium confidence

Manufacturer up-to claim; not mixed-use endurance.

Samsung internal estimate on pre-release hardware with a locally stored 720p video, Bluetooth earphones and default settings over LTE.

Samsung UK

Claimed charging rate2.5% per minutecalculated · low confidence

A normalized rate derived from an approximate manufacturer claim, not a sustained measurement. A 60W adapter is required and sold separately.

75 percent divided by approximately 30 minutes.

Samsung Newsroom UK Samsung Business UK

Published total support7 yearsmanufacturer · high confidence

Seven OS generations and seven years of security updates from global launch; UK security-support date is listed as 28 February 2033.

Wireless chargingYesmanufacturer · high confidence

Samsung lists WPC-compatible Super Fast Wireless Charging; its UK launch table does not state wattage.

Reverse wireless chargingYesmanufacturer · high confidence

Published as Wireless PowerShare, subject to Samsung's compatibility and battery-level limitations.

Headphone jackNomanufacturer · high confidence

Samsung lists the earjack as USB Type-C rather than a 3.5mm socket.

Samsung Business UK

Expandable storageNomanufacturer · high confidence

Samsung's UK comparison table marks Micro SD as N/A.

Samsung UK

eSIM onlyNomanufacturer · high confidence

The UK specification supports nano-SIM and eSIM combinations.

Samsung Business UK

IP ratingIP68manufacturer · high confidence

Samsung's lab claim is up to 1.5m of fresh water for 30 minutes; resistance is not permanent.