iPhone 17 vs Galaxy S26
Verified 2026-10-03
A factual specification comparison between the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S26.
Image: Apple Inc.
Apple · SmartphoneiPhone 17
- Status
- Released · 2025-09-19
- Announced
- Announced 2025-09-09
- Verification
- Verified
- Last checked
- Checked 2026-09-29
Image: Samsung
Samsung · SmartphoneGalaxy S26
- Status
- Released · 2026-03-11
- Announced
- Announced 2026-02-25
- Verification
- Verified
- Last checked
- Checked 2026-10-01
Key differences
SpecificationiPhone 17Galaxy S26
Design & Build
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance (differs) | IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes, IEC 60529) | IP68 |
| Colors (differs) | Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White |
Display
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Display (differs) | 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On display | 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz |
Performance
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset model name (differs) | A19 | Exynos 2600 (global markets); Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (US, Canada, China) — marketing names |
Memory & Storage
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage options (differs) | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB / 12GB RAM, 512GB / 12GB RAM |
Battery & Charging
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Wired charging (differs) | Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with a 40W+ adapter | 25W wired (55% in 30 minutes) |
Camera
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Rear cameras (differs) | Main 48MP, ƒ/1.6; Ultra Wide 48MP, ƒ/2.2 | Wide 50MP, ƒ/1.8; Telephoto 10MP, ƒ/2.4; Ultrawide 12MP, ƒ/2.2 |
Connectivity
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth (differs) | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
Software
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system at launch (differs) | iOS 27 | Android 16, One UI 9 |
Security & Sensors
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Biometric authentication (differs) | Face ID (TrueDepth, Center Stage front camera) | Under-display ultrasonic fingerprint |
These are specifications where both devices have a confirmed value and the values differ. A difference is not a judgement that either device is better. Showing 10 of 20 differences; the full specifications below include all of them.
Full specifications
differs · Not disclosed: not published by the manufacturer · —: not recorded
SpecificationiPhone 17Galaxy S26
Design & Build
5 differences
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance (differs) | IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes, IEC 60529) | IP68 |
| Colors (differs) | Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White |
| Weight (differs) | 177 g (6.24 oz) | 167 g |
| Dimensions (differs) | 149.6 × 71.5 × 7.95 mm | 149.6 × 71.7 × 7.2 mm |
| Build materials (differs) | Aluminum frame, Ceramic Shield 2 front, color-infused glass back | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front/back, Armor Aluminum 2 frame |
Display
3 differences
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Display (differs) | 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On display | 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz |
| Peak brightness (nits) (differs) | 3000 | 2600 |
| Refresh rate (Hz) | 120 · same on both | |
| Resolution (differs) | 2622×1206 pixels (460 ppi) | 2340×1080 pixels (FHD+) |
| HDR support | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG | Not recorded |
Performance
2 differences
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset model name (differs) | A19 | Exynos 2600 (global markets); Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (US, Canada, China) — marketing names |
| Chipset (differs) | Apple A19 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency cores) | Deca-core processor (3.8GHz + 3.26GHz + 2.76GHz) — Exynos/Global variant |
Memory & Storage
1 difference
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage options (differs) | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB / 12GB RAM, 512GB / 12GB RAM |
Battery & Charging
3 differences
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Wired charging (differs) | Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with a 40W+ adapter | 25W wired (55% in 30 minutes) |
| Video playback (differs) | Up to 30 hours video playback | Up to 31 hours of video playback |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | Not disclosed | 4300 |
| Wireless charging (differs) | MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W; Qi2 wireless charging up to 25W | 15W (Qi2 Ready) |
Camera
2 differences
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Rear cameras (differs) | Main 48MP, ƒ/1.6; Ultra Wide 48MP, ƒ/2.2 | Wide 50MP, ƒ/1.8; Telephoto 10MP, ƒ/2.4; Ultrawide 12MP, ƒ/2.2 |
| Front cameras (differs) | Center Stage 18MP, ƒ/1.9 | Wide 12MP, ƒ/2.2 |
| Video recording | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p Dolby Vision at 25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K Dolby Vision at 60 fps; slo-mo up to 240 fps | Not recorded |
Connectivity
2 differences
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth (differs) | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| SIM | Dual eSIM (no physical SIM tray) | Not recorded |
| Wi-Fi (differs) | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), tri-band, EHT320, 4096-QAM |
| NFC | Yes · same on both | |
| Cellular technology | 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE | Not recorded |
| Positioning | Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC) | Not recorded |
| USB | USB-C (USB 2, up to 480Mb/s) with DisplayPort support | Not recorded |
Audio
No differences
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Speakers | Built-in stereo speakers | Not recorded |
Software
1 difference
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system at launch (differs) | iOS 27 | Android 16, One UI 9 |
Security & Sensors
1 difference
| Specification | iPhone 17 | Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Biometric authentication (differs) | Face ID (TrueDepth, Center Stage front camera) | Under-display ultrasonic fingerprint |
Terms used on this page (10)
- ppi
- Pixels per inch: how densely pixels are packed on the screen.
- Nits
- A unit of screen brightness (candela per square metre). Typical, HDR and outdoor peak figures are measured under different conditions.
- Refresh rate (Hz)
- How many times per second the display can redraw the image.
- IP rating
- Ingress protection under IEC 60529: the first digit rates dust protection, the second water protection, each under the manufacturer's stated test conditions.
- mAh and Wh
- Battery capacity. mAh is charge; Wh also accounts for voltage, so it is the more comparable energy figure across device types.
- eSIM
- A SIM built into the device and activated digitally instead of a physical card.
- Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi 7
- Wi-Fi 6E adds the 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi 6; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) adds wider channels and multi-link operation. Real speeds depend on the router and network.
- Aperture (ƒ-number)
- A lower ƒ-number means a wider lens opening that lets in more light.
- OLED
- A display whose pixels emit their own light, so black areas can be fully dark; LCDs use a separate backlight.
- Qi2 / MagSafe
- Wireless charging standards with magnetic alignment; the quoted wattage is the maximum with a compatible charger.
Sources & verification
iPhone 17
Verified 2026-09-29- Apple Inc.Manufacturer specificationsTier 1
- Apple Inc.Manufacturer newsroomTier 1
Galaxy S26
Verified 2026-10-01- SamsungManufacturer newsroomTier 1
- Samsung ElectronicsManufacturerTier 1
- Samsung ElectronicsManufacturerTier 1
- Samsung Newsroom — Galaxy S26 series unveilingManufacturer newsroomTier 1
- GSMArena — Samsung Galaxy S26Independent technical sourceTier 2
Tier 1 sources are the manufacturer's own product pages, technical specification sheets, or support documentation. Tier 2 sources are reputable independent technical references, used only for facts that couldn't be confirmed from official documentation, as is the case for some facts here.