iPhone 17 Pro vs Galaxy S26 Ultra: Which Should You Buy?
Two flagships, two philosophies: the compact Apple powerhouse against Samsung's zoom-and-S-Pen giant. Here is how they really differ.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra sit at the very top of the smartphone market, and at roughly 1300 EUR each they cost about the same. But they aim at different buyers. One is a compact, video-first camera phone; the other is a big-screen productivity tool with the best zoom in the business.
Design & build
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the larger phone by far: a 6.9-inch screen, 214 g, and a built-in S Pen tucked into the body. Samsung dropped titanium this year for an aluminium frame with Gorilla Armor 2 glass. The iPhone 17 Pro is smaller and easier to use one-handed at 6.3 inches and 206 g, and Apple also switched from titanium back to aluminium. Both carry IP68 water resistance. If you want a phone you can use with one hand, the iPhone wins; if you want maximum screen and stylus input, the Samsung does.
Display
The Samsung 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED hits 2,600 nits and is superb outdoors. The Apple 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR is smaller but every bit as sharp, with 120 Hz ProMotion and a new anti-reflective coating. Both are 120 Hz and both are excellent — this comes down to whether you want a large canvas or a pocketable one.
Camera
This is where they diverge most. The S26 Ultra runs a 200 MP main sensor with a bright f/1.4 aperture, plus two telephotos — 3x and a 5x periscope — for genuinely flexible zoom up to 100x. The iPhone 17 Pro uses three 48 MP cameras with a 4x periscope (up to 8x «optical-quality») telephoto. Samsung wins on reach and low-light resolution; Apple still leads on video, with the most consistent colour and the best stabilisation in the class. Photographers who love zoom pick Samsung; anyone shooting a lot of video picks Apple.
Performance & battery
The A19 Pro chip in the iPhone is the fastest phone silicon you can buy, narrowly ahead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Galaxy. In daily use both are instant. Battery is a clearer gap: the S26 Ultra 5,000 mAh cell and 60 W charging comfortably beat the iPhone ~4,000 mAh and 50 W. Samsung lasts longer and charges faster.
Software & AI
The iPhone runs iOS 26 with Apple Intelligence and a long track record of software updates. The Galaxy runs One UI 8 on Android 16 with Galaxy AI and Samsung's seven-year update promise. Your choice here is mostly about which ecosystem you already live in — iMessage, AirDrop and Apple Watch, or Samsung DeX, the S Pen and Android flexibility.
Verdict
Buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want the biggest screen, the most versatile camera, the S Pen, and the longest battery life. Buy the iPhone 17 Pro if you prefer a smaller phone, the best video, and the iOS ecosystem. At this price both are excellent — the right answer is the one that fits your hand and your habits. Compare live Baltic prices below.
