Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Side-by-side specs and price comparison for buyers in Algeria.

Phone 1

Phone 2

Apple

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

335,000DA

0category wins

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

228,000DACheaper

7category wins

Quick Verdict

Who wins each category, side by side.

Better price

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Faster chip

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Bigger battery

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Faster charging

Even

Higher-resolution camera

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Better display

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Lighter body

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Best value for money

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Full specs comparison

Display

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Size (inches)	6.9	6.9
Panel Type	OLED	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED
Resolution Height	2868	3120
Resolution Width	1320	1440
Refresh Rate	120	120
Peak Brightness	3000	2600
PPI	460	500
Glass Type	Ceramic Shield 2	Corning Gorilla Armor 2
Screen-to-body	90.7	90.7
Other	Anti-reflective coating	—

Platform

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
CPU	Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz)	Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M)
GPU	Apple GPU (6-core graphics)	Adreno 840
Chipset Name	Apple A19 Pro	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Process (nm)	3	3
OS Name	iOS	Android
UI Skin	—	One UI 8.5
OS Version	26	16

Benchmarks

Geekbench (Single-Core)

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max +9%

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max3,970

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra3,639

Geekbench (Multi-Core)

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra +5%

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max10,558

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra11,047

AnTuTu

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra +56%

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max2,538,751

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra3,950,082

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Geekbench (Single-Core)	3,970	3,639
Geekbench (Multi-Core)	10,558	11,047
AnTuTu	2,538,751	3,950,082

Memory

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Card Slot	No	No
Other	NVMe	—
Variants	256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM, 2TB 12GB RAM	256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM

Main Camera

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Video	4K@24/25/30/60/100/120fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 120fps), ProRes, ProRes RAW (up to 120fps), Apple Log 2, 3D (spatial) video/audio, stereo sound rec.	8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10 + , stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Features	Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)	Laser AF, Best Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Count	3	4
periscope telephoto	48 MP, f/2.8, 100mm, (periscope telephoto)	50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm, (periscope telephoto)
Telephoto	—	10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm, (telephoto)
ultrawide	48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, (ultrawide)	50 MP, f/1.9, (ultrawide)
Wide	48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, (wide)	200 MP, f/1.4, 24mm, (wide)

Selfie Camera

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Video	4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Features	HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec., ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2	HDR, HDR10 +
Count	1	1
Lens	18 MP, f/1.9, 20mm, (ultrawide)	12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm, (wide)

Battery

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Capacity (mAh)	4823	5000
Chemistry	—	Li-Ion
Wired Charging (W)	—	60
Wireless Charging (W)	25	25

Body

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Build	Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), aluminum frame, aluminum back/ glass back (Ceramic Shield)	Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
SIM	Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International) / eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA) / Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)	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
Height (mm)	163.4	163.6
Thickness (mm)	8.8	7.9
Other	IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min)	—
Weight (g)	233	214
Width (mm)	78	78.1

Launch

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Announced	2025, September 09	2026, February 25
Status	Available. Released 2025, September 19	Available. Released 2026, March 06

Network

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
2G Bands	GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900	GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900
3G Bands	HSDPA 850, 900, 1700(AWS), 1900, 2100	HSDPA 850, 900, 1700(AWS), 1900, 2100
4G Bands	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, 53, 66 - A3526	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G Bands	1, 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 - A3526	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
Speed	HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps	HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G
Technology	GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE, 5G	GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE, 5G
Other	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 - A3527	—

Connectivity

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Bluetooth	6	6
NFC	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC	GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
Radio	No	No
USB Type	Type-C	Type-C
USB Version	3.2	3.2
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 7

Sound

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
3.5mm Jack	No	No
Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers	Yes, with stereo speakers

Features

Spec	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Sensors	Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer	Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Other	Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip) Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite	—

Buying advice for Algeria

Both Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra are sold in Algeria, but they fit different priorities.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is 32% cheaper at 228,000 DZD versus 335,000 DZD for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, leaving room for accessories or a longer screen-protection plan.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra packs a 5000 mAh battery, which translates to longer screen-on time when you are away from a charger.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra posts a stronger benchmark score, useful for heavier games and multitasking on Algerian carriers' busier 4G networks.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra reaches a higher main-sensor resolution at 200 MP, which helps with crops and lower-light photos.

Above 100,000 DZD you are paying for the chipset, camera tuning, and long-term software support, so weigh those against price.