[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S26 Ultra are competing head-to-head in the ultra-premium smartphone market. Both feature 6.9-inch large OLED displays, the latest artificial intelligence functions and high-performance chipsets, but their aims clearly diverge. Samsung Electronics is seen as emphasising usability and hardware competitiveness, while Apple is seen as focusing on an integrated user experience and ecosystem completeness.

On June 1 (local time), IT media outlet TechRadar compared and analysed the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra. It rated Samsung as showing strengths in functionality and flexibility, and Apple in performance optimisation and ecosystem competitiveness.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for the 256GB model. Buyers can choose 512GB, 1TB and 2TB models. The Galaxy S26 Ultra sells from $1,299 for 256GB and offers up to 1TB of storage. For users who need ultra-high-capacity storage, the iPhone offers a wider range of options.

In design, the Galaxy S26 Ultra took the lead in portability. Both phones have 6.9-inch screens, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra is thinner and lighter at 7.9 mm thick and 214 grams. It also keeps the built-in S Pen while rounding the corners more than the previous generation to improve grip.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max, by contrast, focused on internal design changes by applying an aluminium unibody and a new vapour-chamber cooling structure. The rear camera area also changed to run across the full width of the device, seeking a differentiated design.

Both phones have top-tier display specifications. The iPhone 17 Pro Max supports up to 3,000 nits of brightness to improve outdoor visibility. The Galaxy S26 Ultra strengthened usability with higher resolution, a 1 to 120 Hz variable refresh rate and a privacy display function.

In cameras, Samsung Electronics highlighted hardware competitiveness. The Galaxy S26 Ultra adopted a quad-camera setup with a 200-megapixel main camera and 50-megapixel ultra-wide, 3x telephoto and long-range telephoto cameras. Its strengths are a range of focal lengths and long zoom performance.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has three 48-megapixel wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras. The front camera supports Center Stage to automatically keep the user in the centre of the frame. It also supports ProRes and ProRes RAW, showing strength in professional-grade video production environments.

In performance, Apple was rated as having the edge. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is designed to maintain stable performance even during long periods of high-load work, based on the A19 Pro chip and improved cooling design. Integration with iOS 26 and Apple silicon, and with Macs, iPads and Apple Watch, is also cited as a strength.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra includes the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, 5th generation, and up to 16GB of RAM. It shows competitiveness as a top Android model in multitasking, split-screen use, S Pen use and user customisation.

Battery and charging are close. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088 mAh battery and supports up to 37 hours of video playback, Apple explained. It also provides USB-C wired charging and 25W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 5,000 mAh battery and was rated as capable of more than a day of use in real-world tests. It was especially rated as being ahead of the iPhone in charging speed because it supports 60W wired fast charging.

Overall, TechRadar said the Galaxy S26 Ultra showed an edge in detailed specifications such as camera usability, the S Pen, the display and charging speed. It analysed that the iPhone 17 Pro Max still maintains strong competitiveness in performance optimisation, long-term user experience and ecosystem integration.

Ultimately, the selection criteria depend on the user environment. If a user already uses Apple’s ecosystem and values consistent camera quality and stable performance, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is suitable. If a user wants more varied functions, higher usability, the S Pen and a powerful zoom camera, the Galaxy S26 Ultra can be an attractive option.