Engadget compares Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max with Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra, two large-screen flagship phones that share similar overall specifications but differ in design philosophy and ecosystem. Neither device disappoints, according to the review, with the choice likely coming down to personal preference, such as loyalty to iOS or Android, or a desire for the S Pen stylus that only Samsung offers.

Both phones have 6.9-inch screens, though the iPhone has rounded corners and a glass-and-aluminium back, while the Galaxy is straighter-edged with an all-glass back; the Samsung device is lighter (214g versus 249g) and thinner (7.9mm versus 8.75mm). Display quality is close, with the iPhone reaching 3,000 nits of brightness against the Galaxy's 2,600 nits, despite Samsung's slightly higher resolution. On cameras, the iPhone 18 Pro Max introduces a variable aperture on its 48-megapixel main sensor for greater creative control, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra uses a 200-megapixel main sensor and dual telephoto lenses (3x and 5x zoom) compared with the iPhone's single 4x telephoto lens.