In this article, we’ll be comparing one of Samsung’s best phones vs the baseline Apple iPhone 17. In other words, it’s a comparison between Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Apple iPhone 17. These two phones are actually quite different, but both are part of the flagship smartphone families from their respective companies. There are some similarities, of course, but for the most part, the two phones are different.
As we usually do, we will first list the specs of both phones. Following that, we’ll compare them across a number of categories. That includes: design, display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio categories. Let’s see what these two smartphones have to offer, shall we?
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S26+
Apple iPhone 17
| Samsung Galaxy S26+ | Apple iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8 mm |
| Weight | 190 grams | 177 grams |
| Display | 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz (adaptive) | 1-120Hz |
| Resolution | 3120 x 1440 | 2622 x 1206 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy / Samsung Exynos 2600 | Apple A19 |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0) | 256GB/512GB |
| Main camera | 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) | 48MP (f/1.6 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, sensor-shift-OIS) |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) | 48MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV) |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.94-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) | N/A |
| Periscope telephoto camera | N/A | N/A |
| Selfie camera | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.2-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size) | 18MP (f/1.9 aperture, OIS) |
| Battery size | 4,900mAh | 3,692mAh |
| Charging | 25W wired, 20W wireless (Qi2 Ready), 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included) | Wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included) |
| Colors | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold | Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender |
Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Apple iPhone 17: Design
When it comes to design, the two phones are easy to tell apart. If you look at them from the front, you’ll notice that the iPhone 17 has more aggressive curves in its corners, while it also includes a pill-shaped cutout on the display. The Galaxy S26+ has a display camera hole up top, a much smaller cutout. Both phones do have flat displays, along with thin and uniform bezels around them.
The two devices have a frame made out of aluminum, while glass is placed on their backs. The Galaxy S26+ includes a power/lock button on the right side, along with volume up and down keys. The iPhone 17 has a power/lock button on the right, along with a Camera Control key. The volume up and down buttons are on the left, along with the Action Key. So the iPhone 17 does have notably more physical keys than the Galaxy S26+. Frames on both phones are flat all around, while they do curve slightly towards the edges.
If we flip them around, you’ll notice that backplates are flat on both devices. The Galaxy S26+ has three vertically-aligned cameras in the top-left corner. Those cameras sit on top of a camera island. The iPhone 17, on the other hand, has two vertically-aligned cameras in the top-left corner. The Galaxy S26+ is considerably taller and wider than the iPhone 17, as it has a considerably larger display. The phone is also slightly thinner and 13 grams heavier in comparison.
Both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. Both of them are quite slippery as well, while the iPhone 17 is easier ot handle due to its smaller size.
Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Apple iPhone 17: Display
The Samsung Galaxy S26+ includes a 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display. That panel is flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10+ content is supported, while the peak brightness here is 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 91%, while the resolution is 3120 x 1440 pixels. The display aspect ratio here is 19.5:9, and the display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The Apple iPhone 17, on the other hand, has a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That panel has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and it supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The peak brightness is 3,000 nits, while the screen-to-body ratio is around 90%. The resolution here is 2622 x 1206, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. This display is protected by the Ceramic Shield 2.
There is a clear difference in size when it comes to these displays, so keep that in mind. Both of them are vivid, however, and they have good viewing angles. Both displays are also bright enough and more than sharp enough as well. The bezels are uniform and thin around both of them as well, while both panels have good protection. They’re more or less on the same level, so you’ll be good to go with either of them.
Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Apple iPhone 17: Performance
Samsung opted to utilize a dual-chip strategy for the Galaxy S26+. In some regions, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy fuels the phone. In others, the Samsung Exynos 2600 processor is in charge. Those are 3nm and 2nm chips, respectively. Those processors are backed by 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM that Samsung is using, along with UFS 4.0 flash storage. The storage is not expandable, by the way.
The Apple iPhone 17, on the other hand, is fueled by the Apple A19 processor. That is a 3nm chip, and there is no dual-chip strategy here. Apple also opted to utilize 8GB of RAM inside the iPhone 17, along with NVMe flash storage. Do note that the storage inside this phone is not expandable either.
Both of these smartphones deliver in the performance department. They’re both very fluid in day-to-day use, albeit they have entirely different animations and software in general. They can handle more intense use without a problem, and that includes gaming as well. Demanding games are not an issue for either smartphone, nor is heat. There is really nothing to worry about in that regard.
Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Apple iPhone 17: Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S26+ includes a 4,900mAh battery on the inside, while the iPhone 17 has a 3,692mAh battery. Neither company opted to use silicon-carbon battery tech. Do note that Apple’s iPhones usually have smaller batteries than their Android competitors, and yet manage to keep up in terms of battery life. That’s the case here as well, actually. Yes, the iPhone 17 technically has slightly inferior battery life, but the difference is negligible.
Both of these smartphones offer really good battery life that will satisfy almost anyone. Neither of them will break records, however, and no, they cannot compete with silicon-carbon battery monsters from China. There are a lot of phones out there that have a lot larger battery packs on the inside these days. As I said, however, neither of these two phones is disappointing in terms of battery life, and they’ll be able to last throughout the day for almost anyone.
The Samsung Galaxy S26+ supports 45W wired, 20W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 17, on the other hand, supports 30+W wired charging, 25W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The Galaxy S26+ can charge in about an hour, while the iPhone 17 will take around an hour and 25 minutes. Do note that neither phone ships with a charger, so you’ll need a compatible charger to reach fastest charging speeds.
Samsung Galaxy S26+ vs Apple iPhone 17: Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S26+ has three cameras on the back. A 50-megapixel main camera (1/1.56-inch sensor size) is backed by a 12-megapixel ultrawide snapper (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV). The third camera on the back of the phone is a 10-megapixel telephoto snapper (1/3.94-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom).
The Apple iPhone 17, on the other hand, has two cameras on the back. The phone lacks a telephoto camera. A 48-megapixel main shooter (1/1.56-inch sensor size) is backed by a 48-megapixel ultrawide snapper (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV). The iPhone 17 uses a digital crop from the main snapper for telephoto shots.
When it comes to main camera performance, the iPhone 17 is capable of delivering images that are closer to real life. The Galaxy S26 has occasional issues with saturation, and the images do look more vibrant in general. The iPhone 17 has a better ultrawide camera, while telephoto shots usually belong to the Galaxy S26 due to its dedicated telephoto camera, albeit it’s not a good telephoto camera. It suffers in low light.
Audio
Both of these phones have stereo speakers on the inside. The ones on the Galaxy S26+ are technically a bit louder, but the difference is not that big. They’re not the loudest out there, but are loud enough. The sound quality is good from both phones.
There is no audio jack on either of these two smartphones. You can utilize their Type-C ports if you’d like, for your wired headphone connections. Alternatively, both smartphones support Bluetooth 6.0.
