Home Phone comparison Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra - Which is better?

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

79 out 100
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
VS
95 out 100
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Compared 2 smartphones : Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Manufactured in September, 2021, with display 6.7 with chipsetApple A15 Bionic, vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Manufactured in March, 2026with chipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Below are specs, tests, pros and cons for each device

  1. Differences
  2. Review
  3. Specs
  4. Benchmarks
  5. Battery Life
  6. Cameras
  7. Comments (0)

Key Differences

Device key advantages
Reasons to choose Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    Reasons to choose Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    • Larger display: 6.9in
    • Higher pixel density: 500ppi
    • Lighter design: 214g vs 240g
    • Higher battery capacity: 5000mAh vs 4352mAh
    • Newer Bluetooth version: 6.0 vs 5
    • Supports newer USB: 3.2 vs 2
    • Supports DisplayPort
    • Fingerprint scanner

    Versions

    Available versions and configurations
    Memory Options - 6/128 GB
    - 6/256 GB
    - 6/512 GB
    - 6/1024 GB    		 - 12/256 GB
    - 12/512 GB
    - 16/1024 GB

    Review

    Key Specs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    Display
    Color accuracy, sharpness & brightness
    Camera
    Main & front camera tests
    Performance
    App & system performance
    Games
    3D gaming performance
    Battery
    Battery life, charging speed & type
    Connectivity
    Connectivity features
    NanoReview Score
    Overall score by NanoReview
    Adjust each parameter’s importance to find the best match for you.
    Customize your score
    Function
    Importance (Weight)
    Display:
    Camera:
    Performance:
    Gaming:
    Battery:
    Connectivity:
    Higher weight means greater impact on NanoReview score.

    Tests & specs

    Specs & test comparison
    Smartphones:
    iPhone 13 Pro Max
    vs
    Galaxy S26 Ultra

    Display

    Display quality comparison
    Type OLED Dynamic AMOLED
    Size 6.7 in 6.9 in
    Resolution 1284x2778 pixels 1440x3120 pixels
    Aspect ratio 19.5:9 19.5:9
    Pixel density 458 ppi 500 ppi
    Refresh rate 120 Hz 120 Hz
    Adaptive refresh rate Yes (10-120 Hz) Yes (1-120 Hz)
    Max brightness 1000 nits 1500 nits
    HDR support Yes Dolby Vision Yes, HDR10+
    Touch Sampling Rate n/a 240 Hz
    Screen-to-body ratio 87.7 % 91.4 %
    Features DCI-P3 - DCI-P3
    - Always-On Display
    - DC dimming
    Display test
    Peak brightness (auto)
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    1049 nits
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    2811 nits
    sRGB gamut99.9 %n/a
    PWM (Flicker)238 Hzn/a
    Response time8.5 msn/a
    Contrast∞ Infiniten/a
    Sources: NotebookCheck [Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max]

    Design & Build

    Design and ergonomics comparison
    Height 160.8 mm (6.33 in) 163.6 mm (6.44 in)
    Width 78.1 mm (3.07 in) 78.1 mm (3.07 in)
    Thickness 7.65 mm (0.3 in) 7.9 mm (0.31 in)
    Weight 240 g (8.47 oz) 214 g (7.55 oz)
    Water resistance IP68 IP68
    Cooling system n/a Vapor chamber
    Back panel Glass Glass
    Frame Metal Metal
    Colors - Black
    - Silver
    - Gold
    - Blue
    - Green    		 - White
    - Black
    - Silver
    - Blue
    - Pink
    - Purple
    Fingerprint sensor No Yes, In-Display
    Screen-to-body ratio
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    87.7 %
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    91.4 %

    Performance

    Testing Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra In benchmarks
    Processor
    Chipset Apple A15 Bionic Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
    Max Frequency 3230 MHz 4740 MHz
    CPU Cores 6 (2 + 4) 8 (2 + 6)
    Architecture - 4/2.02 (Blizzard)
    - 2/3.23 (Avalanche)    		 - 6/3.63 (Oryon Gen 3 Performance)
    - 2/4.61 (Oryon Gen 3 Prime)
    Process TSMC TSMC
    Transistor Size 5 nm 3 nm
    Neural Processor Apple Neural Engine Hexagon
    Graphics Apple A15 GPU Adreno 840
    GPU Cores 640 1536
    GPU Frequency 1338 MHz 1200 MHz
    FLOPS 1712.6 GFLOPS 3686.4 GFLOPS
    GeekBench v6
    Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    2266
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    3753
    Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    5459
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    11259
    Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)22663753
    Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)545911259
    Geekbench Compute (GPU)n/a28787
    Sources: Geekbench v6 [Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max], [Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra]
    AnTuTu 10
    AnTuTu 10
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    1326730
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    3720219
    CPU3277041094797
    GPU4346831447696
    Memory248498425113
    UX315845752613
    NanoReview Score13267303720219
    3DMark Wild Life
    3DMark Wild Life
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    9444
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    n/a
    Max Surface Temp.45.8 °Cn/a
    Stability82 %n/a
    Graphics Test56 fpsn/a
    Graphics Score9444n/a
    Sources: 3DMark [Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max]

    Memory

    RAM
    RAM Size 6 GB 12 GB
    Memory Type LPDDR4X LPDDR5X
    Memory Frequency 2133 MHz n/a
    Channels 2 4
    Storage
    Storage Capacity- 128 GB
    - 256 GB
    - 512 GB
    - 1024 GB    		256 GB
    Storage TypeNVMeUFS 4.1
    Memory CardNoNo

    Software

    OS iOS 15 (Upgradeable to iOS 18.3.2) Android 16
    OS Size 13 GB n/a
    UI Skin n/a One UI 8.5

    Battery

    Volume 4352 mAh 5000 mAh
    Max Charging Power 23 W 60 W
    Battery Type Li-ion Li-ion
    Removable No No
    Wireless Charging Yes (7.5 W) Yes (25 W)
    Reverse Charging No Yes, (Wireless)
    Fast Charging Yes (42% in 30 min) Yes (84% in 30 min)
    Full Charge Time 1:46 h 0:43 h
    Battery Life Test
    Battery Life
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    28:08
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    28:50
    Web Browsing11:16 h10:12 h
    Video Playback17:03 h21:39 h
    Games06:41 h06:42 h
    Standby Mode136 h130 h

    Main camera

    Matrix 12 MP 200 MP
    Photo resolution 4032x3024 pixels 16320x12240 pixels
    Zoom Optical, 3x 141
    Flash Dual LED LED
    Stabilization Optical Optical
    8K Recording No Yes (Up to 30 fps)
    4K Recording Yes (Up to 60 fps) Yes (Up to 120 fps)
    1080p Recording Yes (Up to 60 fps) Yes (Up to 240 fps)
    Slow Motion 240 fps (1080p) 240 fps (1080p)
    Wide-angle lens 120 ° 120 °
    Lenses count Standard: 12 MP
    Telephoto: 12 MP
    Ultra-wide: 12 MP
    Depth    		 Standard: 200 MP
    Telephoto: 50 MP
    Telephoto: 10 MP
    Ultra-wide: 50 MP
    Features - Bokeh effect
    - Pro mode
    - RAW support    		 - Bokeh effect
    - Pro mode
    - RAW support
    Main lens
    Matrix12 MP200 MP
    Aperturef/1.5f/1.4
    Focal length26 mm23 mm
    SensorSony IMX703Samsung ISOCELL S5KHP2
    Sensor size1/1.661/1.3 (0.77)
    Pixel size1.9 μm0.6 μm
    AutofocusPhase autofocus (Dual Pixel)Laser autofocus
    StabilizationOpticalOptical
    Telephoto
    Matrix12 MP50 MP
    Aperturef/2.8f/2.9
    Focal length77 mm111 mm
    SensorSony IMX713Sony IMX854
    Sensor size1/3.41/2.52 (0.4)
    Pixel size1 μm0.7 μm
    StabilizationOpticalOptical
    Ultra-wide lens
    Matrix12 MP50 MP
    Aperturef/1.8f/1.9
    Focal length13 mm13 mm
    SensorSony IMX772Samsung ISOCELL S5KJN3
    Sensor size1/3.41/2.5 (0.4)
    Pixel size1 μm0.7 μm
    StabilizationDigitalDigital
    Main camera DxOMark results
    Photo quality
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    140
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    160
    Video quality
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    146
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    153
    Overall camera score
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    141
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    157
    Bokeh75165
    Preview81n/a
    Zoom119n/a
    Sources: DxOMark [Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max], [Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra]

    Front camera

    Matrix 12 MP 12 MP
    Photo resolution 4032x3024 pixels 4000x3000 pixels
    Aperture f/2.2 f/2.2
    Focal length 23 mm 23 mm
    Sensor Sony IMX514 Samsung ISOCELL S5K3LU
    Sensor size 1/3.6 1/3.2 (0.31)
    Pixel size 1 μm 1.12 μm
    Autofocus Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel)
    Stabilization Digital Digital
    Video resolution 2160p (4K) at 60 fps 2160p (4K) at 60 fps
    TOF 3D sensor Yes No
    Selfie camera DxOMark results
    Photo quality
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    128
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    n/a
    Video quality
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    143
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    n/a

    Connectivity

    Wi-Fi version Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be)
    Wi-Fi features - Dual Band
    - Wi-Fi MiMO
    - Wi-Fi Direct
    - Wi-Fi Hotspot
    - Wi-Fi Display    		 - Dual Band
    - Wi-Fi MiMO
    - Wi-Fi Direct
    - Wi-Fi Hotspot
    - Wi-Fi Display
    Bluetooth version 5 6.0
    Bluetooth features LE, A2DP LE
    USB type n/a USB Type-C
    USB version 2 3.2
    USB features - Charging
    - USB Storage Mode
    - OTG    		 - Charging
    - USB Storage Mode
    - OTG
    DisplayPort n/a Yes
    GPS - GPS
    - GLONASS
    - Beidou
    - Galileo
    - QZSS    		 - GPS
    - GLONASS
    - Beidou
    - Galileo
    - QZSS
    NFC* Yes Yes
    Infrared Port No No
    Connectivity
    SIM Count*11
    SIM TypeNanoNano
    SIM Moden/aDual SIM Standby
    eSIM Support *YesYes
    Hybrid SlotNoNo
    2G BandsGSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHzGSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900
    3G BandsUMTS 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHzUMTS B1(2100), B2(1900), B4(AWS), B5(850), B8(900)
    LTE Bands*LTE (B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B11/B12/B13/B14/B17/B18/B19/B20/B21/B25/B26/B28/B29/B30/B32/B66/B71)LTE (B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/B14/B18/B19/B20/B25/B26/B28/B29/B30/B38/B39/B40/B41/B48/B66/B71)
    LTE category18n/a
    5G SupportYesYes

    Sound

    Speakers Stereo n/a
    3.5 mm Jack No No
    FM Radio No No
    Dolby Atmos Yes Yes
    Speaker Test
    Max Volume
    Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
    80.2 dB
    Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
    n/a

    Other

    Class Flagship Flagship
    Announced September, 2021 yr February, 2026 yr
    Release Date September, 2021 yr March, 2026 yr
    Launch Price ($) 1100 n/a
    MSRP ($) n/a 1299
    Sensors - Barometer
    - Proximity Sensor
    - Gyroscope
    - Accelerometer
    - Ambient Light Sensor
    - Compass
    - Face Sensor    		 - Hall Sensor
    - Barometer
    - Proximity Sensor
    - Gyroscope
    - Accelerometer
    - Ambient Light Sensor
    - Compass
    - Fingerprint sensor
    Charger Included n/a No
    * Attention! Config, frequencies, NFC, and other specs may vary by region.

    Results

    After analyzing the data, we consider Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra the clear winner in this comparison.

    Survey

    Which smartphone would you pick?
    0 (0%)
    2 (100%)
    Total Votes: 2

    User comments

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