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Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Who wins the latest flagship smartphone speed battle?A speed test was conducted to compare the real-world performance of the latest flagship smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The two devices were put head-to-head across various categories, including boot speed, app launch, gaming performance, RAM management, benchmarks, Wi-Fi speed, and camera speed. Which device will offer a faster and smoother experience for everyday tasks and high-performance apps?
1. 🚀 Booting and Display: Galaxy S26 Ultra's Dominant Start
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB RAM, Android 16, and One UI 8.5.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the Apple A19 Pro chipset, 12GB RAM, and iOS 26.3.1.
· In the boot test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra booted significantly faster than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, securing its first win.
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra's anti-reflective display and privacy display features are very impressive, and we hope other phones adopt this technology in the future.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the Apple A19 Pro chipset, 12GB RAM, and iOS 26.3.1.
· In the boot test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra booted significantly faster than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, securing its first win.
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra's anti-reflective display and privacy display features are very impressive, and we hope other phones adopt this technology in the future.
00:00 - 01:25
1. 🚀 Booting and Display: Galaxy S26 Ultra's Dominant Start
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB RAM, Android 16, and One UI 8.5.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the Apple A19 Pro chipset, 12GB RAM, and iOS 26.3.1.
· In the boot test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra booted significantly faster than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, securing its first win.
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra's anti-reflective display and privacy display features are very impressive, and we hope other phones adopt this technology in the future.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the Apple A19 Pro chipset, 12GB RAM, and iOS 26.3.1.
· In the boot test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra booted significantly faster than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, securing its first win.
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra's anti-reflective display and privacy display features are very impressive, and we hope other phones adopt this technology in the future.
01:26 - 03:59
2. ⚡ Biometrics and General Performance: Galaxy's Fast Response Time
· In terms of biometric unlock speed, the Galaxy S26 Ultra was faster than the iPhone 17 Pro Max thanks to its in-display fingerprint sensor.
· While iPhone's Face ID is convenient, the Galaxy's fingerprint recognition is considered faster as it allows unlocking without looking at the phone.
· In general daily performance, the Galaxy S26 Ultra feels very snappy, and the icons in One UI 8.5 give a visually stunning 3D pop-out effect.
· Samsung has struck a good balance between speed and animation, providing a smooth yet fast user experience.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max is smooth but shows a slightly slower, more 'relaxed' navigation speed compared to the Galaxy.
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra is difficult to lay flat without a case due to its camera bump, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro Max rests stably.
· While iPhone's Face ID is convenient, the Galaxy's fingerprint recognition is considered faster as it allows unlocking without looking at the phone.
· In general daily performance, the Galaxy S26 Ultra feels very snappy, and the icons in One UI 8.5 give a visually stunning 3D pop-out effect.
· Samsung has struck a good balance between speed and animation, providing a smooth yet fast user experience.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max is smooth but shows a slightly slower, more 'relaxed' navigation speed compared to the Galaxy.
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra is difficult to lay flat without a case due to its camera bump, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro Max rests stably.
04:00 - 10:25
3. 🎮 App Launch and Gaming Performance: Apps for Galaxy, Games for iPhone
· Here are the results of various app launch tests:
· Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra excelled in launching basic apps, and the animation in Samsung's Weather app, which shows clothing suggestions based on the weather, is unique and useful.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max tended to be faster in game launches, though this can vary depending on specific game optimization for each platform.
· Both devices feature enhanced vapor chambers, providing excellent performance even in demanding games.
| App/Game | Galaxy S26 Ultra | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar | Fast | Fast |
| Clock | - | Fast |
| Calculator | - | Fast |
| Play Store | Fast | - |
| Weather | Fast | - |
| ChatGPT | Fast | - |
| Gemini | Fast | - |
| Co-pilot | Fast | - |
| Groupon | Fast | - |
| Fast | - | |
| Subway Surfers City | - | Fast |
| Race the Sun | Fast | - |
| Call of Duty | - | Fast |
| Destiny Rising | - | Fast |
| Asphalt 9 | - | Fast |
| InShot | Fast | - |
· Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra excelled in launching basic apps, and the animation in Samsung's Weather app, which shows clothing suggestions based on the weather, is unique and useful.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max tended to be faster in game launches, though this can vary depending on specific game optimization for each platform.
· Both devices feature enhanced vapor chambers, providing excellent performance even in demanding games.
10:26 - 12:44
4. 🧠 RAM Management and Multitasking: Galaxy's Overwhelming Victory
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra, with its 12GB RAM, smoothly switches between apps and had no trouble keeping many apps in the background.
· In terms of multitasking, the Galaxy S26 Ultra offers various features like split-screen and S Pen utilization, showcasing its prowess as a mobile powerhouse.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max displayed smooth animations but tended to close more apps when relaunching multiple applications.
· In the RAM management test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra was significantly superior to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, securing a win.
· In terms of multitasking, the Galaxy S26 Ultra offers various features like split-screen and S Pen utilization, showcasing its prowess as a mobile powerhouse.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max displayed smooth animations but tended to close more apps when relaunching multiple applications.
· In the RAM management test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra was significantly superior to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, securing a win.
12:45 - 15:15
5. 📊 Benchmark Results: Galaxy S26 Ultra's Powerful Performance Proven
· Here are the benchmark test results:
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperformed the iPhone 17 Pro Max in multi-core and graphics performance.
· Specifically, in the 3D Mark test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra showed performance superior to 97% of devices on the market, an improvement over its predecessor, the S25 Ultra (95%).
· This indicates that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a highly suitable device for demanding games and graphic-intensive tasks.
| Benchmark | Galaxy S26 Ultra | iPhone 17 Pro Max | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (Single Core) | Similar | Similar | Almost no difference |
| Geekbench 6 (Multi Core) | Over 1000 points ahead of iPhone | - | Galaxy S26 Ultra wins |
| 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme (Graphics) | 6495 points (Top 97%) | 5293 points (Top 93%) | Galaxy S26 Ultra 4% lead, 7 FPS difference |
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra significantly outperformed the iPhone 17 Pro Max in multi-core and graphics performance.
· Specifically, in the 3D Mark test, the Galaxy S26 Ultra showed performance superior to 97% of devices on the market, an improvement over its predecessor, the S25 Ultra (95%).
· This indicates that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a highly suitable device for demanding games and graphic-intensive tasks.
15:16 - 16:53
6. 📶 Wi-Fi Speed Test: Galaxy Leads in Connectivity Too
· Here are the Wi-Fi speed test results:
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra achieved a new record high in the Wi-Fi speed test, proving it remains the 'king' in 5G and Wi-Fi connectivity.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max also scored well but showed slightly lower download speeds compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
| Category | Galaxy S26 Ultra | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Download Speed | Achieved new record high | Slightly lower than Galaxy |
| Upload Speed | Similar | Similar |
| Result | Win | - |
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra achieved a new record high in the Wi-Fi speed test, proving it remains the 'king' in 5G and Wi-Fi connectivity.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max also scored well but showed slightly lower download speeds compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
16:54 - 19:31
7. 📸 Camera Speed and Final Conclusion: iPhone's Camera, Galaxy's Overall Edge
· Here are the camera speed test results:
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max was faster than the Galaxy S26 Ultra in both camera launch speed and shutter speed.
· While the Galaxy S26 Ultra can launch the camera by double-clicking the power button, the iPhone's dedicated Action Button is considered more convenient.
· Final Conclusion:
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra took the lead in booting, biometrics, general app launch, RAM management, benchmarks, and Wi-Fi speed.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max was faster in some game launches and camera launch/shutter speed.
· Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra won in more areas and is expected to provide a snappier feel in daily use.
· Both devices are powerful flagship smartphones with enhanced cooling systems, and the choice ultimately depends on whether you prefer iOS or One UI.
| Category | Galaxy S26 Ultra | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Launch Speed | - | Fast |
| Shutter Speed | - | Fast |
| Result | - | Win |
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max was faster than the Galaxy S26 Ultra in both camera launch speed and shutter speed.
· While the Galaxy S26 Ultra can launch the camera by double-clicking the power button, the iPhone's dedicated Action Button is considered more convenient.
· Final Conclusion:
· The Galaxy S26 Ultra took the lead in booting, biometrics, general app launch, RAM management, benchmarks, and Wi-Fi speed.
· The iPhone 17 Pro Max was faster in some game launches and camera launch/shutter speed.
· Overall, the Galaxy S26 Ultra won in more areas and is expected to provide a snappier feel in daily use.
· Both devices are powerful flagship smartphones with enhanced cooling systems, and the choice ultimately depends on whether you prefer iOS or One UI.