I am a Samsung guy. I love the S Pen, I love the ridiculous screens, and I usually think Apple is about three years late to every hardware party. But the 2026 leaks are starting to look… different. If the iPhone 18 Pro Max actually hits the marks we are hearing about, Samsung might face a real fight with Apple in 2026. Let’s talk about the stuff that actually matters.

The Battery Gap:

We have all been making fun of Apple’s “efficient” (tiny) batteries for a decade, but the tables are turning. Rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro Max is jumping to a 5,200mAh cell. Meanwhile, the S26 Ultra looks like it’s sticking to 5,000mAh for what feels like the 10th year (actually 7th) in a row.

I know capacity isn’t everything, but when you pair that bigger battery with Apple’s new 2nm A20 chipset, the gains are going to be stupid. We are talking “forgot to charge it last night and it doesn’t matter” levels of battery life.

Samsung is supposedly increasing the S26 Ultra up to 60W charging, which is great, but I’d honestly rather have a phone that just stays alive longer in the first place. You want it too, right?

Specs vs. Real Life Cameras:

Samsung always wins the megapixel war – 200MP is a cool number to put on a box, but Apple is finally joining the variable aperture game for 2026. This is the area that actually makes photos look like they came from a real camera/DSLR. The advantage of this tech, you will get better natural blur, better low-light, and none of that weird, fake-smooth look that Samsung’s AI sometimes overdoes.

Also, can we talk about the under-display Face ID? Apple is likely to add just a tiny punch-hole in 2026, as per rumors. Samsung has been doing under-display cameras on the Fold for a while, but let’s be honest: it usually looks like a screen door to me. If Apple manages to hide the sensors without ruining the display quality, the S26 Ultra is going to look a bit dated with its centered hole-punch.

Software Update Problems:

Samsung made a big deal about seven years of updates, and then Apple is like “hold my beer” and pushed a software update for an iPhone older than 11 years. For most of us, that doesn’t matter because we trade in every two or three years anyway. But for resale value? It’s huge. It makes an old iPhone worth way more than an old Galaxy.

More:

Apple’s in-house C2 modem is basically the chip that handles your phone’s internet connection (like 5G). Apple is making this one itself instead of buying it from Qualcomm (the company that usually supplies these chips for iPhones). This C2 modem should make the 5G faster and more stable. It will support super-quick mmWave 5G (the ultra-fast type you get in big cities, stadiums, or busy spots).

Rumors say it will also use less battery power and work more smoothly with the rest of the iPhone’s parts because Apple designed everything together. This could mean better signal in tough spots, quicker downloads, and your phone lasting longer on the same charge compared to older Qualcomm modems.

It’s like Apple finally building its own “engine” for the internet instead of using someone else’s, and early leaks suggest it could be more efficient and reliable.

My Take:

I am not switching to iOS anytime soon. I need my customization, but Samsung can’t just trick me with “big screen and a stylus” anymore. The S26 Ultra needs to be more than a spec bump. If Apple delivers a 2nm chip, a bigger battery, and a camera that actually rivals a DSLR, the “iPhone is boring” era might officially be over.

What do you think? Is 60W charging enough to keep you on Team Galaxy, or is that 5,200mAh iPhone actually attracting you? Drop a comment on @thesammyfans X account.

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