Apple iPhone Air vs Samsung Galaxy S26+
Verdict
The Apple iPhone Air scores higher in 1 of 5 sections (design & durability), while the Samsung Galaxy S26+ leads in camera, connectivity & features and performance; they are even on display.
The biggest difference is camera: 53 vs 87 points.
The Samsung Galaxy S26+ is the newer model, announced 5 months after the Apple iPhone Air.
Choose the Apple iPhone Air for design & durability; choose the Samsung Galaxy S26+ for camera and connectivity & features.
- iPhone Air leads in 7 fields
- Galaxy S26+ leads in 11 fields
- 22 ties
40 scored fields compared
Score by section
| Section scores | iPhone Air | Galaxy S26+ |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Performance | 96 | 99 |
| Camera | 53 | 87 |
| Battery | – | 80 |
| Display | 96 | 95 |
| Design & durability | 89 | 85 |
| Connectivity & features | 72 | 81 |
Full specifications
Performance
- Chipset performance index
- iPhone Air: 95/100
- Galaxy S26+: 100/100(Better)
- Chipset
- iPhone Air: Apple A19 Pro
- Galaxy S26+: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- RAM (max)
- iPhone Air: 12 GB
- Galaxy S26+: 12 GB
- Storage (max)
- iPhone Air: 1 TB
- Galaxy S26+: 512 GB
- Process node
- iPhone Air: 3 nm
- Galaxy S26+: 3 nm
Camera
- Main camera resolution
- iPhone Air: 48 MP
- Galaxy S26+: 50 MP
- Main sensor size
- iPhone Air: 1/1.56″
- Galaxy S26+: 1/1.56″
- Optical stabilization (OIS)
- iPhone Air: Yes
- Galaxy S26+: Yes
- Ultra-wide camera
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: Yes(Better)
- Telephoto camera
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: Yes(Better)
- Periscope lens
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: No
- Optical zoom
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: 3×(Better)
- Video recording
- iPhone Air: 4K 60 fps
- Galaxy S26+: 8K(Better)
- Front camera
- iPhone Air: 18 MP(Better)
- Galaxy S26+: 12 MP
- Front camera 4K video
- iPhone Air: Yes
- Galaxy S26+: Yes
Battery
- Battery capacity
- iPhone Air: 3149 mAh
- Galaxy S26+: 4900 mAh(Better)
- Battery endurance (EU label)
- iPhone Air: 40:00 h
- Galaxy S26+: 55:00 h(Better)
- EU label cycles
- iPhone Air: 1000
- Galaxy S26+: 1200
- Wired charging
- iPhone Air: Unknown
- Galaxy S26+: 45 W
- Wireless charging
- iPhone Air: Unknown
- Galaxy S26+: 20 W
- Reverse charging
- iPhone Air: Yes
- Galaxy S26+: Yes
- Reverse charging type
- iPhone Air: Wired
- Galaxy S26+: Wireless
Display
- Screen size
- iPhone Air: 6.5″
- Galaxy S26+: 6.7″
- Panel type
- iPhone Air: LTPO OLED
- Galaxy S26+: LTPO OLED
- Refresh rate
- iPhone Air: 120 Hz
- Galaxy S26+: 120 Hz
- Pixel density
- iPhone Air: 460 ppi
- Galaxy S26+: 516 ppi
- Peak brightness
- iPhone Air: 3000 nits(Better)
- Galaxy S26+: 2600 nits
- Resolution
- iPhone Air: 1260x2736
- Galaxy S26+: 1440x3120
- Screen protection
- iPhone Air: Ceramic Shield 2
- Galaxy S26+: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Design & durability
- Weight
- iPhone Air: 165 g(Better)
- Galaxy S26+: 190 g
- Thickness
- iPhone Air: 5.6 mm(Better)
- Galaxy S26+: 7.3 mm
- Dust & water resistance
- iPhone Air: IP68
- Galaxy S26+: IP68
- Back material
- iPhone Air: Glass
- Galaxy S26+: Glass
- Frame material
- iPhone Air: Titanium(Better)
- Galaxy S26+: Aluminum
- EU repairability class
- iPhone Air: C
- Galaxy S26+: C
- EU drop resistance class
- iPhone Air: B
- Galaxy S26+: A(Better)
- EU energy class
- iPhone Air: A
- Galaxy S26+: A
Connectivity & features
- 5G
- iPhone Air: Yes
- Galaxy S26+: Yes
- Wi-Fi
- iPhone Air: Wi-Fi 7
- Galaxy S26+: Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- iPhone Air: 6.0
- Galaxy S26+: 6.0
- USB speed
- iPhone Air: USB 2.0
- Galaxy S26+: USB 3.x(Better)
- USB port
- iPhone Air: USB-C 2.0
- Galaxy S26+: USB-C 3.2
- DisplayPort output
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: Yes
- NFC
- iPhone Air: Yes
- Galaxy S26+: Yes
- eSIM
- iPhone Air: Yes
- Galaxy S26+: Yes
- Ultra-wideband (UWB)
- iPhone Air: Yes
- Galaxy S26+: Yes
- Satellite connectivity
- iPhone Air: Yes(Better)
- Galaxy S26+: No
- Stereo speakers
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: Yes(Better)
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: No
- Fingerprint reader
- iPhone Air: None
- Galaxy S26+: Under display (ultrasonic)(Better)
- 3D face unlock
- iPhone Air: Yes(Better)
- Galaxy S26+: No
- Infrared blaster
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: No
- FM radio
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: No
- microSD slot
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: No
- Card slot
- iPhone Air: No
- Galaxy S26+: No
General
- Operating system
- iPhone Air: iOS 26
- Galaxy S26+: Android 16
- OS updates (major versions)
- iPhone Air: Unknown
- Galaxy S26+: 7
- Launch price
- iPhone Air: $ 600.66
- Galaxy S26+: $ 688.86
- Year
- iPhone Air: 2025
- Galaxy S26+: 2026
Show raw spec textHide raw spec text
Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.
| — | iPhone Air | Galaxy S26+ |
|---|---|---|
| Network | ||
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66 - A3517 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3260 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - A3518 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA unlocked |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3517 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3260 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3518 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA unlocked |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2025, September 09 | 2026, February 25 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, September 19 | Available. Released 2026, March 06 |
| Body | ||
| Dimensions | 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6 mm (6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 in) | 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm (6.24 x 2.98 x 0.29 in) |
| Weight | 165 g (5.82 oz) | 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), titanium frame (grade 5), glass back (Ceramic Shield) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| SIM | eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time) IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min) | · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor Aluminum 2 |
| Display | ||
| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2736 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~516 ppi density) |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield 2 Anti-reflective coating | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Platform | ||
| OS | iOS 26, upgradable to iOS 27.2 | Android 16, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates, One UI 9 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) - US/CA/CN Exynos 2600 (2 nm) - ROW |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz) | Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) - US/CA/CN 10-core (1x3.80GHz C1-Ultra & 3x3.25GHz C1-Pro & 6x2.75GHz C1-Pro) - ROW |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) - US/CA/CN Xclipse 960 - ROW |
| Memory | ||
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM NVMe | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM UFS 4.X |
| Main Camera | ||
| Single | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS | – |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Best Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Triple | – | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Selfie camera | ||
| Single | 18 MP multi-aspect, f/1.9, 20mm (ultrawide), PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Features | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec. | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No High-bitrate audio support |
| Comms | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE | 6.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS, BDS, NavIC | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
| Features | ||
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip) Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
| Battery | ||
| Type | Li-Ion 3149 mAh | Li-Ion 4900 mAh |
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 20 wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 69% in 30 min 20W wireless (Qi2.2) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Misc | ||
| Colors | Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold |
| Models | iPhone18,4, A3517, A3260, A3518, A3516 | SM-S947B, SM-S947B/DS, SM-S947U, SM-S947U1, SM-S947W, SM-S947N, SM-S9470, SM-S947E, SM-S947E/DS |
| SAR | 1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.49 W/kg (head) 1.49 W/kg (body) | 0.78 W/kg (head) 1.22 W/kg (body) |
| Price | $ 600.66 / € 743.77 / £ 605.00 | $ 688.86 / € 829.00 / £ 729.00 / ₹ 99,999 |
| EU LABEL | ||
| Energy | Class A | Class A |
| Battery | 40:00h endurance, 1000 cycles | 55:00h endurance, 1200 cycles |
| Free fall | Class B (180 falls) | Class A (270 falls) |
| Repairability | Class C | Class C |