iPhone 18 Pro Max Outlasts Galaxy S26 Ultra on Battery
A single controlled video test shows about 2.5 more hours of playback from the shipped Apple flagship.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Consumer Electronics
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In a YouTube playback test run by Phone Arena, the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 12 hours and six minutes, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra lasted nine hours and 36 minutes. The iPhone 18 Pro Max, unveiled by Apple in September 2026, is a shipped device; the test was a single comparative trial, not a lab-certified benchmark.
Why it matters
Battery endurance is one of the most-requested features in premium smartphones, and the gap shows how battery capacity, processor efficiency and software tuning combine in shipping hardware. The result also reflects Apple's gradual increase of Pro Max battery capacity across generations, against Samsung's long-running 5,000 mAh standard for Ultra models.
The test compares two phones playing the same video at the same screen brightness, which isolates playback efficiency rather than mixed daily use. Raw capacity explains only part of the gap, since the iPhone's battery is roughly 10% larger, while the remaining difference is attributed to processor efficiency and software optimization that the source does not quantify.
The players
Apple
Apple designs its own iPhone chips and iOS software, giving it direct control over the hardware and software that determine battery efficiency.
Samsung
Samsung produces the Galaxy S-series and typically equips North American Ultra models with Qualcomm processors and Android software.
Phone Arena
Phone Arena is a smartphone review publication that runs standardized device tests, including the YouTube playback comparison covered here.
Mrwhosetheboss
Mrwhosetheboss is a YouTube technology creator known for hands-on smartphone reviews and comparative testing.
The details
Battery life in a phone depends on how much energy the battery stores, measured in milliamp-hours (mAh), and how efficiently the processor and software use that energy. In the Phone Arena test, both devices were set to the same brightness and played the same content, so the difference reflects how each handset manages power during sustained video playback. Apple controls both its chips and its operating system, which allows tighter optimization of power use, while Samsung's North American Galaxy S-series models typically use Qualcomm processors and run Google's Android software.
Timeline
September 2026: Apple unveils the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
November 2, 2026: Battery test results are published by BGR.
The Tech Race
Apple has gradually increased Pro Max battery capacity with each generation, with a couple of exceptions, while Samsung has held its Ultra models at 5,000 mAh since the Galaxy S20 lineup. This test suggests that in the current premium smartphone race, capacity gains alone are not the whole story, as software and processor efficiency increasingly determine real-world endurance.
Buyers choosing between the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra can expect roughly two and a half more hours of video playback from the Apple model under this test's conditions. Real-world results will vary with usage, and the source does not state pricing or regional availability differences.
The takeaway
Battery endurance across the two flagships will be better judged once independent reviewers publish multi-run tests covering gaming and mixed use. Watch for those results from other testers before treating a single playback test as a general verdict.
Further reading
For more on how phone makers balance hardware and software, explore our Consumer Electronics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BGR.
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