These three features on the S26 Ultra make me yearn for my iPhone 17 Pro even more.

      Switching phones is always a bit of a risk. You anticipate new experiences, exciting features, and perhaps something superior. To its credit, the Galaxy S26 Ultra meets this expectation in several respects. It ranks among the most technically advanced smartphones on the market, featuring a 6.85-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, peak brightness up to 2,600 nits, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, which offers roughly a 10–15% performance increase over the previous generation.

      However, after using it for a while, I found myself in an odd situation. The more I recognized the ingenuity of Samsung's creation, the more I started to miss my iPhone 17 Pro.

      The Privacy Display presents significant trade-offs

      This year, Samsung's standout feature is undoubtedly the Privacy Display. It utilizes pixel-level light control to limit viewing angles, making the screen nearly unreadable from the sides. In theory, it’s an impressive concept. In use, it proves to be quite beneficial—especially in public settings like airplanes or subways where shoulder surfing is a common issue.

      Samsung deserves acknowledgment for this, as it’s not merely a software gimmick. It represents hardware-driven innovation, which is becoming increasingly uncommon in contemporary smartphones.

      However, once the feature is activated, the drawbacks become apparent. The display dims noticeably, color accuracy experiences a slight decline, and the overall viewing experience feels restricted. This is particularly evident since the S26 Ultra’s display is otherwise one of the brightest and most vibrant in the market.

      This contrast stands out more sharply.

      Apple doesn’t provide a privacy display, but it also refrain from implementing features that detract from the fundamental experience. The iPhone's approach is slower and more cautious, yet also more polished. While it may lack experimental features, it spares users from their downsides.

      Camera enhancements that don’t alter the results

      On paper, the S26 Ultra’s camera system appears to have received an upgrade. The main sensor now boasts a wider f/1.9 aperture, while the telephoto lens has an f/2.4 aperture, which should improve low-light performance. The phone retains its 200-10-50MP configuration, including a periscope zoom lens.

      When viewed in isolation, the results are commendable. Photos turn out sharp, bright, and ready for sharing on social media.

      But in comparison to the S25 Ultra, the differences are minimal. In most practical situations, discerning which phone took which photo is challenging unless you’re intentionally looking for distinctions. Even benchmark tests and side-by-side comparisons indicate that the enhancement is gradual rather than revolutionary.

      Meanwhile, the iPhone continues to shine in everyday important aspects—video consistency, color fidelity, and application optimization for platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Though Apple’s computational photography may not always break new ground, it consistently provides dependable results.

      Samsung is innovating, while Apple is refining. In many cases, that refinement triumphs in daily use.

      Performance and AI: Impressive, but overwhelming

      There’s no denying the raw power of the S26 Ultra. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 provides high-end performance, easily handling everything from gaming to multitasking. However, this year’s emphasis is on AI.

      Samsung has equipped the device with numerous features: AI image editing, generative fill, object insertion, writing assistants, real-time translation, and contextual suggestions through tools like Now Brief or Now Nudge. While these features are technically remarkable, they do have limitations. AI-generated images often come out at lower resolutions, which don’t match the phone's native display. Editing photos can reduce quality by as much as 20–30%, making them less practical for ongoing use.

      Moreover, many of these tools feel more optional than essential. They are features to experiment with rather than ones to depend on.

      Over time, this can become exhausting.

      In contrast, the iPhone adopts a different strategy. It incorporates AI more subtly, focusing on enhancing existing workflows instead of introducing entirely new tasks. It may accomplish less, but it does so with greater consistency.

      The irony of it all

      The S26 Ultra didn’t turn me against Android; it reminded me of my fondness for iOS.

      While Samsung ventures into bold features—privacy displays, AI capabilities, camera adjustments—Apple prioritizes stability, consistency, and refinement. This distinction becomes increasingly evident the longer you use both. The features you find appealing aren’t always the ones you truly miss.

      My final thoughts

      The Galaxy S26 Ultra is an outstanding device. It boasts power, innovation, and features that expand the potential of smartphones. However, using it didn’t feel like an upgrade in my daily life. Instead, it felt like embracing a different philosophy. Sometimes, that realization emphasizes that what you value isn't just innovation for its own sake, but rather how seamlessly everything integrates.

      In that respect, I found myself