Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iQOO 16
Samsung brings a 200 MP camera with two telephotos, the S Pen, IP68 and updates until 2033. iQOO answers with the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, an 8,400 mAh battery, 100W charging and a 165 Hz screen.
Design & Dimensions
163.6 mm
78.1 mm
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Thickness: 7.9 mm
Weight: 214 g
163.75 mm
76.9 mm
iQOO 16
Thickness: 8.3 mm
Weight: 222.5 g
General Specifications | ||
| Specification | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra  | iQOO 16  |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | February 25, 2026 | September 2026 |
| Starting Price | USD 1,299.99 (US), INR 1,54,999 (India store price), 12 GB + 256 GB | CNY 5,999 (China), 12 GB + 256 GB |
| Colours | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold | Track, Legend, Chasing Light |
Design & Build | ||
| Height | 163.6 mm | 163.75 mm |
| Width | 78.1 mm | 76.9 mm |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm | 8.30 mm Track, 8.40 mm Legend, 8.55 mm Chasing Light |
| Weight | 214 g | 222.5 g Track, 227.9 g Legend, 229.8 g Chasing Light |
| Frame | Armor Aluminum | Not stated |
| Glass | Gorilla Armor 2 front, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back | Not stated |
| Ingress Rating | IP68 | Not stated |
Display | ||
| Technology | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, anti-reflective, built-in Privacy Display | AMOLED |
| Size | 6.9 inches (17.49 cm) | 6.85 inches |
| Resolution | 3120 x 1440 (Quad HD+) | 3168 x 1440 |
| Pixel Density | About 500 ppi | About 508 ppi |
| Refresh Rate | Up to 120 Hz | Up to 165 Hz |
| Peak Brightness | 2,600 nits | Not stated |
| Colour | 16 million colours | 1.07 billion colours, P3 gamut |
| S Pen | Yes, built in | No |
Performance & Hardware | ||
| Operating System | One UI 8.5, Android 16 at launch | OriginOS 7 (Android 17) |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (2 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core, 4.74 GHz + 3.6 GHz | Octa-core, 2 x 5.01 GHz + 3 x 4.03 GHz + 3 x 3.74 GHz |
| RAM | 12 GB (256 GB, 512 GB), 16 GB (1 TB) | 12 GB / 16 GB LPDDR5X Ultra, Ultra Pro on 16 GB + 1 TB |
| Storage | 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB | 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB |
| Storage Type | Not stated | UFS 4.1 |
| Software Updates | Security updates until February 28, 2033 | Not stated |
Cameras | ||
| Main | 200 MP, f/1.4, OIS | 50 MP, 1/1.3-inch, f/1.68, OIS |
| Ultra-Wide | 50 MP, f/1.9 | 50 MP, f/2.05, AF |
| Telephoto | 50 MP f/2.9 (5x) and 10 MP f/2.4 (3x) | 50 MP Sony periscope, f/2.65, OIS |
| Zoom | 3x and 5x optical, 2x and 10x optical quality, up to 100x digital | Up to 100x digital |
| Front Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, autofocus | 32 MP, f/2.2, fixed focus |
| Max Video | 8K 30fps | 8K rear, 4K front |
| Slow Motion | 240fps at FHD, 120fps at UHD | Up to 4K |
Battery & Charging | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh typical | 8,400 mAh typical |
| Rated Capacity | 4,855 mAh | 8,170 mAh |
| Video Playback | Up to 31 hours | Not stated |
| Wired Charging | 60W, up to 75% in about 30 minutes | 100W |
| Wireless Charging | 25W per launch reports | 40W |
| Charger in Box | No | Not stated |
Variants & Pricing | ||
| 12 GB + 256 GB | USD 1,299.99 (US), INR 1,54,999 (MRP INR 1,69,999) | CNY 5,999 |
| 12 GB + 512 GB | INR 1,74,999 (MRP INR 1,89,999) | CNY 6,799 |
| 16 GB + 512 GB | Not offered | CNY 7,499 |
| 16 GB + 1 TB | Out of stock on Samsung India | CNY 8,499 |
Connectivity & Extras | ||
| Cellular | 5G, nano-SIM + eSIM, dual eSIM | 5G dual SIM dual active |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7, 2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz, EHT320, 4096-QAM | Wi-Fi 7, 2x2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.4, LDAC, LHDC 5.0, aptX Lossless |
| UWB | Yes | Not stated |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| IR Blaster | No | Yes |
| USB | Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 | Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint sensor, face unlock | 3D ultrasonic fingerprint, face unlock |
| Desktop Mode | Samsung DeX | Not stated |
| Headphone Jack | No, USB Type-C | No, USB Type-C digital only |