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 (US) | $1,299.99 (12 GB + 256 GB) | Not sold in the US |
| 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 |
| Front Glass | Gorilla Armor 2 | Not published by iQOO |
| Back Glass | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Not published by iQOO |
| Ingress Rating | IP68 | Not stated |
Display | ||
| Panel Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | AMOLED |
| Anti-Reflective Coating | Supported | Not published by iQOO |
| Privacy Display | Built in | Not published by iQOO |
| 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 |
| Security Updates | Until February 28, 2033 | Not published by iQOO |
Cameras | ||
| Main Camera | 200 MP | 50 MP |
| Main Aperture | f/1.4 | f/1.68 |
| Main Sensor Size | Not published by Samsung | 1/1.3-inch |
| Main OIS | Yes | Yes |
| Ultra-Wide Camera | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Ultra-Wide Aperture | f/1.9 | f/2.05 |
| Ultra-Wide Autofocus | Not published by Samsung | Yes |
| Telephoto Camera | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Telephoto Aperture | f/2.9 | f/2.65 |
| Telephoto Optical Zoom | 5x | Not published by iQOO |
| Telephoto Type | Not published by Samsung | Sony periscope |
| Telephoto OIS | Not published by Samsung | Yes |
| Second Telephoto Camera | 10 MP | No |
| Second Telephoto Aperture | f/2.4 | No |
| Second Telephoto Zoom | 3x | No |
| Zoom | 3x and 5x optical, 2x and 10x optical quality, up to 100x digital | Up to 100x digital |
| Front Camera | 12 MP | 32 MP |
| Front Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Front Autofocus | Yes | No (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 | 100W |
| Charge in 30 Min | Up to 75% | Not published by iQOO |
| Wireless Charging | 25W per launch reports | 40W |
| Charger in Box | No | Not stated |
Variants & Pricing | ||
| India: 12 GB + 256 GB | ₹1,39,999 | Not published by iQOO |
| India: 12 GB + 512 GB | ₹1,59,999 | Not published by iQOO |
| India: 16 GB + 1 TB | ₹1,89,999 | Not published by iQOO |
| China: 12 GB + 256 GB | CNY 10,999 (current store price) | CNY 5,999 |
| China: 12 GB + 512 GB | CNY 12,599 (current store price) | CNY 6,799 |
| China: 16 GB + 512 GB | Not offered | CNY 7,499 |
| China: 16 GB + 1 TB | CNY 15,799 (current store price) | CNY 8,499 |
Connectivity & Extras | ||
| 5G | Supported | Supported |
| eSIM | Supported | Not published by iQOO |
| Dual eSIM | Supported | Not published by iQOO |
| Dual SIM Dual Active | Not published by Samsung | Supported |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7, 2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz, EHT320, 4096-QAM | Wi-Fi 7, 2x2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | Not published by Samsung | 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 |
| Fingerprint Sensor | In-display | 3D ultrasonic |
| Face Unlock | Supported | Supported |
| Desktop Mode | Samsung DeX | Not stated |
| Headphone Jack | No, USB Type-C | No, USB Type-C digital only |