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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S9

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

SamsungGalaxy S26 UltraSamsungGalaxy S9
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2026March 2018
Display
Screen size6.9″5.8″
Resolution3120 × 14402960 × 1440
Sharpness498 pixels per inch568 pixels per inch
PanelLTPO OLEDOLED
Refresh rate120 Hz60 Hz
Peak brightness2,600 nits–
Display typeDynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+, 16M colours; 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate (1–120 Hz)Quad HD+ curved (dual edge) Super AMOLED, 18.5:9, 16M colours; 5.8 inches as a full rectangle, 5.6 inches with rounded corners
Pixel density–570 ppi
Screen protectionCorning Gorilla Armor 2Corning Gorilla Glass 5 front and back
Display featuresBuilt-in Privacy Display; anti-reflective display; Vision booster; ProScaler and mDNIe image processing–
Performance
ChipSnapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for GalaxyExynos 9810
Memory12 GB – 16 GB4 GB
Storage256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB64 GB
CPUOcta-core (4.74 GHz, 3.6 GHz)10 nm, 64-bit, octa-core (2.7 GHz quad + 1.7 GHz quad); 4 GB of RAM
GPU–Mali-G72 MP18
Storage type–64 GB (50.3 GB available on Samsung's regional specification); microSD card slot up to 400 GB in Samsung UK's launch and support guidance, though a later regional product page lists 512 GB
CoolingRedesigned Vapor Chamber, Samsung's largest yet, with thermal interface material along the sides of the processor–
Cameras
Main camera200 MP12 MP
Ultra wide camera50 MPNone
Telephoto camera50 MPNone
Optical zoom5×None
Front camera12 MP8 MP
Main camera200 MP wide, F1.4Super Speed Dual Pixel 12 MP, autofocus, OIS, dual aperture F1.5/F2.4
Ultra wide camera50 MP, F1.9–
Telephoto camera50 MP, F2.9, 5x optical zoom–
Second telephoto camera10 MP, F2.4, 3x optical zoom–
Front camera12 MP, F2.2, autofocus8 MP, autofocus, F1.7
Zoom3x and 5x optical zoom; 2x and 10x optical-quality zoom (Adaptive Pixel sensor); digital zoom up to 100xDigital zoom up to 8x
Video recordingUp to 8K (7680 × 4320) at 30 fps; APV codec; slow motion at 240 fps (FHD) and 120 fps (FHD and UHD)UHD 4K (3,840 × 2,160) at 60 fps; Super Slow-mo at 960 fps (HD); slow motion at 240 fps (Full HD)
Camera featuresNightography; Super Steady with Horizontal LockSuper Slow-mo with Motion Detection; AR Emoji; Bixby Vision
Battery and charging
Battery5,000 mAh3,000 mAh
Video playback (maker's claim)Up to 31 hoursUp to 16 hours
Wired chargingUp to 60 W–
Wireless chargingYes (wattage not published)Yes (wattage not published)
Battery life detailRated (minimum) capacity 4,855 mAh; at least 1,200 charge cycles; EU energy class AInternet use up to 11 hours (3G), 12 hours (LTE) or 14 hours (Wi-Fi); audio playback up to 48 hours (80 hours with Always On Display off); talk time up to 22 hours (3G)
Wired chargingSuper Fast Charging 3.0, up to 75% in around 30 minutes with a 60 W adapter (sold separately); QC2.0 and AFC PD compatibleFast wired charging compatible with QC 2.0
Wireless chargingSuper Fast Wireless Charging (WPC); Samsung doesn't state the wattageFast wireless charging compatible with WPC and PMA
Charges other devicesWireless PowerShare–
Connectivity
Satellite messagingYes–
Mobile network5G Sub6 (FDD, TDD, SDL); 4G LTE (FDD, TDD); 3G WCDMA; 2G GSMLTE Cat 18, enhanced 4×4 MIMO, carrier aggregation, LAA
SIMTwo nano-SIMs, nano-SIM and eSIM, or dual eSIMSingle nano-SIM, or hybrid dual SIM (second nano-SIM or microSD)
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be), 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, EHT320, MIMO, 4096-QAMWi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024-QAM
BluetoothBluetooth 6.0Bluetooth 5.0 (LE up to 2 Mbps); ANT+
Ultra WidebandYes–
NFCYesYes
Satellite featuresWorks with O2 Satellite in the UK (texts, supported apps, maps and location sharing where O2 has no signal; not emergency calls); satellite texting and emergency SOS with Verizon in the US–
USBUSB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1USB Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen 1; 3.5 mm headphone jack
PositioningGPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSSGPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou
Design
TypeStandardStandard
Weight214 g163 g
Thickness7.9 mm8.5 mm
Height × width163.6 × 78.1 mm147.7 × 68.7 mm
Water and dust resistanceIP68IP68
StylusYes–
MaterialsArmor Aluminum frame; Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 backGorilla Glass 5 front and back with an aluminium frame
ColoursCobalt Violet, White, Black, Sky Blue; Pink Gold and Silver Shadow (Samsung.com only)Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Lilac Purple at UK launch
Water resistance detailIP68, dust-tight and tested for submersion in up to 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutesIP68
BiometricsFingerprint sensorIris scanner, fingerprint sensor (rear, below the camera), face recognition; Intelligent Scan combines iris and face
SensorsAccelerometer, barometer, fingerprint sensor, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, light sensor, proximity sensorIris, pressure, accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint, gyro, geomagnetic, Hall, heart rate, proximity, RGB light
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers tuned by AKG; Dolby Atmos
Software
Operating systemAndroidAndroid
Software at launchOne UI 8.5 (Android 16)Android 8 (Oreo)
Software updatesSecurity updates until 28 February 2033 (UK)–
AI featuresGalaxy AI, including Now Nudge, Now Brief, Photo Assist and Creative Studio; a choice of agents including Bixby, Gemini and Perplexity–

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