In the photo comparison NeoTeo reported on October 10, 2026, the iPhone 18 Pro Max won five categories, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra won three, and two were ties; NeoTeo’s overall assessment favored the iPhone. The account says the phones were photographed in the same scenes, in automatic mode, with more than 200 photos taken on each. NeoTeo’s account was published on October 10; that is the report’s publication date.
For a wider look at how the phones differ beyond their cameras, see our earlier comparison of the Galaxy S26 Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
How the reported photo results split
The category-by-category results show why the overall tally is only part of the story. Dynamic range describes how well a camera preserves detail across bright highlights and dark shadows; macro photography focuses on close-up subjects.
| Photo category | Reported result | Detail from the comparison |
| Daylight | Tie | The Galaxy image was brighter; the iPhone retained more fine detail and texture on close inspection. |
| Ultra-wide | Tie | The Galaxy balanced exposure and appeared brighter, while the iPhone captured more fine detail. |
| Dynamic range | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung retained detail in bright areas and shadows; the iPhone had darker shadows in one high-contrast scene. |
| Color | iPhone 18 Pro Max | The iPhone’s flower colors were described as more natural; the Galaxy’s saturation was judged less faithful. |
| Panoramas | iPhone 18 Pro Max | The iPhone was favored for detail, exposure control, and dynamic range. |
| Selfies | iPhone 18 Pro Max | In full sun, the iPhone was reported to have a wider field of view and more detail. |
| Macro | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung’s flower close-ups were described as sharper, with more consistent focus in those shots. |
| Portraits | iPhone 18 Pro Max | The iPhone was favored for sharpness and handling bright backgrounds; the Galaxy showed softer detail around difficult edges. |
| Zoom | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra overall | The iPhone was favored at 4x; Samsung at 8x and 40x, where it was said to retain contrast and texture better. |
| Low light | iPhone 18 Pro Max | In nighttime tree scenes, the iPhone was favored for exposure, shadow detail, and sharpness. |
Zoom results vary by magnification
The Galaxy won the reported zoom category overall, but the result changed with magnification: the iPhone was favored at 4x, while the Galaxy was favored at 8x and 40x. Those results make the category win more useful than a blanket label: the reported comparison picked a different phone at 4x than at the longer zoom levels.
One commenter in r/samsunggalaxy described a personal comparison that favored the iPhone at 1x and the Samsung at 2x, 3x, 5x, and 10x, as well as for video. It is one owner’s impression, rather than a result from the same category-based comparison. The commenter’s account
Video and moving subjects: a separate reviewer’s view
Everyday Legends separately rated the iPhone 18 Pro Max more highly for video recording and moving subjects, while describing the Galaxy S26 Ultra as more versatile for zoom. That is the reviewer’s assessment of those uses, distinct from NeoTeo’s reported still-photo category results. Everyday Legends’ comparison covers the two phones across camera and other features.
