According to recent rumors, the iPhone 18 series will pack larger batteries than the Galaxy S26 series, and possibly next year’s Galaxy S27 series. Apple, a company that has spent years treating the spec sheet as an afterthought (focusing on the user experience), now threatens to overtake Samsung.
That should be ringing bells in Korea, because let’s be honest: Samsung has gotten too comfortable and has been holding back when it comes to specification improvements. It’s a sentiment we here at SamMobile share with many Samsung fans, and one of the areas where criticism has been the loudest is the battery.
Yes, the Galaxy flagship will get you through the day (or two if you buy the Galaxy S Ultra). But sometimes we want more, and Samsung hasn’t budged in years.
Samsung has been sleeping on specification improvements
How long, exactly? However, the Galaxy S Ultra lineup has been shipped with a 5,000 mAh battery since the first model in 2020. The iPhone 17 Pro Max already beats it with 5,088 mAh (at least for the eSIM-only model), while the iPhone 18 Pro Max reportedly jumps all the way to 5,425 mAh (or a separate SIM 5, 5 mAh, or 5 mAh).
Most reports so far have suggested that the Galaxy S27 Ultra will pack a 5,000 mAh or 5,200 mAh battery. That means Samsung’s next non-folding flagship could arrive next year already following the phone Apple launched months before it.
The story of the Fold is worse. Samsung has stuck with the 4,400 mAh battery from the Galaxy Z Fold 3 up until the Fold 7. The Fold 8 series is finally expected to bring an upgrade, reportedly with around 5,000 mAh for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (Fold 7 sequel) and 4,800 mAh for the wider-body Fold 8.
But Apple’s first foldable — a model as wide as the regular Fold 8 — is rumored to pack a 5,500 mAh battery. So even after its first battery upgrade in five years, Samsung’s comparable folding would have a smaller 700 mAh battery capacity.
And it’s not just volume, either. Charging speeds have been at a glacial pace. The base model of the Galaxy S has maxed out at 25W for six years, and the Plus model took its sweet time up to 45W. Apple, on the other hand, has moved the entire iPhone lineup to 40W with the iPhone 17 series.
It’s the same story with wireless charging. Samsung flagships have stayed at 15W until this year, and even now, only the Galaxy S26 Ultra supports 25W wireless charging. The S26+ charges at 20W while the base model is at 15W. Meanwhile, every single iPhone 17 (except the iPhone 17e) charges at 25W wirelessly.
In addition to battery and charging, Samsung offers other good features. The Privacy Display is only available on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, while the upcoming Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra will reportedly not get it.
The anti-glare/anti-reflective coating is present on all iPhone 17 models. However, Samsung has kept the Gorilla Armor glass, which has built-in anti-reflective properties, only for the Ultra since it debuted on the Galaxy S24 Ultra in 2024. And there’s no word of it being a feature in the company’s upcoming folders.
The rabbit took a nap, the tortoise continued walking
Now, I’m not saying that Apple has been a leader in providing top-notch specs. For years, it was the gear, trailing Samsung in batteries, charging speed, displays, etc. But as the old tale goes, the rabbit gets so far ahead that he decides he can’t sleep, and the tortoise ends up catching up and taking the lead. No points for guessing which company is the rabbit in this example.
But this could be some of the best news Samsung fans have had in a while. Apple and Samsung have been going after each other, sometimes one joining the team late and sometimes the other. If Apple improves its batteries and distributes good features throughout its lineup is what finally brings Samsung back to the drawing board, we’ll take it.
And there are signs that Samsung may have gotten the message. The Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra are rumored to get a 16MP front camera. Better yet, all Galaxy S27 models could have a privacy display. None of this is confirmed yet. But it looks like Samsung might be done giving us the same thing over and over again.
So, has Apple just pressured Samsung into improving its specifications? That’s all Samsung can tell us, but the time is definitely right. I hope that all the rumors, including the large batteries of the iPhone 18, come out, because nothing makes Samsung respond faster than Apple doing something first.