Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 next to Samsung’s Galaxy S26 as both giants race to lead in flagship innovation (Photo: Pinterest)
Apple and Samsung on their part will kick start their flagship competition for the September launch. The iPhone 17 series will be unveiled as with regularity by Apple on September 9, 2025, with sales likely beginning a few weeks later.
Samsung plans a counter-attack from early in 2026 that will bring forth the Galaxy S26. A number of leaks and insider reports have already hinted on how these powerhouses may stack up against each other in terms of design, performance, camera and pricing.
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During the Awe Dropping event on September 9, 2025, Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 series with pre-orders and retail availability later in the month likely around September 19.
Meanwhile, Samsung is expected to hold on to its tradition with a Galaxy S26 announcement in January or February 2026 with devices arriving in stores.
Rumors suggest that the starting price may be increased to somewhere around $799-$899 depending on the model. In India it is expected that the base iPhone 17 will start at around Rs. 89,900 and higher end ones reach up to Rs. 1.64 lakh.
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Samsung has not revealed its prices, but expectations build that while it would be slightly above the $799 entry price for Galaxy S25 it would be anything but high.
Apple might leave the iPhone 17 design more or less similar to that of the previous version but will now feature a screen slightly bigger than the 6.27 inches with 120 Hz Pro Motion on base models. The iPhone 17 Air variant is Ultra-thin at least 5.5mm thick.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 might come about with smaller bezels and a completely redone rear design, chiefly in the Edge variant.
New features of the iPhone 17 rumors are its front camera upgrade to 24MP, ongoing use of a 48MP rear setup and Pro models pushing that allotment even further. Its Ultra versions may have better telephoto capabilities and boost the primary sensor to 50MP or even 200MP.
As for Apple, standard models will probably be powered by the A18 chip, while Pro versions will carry A19 Pro whereas top performance will be driven by the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip. Both offer rumored improvements on battery performance, but specifics are still consoling as of now.
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