ROG Phone 9 vs Galaxy S26 Ultra

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Galaxy S26 Ultra wins this one, taking software longevity and display decisively. Against the ROG Phone 9 it's also the sounder buy at $13.58 per month of safe use.

Value Score: ROG Phone 9 58 · Galaxy S26 Ultra 77 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Asus ROG Phone 9 $999

Safe to buy$24.24/mo

2024◆ Buy-by Nov 20272029

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra $1099

Safe to buy$13.58/mo

2026◆ Buy-by Mar 20312033

Category by category

Display

ROG Phone 9 60Galaxy S26 Ultra 100

The Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen is the better one — 6.9-inch dynamic ltpo amoled 2x, qhd+, 1–120hz, up to 2600 nits, with anti-reflective privacy display.

Performance

ROG Phone 9 98Galaxy S26 Ultra 100

Performance is a wash — same chip tier.

Camera

ROG Phone 9 67Galaxy S26 Ultra 96

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has the stronger camera system (4 real rear lenses vs 2).

Battery

ROG Phone 9 96Galaxy S26 Ultra 80

5,800mAh vs 5,000mAh — the ROG Phone 9 lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

ROG Phone 9 49Galaxy S26 Ultra 96

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is supported until Mar 2033 — 40 months longer than the ROG Phone 9.

Value

ROG Phone 9 58Galaxy S26 Ultra 77

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S26 Ultra at $13.58 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	ROG Phone 9	Galaxy S26 Ultra
Price (street)	$999	$1099
Display	6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1080x2400, 185Hz	6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, QHD+, 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits, with anti-reflective Privacy Display
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
RAM	12GB/16GB	12GB
Storage	256GB/512GB	256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery	5,800 mAh	5,000 mAh
Charging	65W wired, 15W wireless	60W wired, 25W wireless
Rear cameras	50MP main, 13MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro	200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 50MP telephoto 5x periscope
Dimensions	163.8 × 76.8 × 8.9 mm	163.6 × 78.1 × 7.9 mm
Weight	227 g	214 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Supported until	Nov 2029	Mar 2033

ROG Phone 9 full verdict →Galaxy S26 Ultra full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.