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We have already seen Samsung and Google roll out their new premium lineups, and it is just a matter of weeks before Apple launches its own iPhone 18 Pro. There is already plenty of chatter, or shall we say leaks, about what the Apple has planned for its premium iPhone lineup: a new A20 Pro chip, 48-megapixel sensors, and a variable-aperture camera that's been making headlines on its own. Add a 6.3-inch, 120Hz OLED display and a slimmer Dynamic Island into the mix, and a lot is riding on this launch, all wrapped up in a price tag rumoured to sit around Rs 1,39,999. Now, if you are looking to buy a smartphone and do not want one from Apple, here are 3 iPhone 18 Pro alternatives to buy now, including Google Pixel 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Google Pixel 10 Pro.
So, if stepping into walled Apple garden is not really your thing, and you would still rather have something that actually locks horns with it, then we have picked some special premium smartphones for you based on the Android system. Samsung and Google are giving Apple a genuine run for its money, and while most other smartphone makers are busy trying to look iPhone-ish, these two are doing something different, and in a few places, doing it better.
Barely a few days old, the Google Pixel 11 Pro leads with a 6.3-inch Super Actua LTPO OLED display that hits a blistering 3,600 nits at peak - numbers the iPhone 18 Pro's rumoured spec sheet does not even come close to.
Power comes from Google's Tensor G6 chip paired with up to 16GB of RAM, backed by a triple 50MP + 48MP + 48MP rear camera system with Pro Zoom stretching to 120x, which is less "zoom" and more "binoculars with a camera attached."
A 4,850mAh battery, Qi2.2 wireless charging, and a very generous seven years of OS and security updates round it out, meaning this is a phone you buy once and stop thinking about for a long time.
Google Pixel 11 Pro Price: Rs 1,19,999.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 5G doesn't compete on subtlety; it competes on specs that read like a small essay- a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, a 200MP main camera with an f/1.4 aperture, and a built-in S Pen that Apple has spent a decade pretending nobody wants.
Under the hood sits a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip customised specifically for Galaxy, paired with Samsung's largest vapor chamber yet for when gaming sessions run long. The camera setup goes four-deep- 200MP + 50MP + 50MP + 10MP- with Space Zoom reaching a genuinely absurd 100x, and there's now a hardware-based Privacy Display that blacks out your screen from the sides, which is either paranoid or exactly what open-plan offices have been missing.
At 5,000mAh with fast charging to match, this is the phone for people who want the iPhone 18 Pro's ambition without waiting for Apple to catch up.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Price: Rs 1,24,999.
Consider the Google Pixel 10 Pro the value play of the group- last year's flagship, still very much a flagship, and now sitting at a price that makes the Pixel 11 Pro's premium look a lot less necessary.
It shares the same 6.3-inch Super Actua display and near-identical 50MP + 48MP + 48MP camera array as its successor, running on the Tensor G5 chip with 16GB of RAM as standard. Pro Zoom tops out at 100x instead of 120x, wireless charging caps at 15W instead of 25W- differences you'll notice on a spec sheet more than in daily life.
What does not change is the seven years of software support, meaning you are buying nearly the same longevity as the newer model for meaningfully less money, a math problem the rumoured iPhone 18 Pro price tag does not let you solve.
Google Pixel 10 Pro Price: Rs 1,09,999.
Three 3 iPhone 18 Pro alternatives make a very compelling argument against waiting for September 2026 - and not one of them asks you to gamble on a rumour.
