5 reasons why I wouldn't upgrade from the Galaxy S24 Ultra to the S26 Ultra

The Galaxy S26 series is official, and as we’ve come to expect, there isn’t much new compared to the Galaxy S25 series from last year. But what about older models, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra? Small changes build up over the years, and it’s natural that S24 users may be contemplating an upgrade after two years. In my opinion, though, there’s still a lot of life left in the S24 Ultra, and I wouldn’t upgrade.

One of the best displays

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the only phone to feature Corning’s Gorilla Armor 1, which, in addition to being tougher than regular Gorilla Glass, has a splendid anti-reflective coating. That coating, combined with 2,600 nit peak brightness, makes the S24 Ultra’s screen one of the easiest to see outdoors, even two years on. The S25 and S26 Ultra use a newer Gorilla Armor 2, but the differences in anti-glare coating are hardly noticeable, and the maximum brightness is the same 2,600 nits on the newer phones.

There are only two areas where the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s screen pulls ahead: color depth and privacy. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has an 8-bit screen that can display 16 million colors, while the S26 Ultra’s screen can display 1.07 billion. The S26 Ultra also has a feature called Privacy Display, which allows the phone to mimic a privacy screen protector by limiting viewing angles. Those are nice upgrades, but they’re hardly worth trading in your Galaxy S24 Ultra for.

The cameras are almost the same

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 200MP primary camera, 10MP 4X telephoto, 50MP 5X telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. Those are still impressive by today’s standards and should compete with what the Galaxy S26 Ultra is packing.

The S26 Ultra does have some upgrades. It has the newer 50MP ultrawide-angle camera Samsung introduced last year, and the 1X and 5X sensors are larger at f/1.4 and f/2.9, respectively. That will no doubt make taking photos in low light better, but until I’ve been able to use the S26 Ultra’s cameras more extensively, I wouldn’t base an upgrade on these numbers alone. Samsung phones have struggled with shutter lag for years now, and until I see evidence of the S26 fixing that, there’s no reason to change your phone.

The battery is the same

The Galaxy S20 Ultra had a 5,000mAh battery. Every Ultra since, including the new S26 Ultra, has a 5,000mAh battery. That’s not to say battery life hasn’t improved over the years. Improvements in display and processor efficiency make a difference, but when you’re comparing the S26 Ultra to a phone that’s only two years old, the improvement will be negligible. The S24 Ultra has always had good battery life, and aside from declining battery health after two years of use, I don’t expect the new phone to be much better.

We do have to give credit to the S26 Ultra for finally changing its charging speeds, though. Samsung’s Ultra phones have been stuck with 15W wireless and 45W wired charging for years now, but the S26 Ultra finally upgrades to 25W wireless and 60W wired.

The S Pen is better

The Galaxy S26 Ultra obviously has an S Pen, but it pales in comparison to the one found on the S24 Ultra. Samsung removed Bluetooth from the S Pen last year, which means there are a ton of useful features you can only get on the S24 Ultra and other older models.

Bluetooth in the S Pen lets you launch apps, navigate your phone, and take photos remotely without having to touch your screen. It might not be something you use all the time, but it’s great when you do need it, and it stings that Samsung took away such a core part of the S Pen experience without providing any benefits for doing so.

Losing its identity

The Galaxy S24 Ultra looked like a Note. The boxy design and sharp corners meant you always knew you were looking at an Ultra — the DNA of Samsung’s old Note series lived on in the design. It gave the phone a no-nonsense, utilitarian vibe that I always loved, and I’m sad to see it abandoned. The Galaxy S26 Ultra has the same corner radius as the base S26 and S26 Plus, giving up on the identity it once had. Samsung started moving in this direction last year when it rounded off the edges on the S25 Ultra, but at least that phone was still boxier than its siblings.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra just feels nicer to hold, aside from the weight versus the much lighter S26 Ultra. The flat sides and sharp edges made it feel different from everything else, and I miss that.

Phones last longer than ever before, and the S24 Ultra is a prime example of that. Its specs are still competitive today, and it’s only two years into its seven-year software window. If your Galaxy S24 Ultra is still working and doing everything you need, there’s no reason to upgrade. If your battery life has declined after two years, save yourself the money and look into a battery replacement over a whole new phone. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of my favorite Samsung phones, and it has plenty of life left in it.