It’s been just over a month since Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26 series. As someone who has tracked and used Samsung phones for years, this launch felt…familiar. Not bad, but not particularly exciting either. Sure, the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a few upgrades. The much-discussed privacy display looks impressive, the battery has a slight bump and the redesigned camera module is definitely easier on the eyes. But aside from these changes, there’s not much that feels new. Meanwhile, my two-year-old Galaxy S24 Ultra is still holding up perfectly. It does everything I need without any real compromises. And honestly, there are a whole host of reasons why I don’t feel the urge to upgrade yet.
Not much has changed in how it looks or feels
The Galaxy S24 Ultra simply gets to the heart of the basics. The slightly curved frame makes it incredibly comfortable to hold, meaning I pick it up again and again without thinking about it. It’s one of those phones that just feels great in the hand, and that’s more important than most of the upgrades that brands like to talk about. Well, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is comfortable too, but it doesn’t have quite the same effortless grip. It’s good, just not that good, and that’s exactly why the S24 Ultra still impresses me. At the end of the day, if holding a phone in your hand isn’t a joy, then what are we even doing here?
As far as design goes, there’s hardly anything new to be excited about. The S26 Ultra gets a pill-shaped camera island that looks cleaner, but that’s about it. Even the difference in display size is almost ridiculous at 0.1 inches. You only notice this when you try very hard. And yes, the privacy display on the S26 Ultra is really good. I would take it on my S24 Ultra in a heartbeat. But upgrading an entire phone just for this one neat trick? That’s a big question, and Samsung knows it.
The upgrade that refuses to specify
On paper, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the clear upgrade. It features the latest Qualcomm chip, more power and better thermal management. But once you actually use it, the difference isn’t as dramatic as you’d expect. I had both phones side by side and for everyday things like multitasking, scrolling through Instagram, answering text messages, or watching Netflix, they felt almost identical. Everything went smoothly, quickly and responsively. Neither phone warmed up at all, which made the “upgrade” feel a little less exciting.
Even with heavier tasks like gaming or editing videos on CapCut, both handled things really well. If you strain them for longer sessions, the S26 Ultra can regulate heat better, and this is where the newer chip quietly shows its advantage. But for everything most people actually do on a daily basis, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is still more than enough. It’s fast, reliable, and gets things done easily without any fuss.
Things get ambitious with the ultra wide angle
On paper, the camera story feels like a familiar sequel. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn’t reinvent the wheel; it only sharpens a spoke. The ultra-wide gets a significant boost from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 12-megapixel sensor to a 50-megapixel sensor, and yes, that’s the kind of upgrade that sounds impressive. In practice, however, it is a bit more situational. Ultra-wide-angle shots aren’t necessarily an everyday habit for everyone, and in this context the S24 Ultra holds its own quite confidently. It’s reliable, consistent, and rarely leaves you wanting more unless you’re actively looking for that extra detail.
Where the S26 Ultra quietly comes out on top is in its color science. There is a subtle but noticeable refinement in the use of tones and contrasts. Photos look a little more balanced and polished without trying too hard. It’s not a night-and-day transformation, but it’s the kind of difference you begin to appreciate the more you pay attention.
More of the same, and that’s the problem
To put things into perspective, the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was truly impressive. On a recent trip, the full charge lasted until well after 1 a.m. in the morning and there was still enough energy left to keep going. For a two-year-old phone, this is excellent.
Now, technically speaking, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with the same 5,000 mAh battery. So there’s no dramatic jump here or an extra cushion that suddenly changes the way you use your phone. If anything, it just highlights how well the S24 Ultra has aged. Which strangely makes the newer Ultra harder to sell. If your current phone already works without any complaints, “more of the same” is not a reason to upgrade. It feels like a reminder that this isn’t really necessary.
Why fix what is already successful?
There’s something about Samsung phones that blend into your life and then refuse to leave. Having been in the Apple ecosystem for years, this change is hard to ignore. The Android side, especially on a Samsung, feels more open, fluid, and strangely in tune with the way things are actually done. It’s the little things that add up – the way everything slides on the display, the comfort of holding it even on long days, and features like Galaxy AI that feel useful. All of this makes the decision easy.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may be newer, faster and technically better in some ways, but it doesn’t offer a compelling reason to move on. The S24 Ultra still feels complete, still holds up and still fits smoothly into everyday life. The upgrade can wait for now. After two years, you still don’t get the feeling that he’s going to run out of steam any time soon. With almost five years of updates still ahead of us, it’s now more about waiting for something that really feels like it.
