You don't need to buy the latest Galaxy Ultra phone, plus you can save money. I'll explain.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has some of the best specs of any smartphone today, but it also comes with a huge $1,300 price tag. The 2024 model, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, also has excellent specs, and even though it's only one generation old, you can pick it up new for $950 or used for $544. That's less than half the price of the current model on the used market. Seriously.
Watch this: Don't Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Save Money With a Used S24 Ultra Instead 07:54
Sure, if you're trying to sell your S24 series phone, that amount of depreciation really sucks. But if you're looking to upgrade from an older phone, then you've got yourself a bargain on a high-end device.
So what difference does one generation make? Can a 2-year-old model still perform like the current flagship? Let's put these phones side by side and see what we get.
Which one's which? It's difficult to tell. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
On paper, the specs are very similar. They both have massive displays with identical resolutions and refresh rates. They both have potent Qualcomm processors, 12GB of RAM, 200-megapixel cameras, titanium frames, and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. And yes, both have the S Pen stylus stuffed inside if you want to doodle pictures while pretending to be working. The S24 Ultra's S Pen even has several nifty tricks that were removed on the S25 Ultra's stylus.
The upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup -- including the S26 Ultra -- is expected to arrive soon. Sure, it might have a complete overhaul that justifies paying its top-end price over the cheaper previous generation. But current rumors suggest that the new phone may receive only modest upgrades.
Given that you can expect to see a sharp decrease in the price of the S25 Ultra, the same principle could apply: Save a lot of money by buying the previous generation on the used market.
From a purely numbers perspective, there's little to choose between the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra -- certainly nothing that warrants such a steep price difference. So what are they like to use in person? Let's start with the cameras.
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