GoKawiilShimul Sood / Android Authority
I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for the past two years, and in that time, Samsung has already moved on twice. We’ve seen the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and now even the S26 Ultra is out in the wild. Naturally, I did what anyone in my position would do — I’ve spent time with both, explored them properly, and took them for a spin. But every time I used these new phones, I found myself circling back to the same question: why should I upgrade?
Sure, things have changed a bit in the past few years. There’s now a built-in Privacy Display (how cool!), you get APV codec for video recording, faster charging, and more. But none of it has felt like a meaningful leap forward — nothing that truly convinces me to put down what I already have in my hand. And honestly, that’s the reason why I keep coming back to this — the Galaxy S24 Ultra feels like the last truly complete Galaxy Ultra Samsung made, and no, I’m not pulling this out of thin air. There are reasons to back it up.
Do you think Samsung's Ultra lineup has lost its identity? 88 votes Yes, they all look the same now. 85 % No, it's clearly evolving. 9 % Never had a strong identity to begin with. 6 %
The Ultra with a signature look
Shimul Sood / Android Authority
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has that undeniable presence — it has a sharp, boxy silhouette, and yes, it will dig into your palm if you hold it a little too tightly. But you know, beauty is pain, and somehow, it also comes with a sense of identity. That’s exactly part of the charm. The phone does feel like it was never meant to disappear into the crowd.
More than anything, this feels like the last Ultra that carried Samsung’s Note DNA forward. That unmistakable phablet-era presence is still alive here. And I noticed this more in small, everyday moments. For instance, every time I carry the S24 Ultra around, people recognize it. There’s a familiarity to the design that instantly clicks with people, and that says a lot. In a space where most Android phones are starting to blur together, the S24 Ultra is still recognizable, a great achievement in itself.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Now, if you look at what came after, Samsung has clearly softened things with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the S26 Ultra. The curves are gentler, the in-hand feel is more forgiving, and yes, they are more comfortable to use. But somewhere along the way, they lost a bit of that design edge.
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