The Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung’s last true Ultra to date

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 the S26 Ultra is also out in the market. Naturally, I did what anyone in my situation would do – I spent time with both, researched them properly, and took them for a spin. But every time I used these new phones, I found myself revolving around the same question: Why should I upgrade?

Sure, things have changed a bit over the years. It now has a built-in privacy display (how cool!), you get the APV codec for video recording, fast charging, and more. But none of it has felt like a meaningful leap forward – nothing that could actually convince me to give up what I already have in my hands. And honestly, that’s why I keep coming back to this – the Galaxy S24 Ultra feels like the last full Galaxy Ultra made by Samsung, and no, I’m not pulling that out of thin air. There are reasons to support this.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has that undeniable presence – it’s got a sharp, boxy shape, 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. It’s absolutely part of the charm. The phone looks like it was never intended 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 it more in the small everyday moments. For example, whenever I carry the S24 Ultra with me, people recognize it. There’s a familiarity to the design that people instantly love, and that says a lot. In an area where most Android phones tend to blur together, the S24 Ultra is still recognizable, which is a major accomplishment in itself.

Now, if you look at what happened next, Samsung has clearly toned things down with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S26 Ultra. The bends are more gentle, the feel in the hand is more forgiving, and yes, they are more comfortable to use. But somewhere along the way, they lost that design edge a little bit.

More importantly, the Ultra doesn’t feel different anymore. When the S24 series launched, you could immediately tell the Ultra apart from the S24 and S24 Plus. It had its own personality, its own visual weight. Among new generations, that distinction has disappeared. The S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra appear to be variations of the same design. Less like siblings, more like triplets who differ only in size.

And this is where the S24 Ultra still wins me over. If I’m choosing Ultra, I want it to feel like Ultra.

With the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung quietly removed one of the things that made the S Pen feel truly special – Bluetooth. Now, Samsung says not many people used Air Action, so they removed it. But that argument never really sat right with me, because to me, the S Pen was always so much more than that.

I used it as a bluetooth remote for the camera all the time. Whether it’s a big group photo or just trying to get the right angle for yourself, that little button made things easier. Just click, and you’re ready to go. And it didn’t stop there – I could hold the button and rotate the pen to zoom in or switch modes.

On newer models, the S Pen is just a stylus. Very good, no doubt about it. It’s intuitive, precise, and it’s also convinced me that I may have some artistic talent hidden somewhere, which, to be honest, is a bit ambitious. But you get the point. The problem is that once you’ve used it as more than just a stylus, going back to it feels like a step down. To me, this is quite a noticeable decline. And if you rely on those extra features even a little, as I did, that’s more than enough reason to stay where you are.

This isn’t something that’s specific to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but it becomes very noticeable when you look at the lineup over the years. Samsung hasn’t really touched the battery capacity of its Ultra phones since the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Certainly, the underlying technology and efficiency have improved, and the software has done its job. But on paper, nothing has really changed. The S24 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, and even with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, it’s still the same 5,000mAh unit. Yes, Samsung has worked on software optimizations to squeeze out a little more stamina, but a lot more could be done. At some point, you reach a hardware limit, and that’s where things start to plateau.

It wouldn’t be as special if the rest of the industry weren’t moving so aggressively. Brands like OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo and Realme have already started promoting high-capacity silicon-carbon batteries. To the extent that some phones practically double up as power banks too.

Meanwhile, Samsung is clearly taking the cautious path and sticking to what it knows works. And to be fair, this caution isn’t coming out of nowhere. Since the infamous Galaxy Note 7 incident, Samsung has been extremely careful about anything battery related. You can see that hesitation even today. The company isn’t rushing into new battery technology until it’s absolutely sure it won’t backfire.

But this is where it starts to feel a little disappointing. When even new models like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S26 Ultra don’t increase capabilities, the sense of an upgrade begins to fade. Because at the end of the day, battery life is one of the few things that changes the way you use your phone – that’s what keeps the worries away. And for phones with tons of features and huge displays, it matters even more.

That’s what it really comes down to. If I’m upgrading my phone, I want it to seem like an obvious step. Because with every new generation, the price increases, and at that point, one has to earn that upgrade. Right now, I don’t feel that vibe with the new Galaxy models. Not because they’re bad, but because what I already have still feels complete. The S24 Ultra gave me no reason to move on.

I’ve been using it for two years, and with Samsung promising seven years of software support, I know this phone is built to last. Realistically, I’m settled for the next five years, which comfortably takes me to 2031, without feeling like I’m missing anything. Unless Samsung comes up with something that really surprises me. So, five more years, Samsung – that’s enough time for you to win me over again.