If you are looking for the latest and greatest Samsung phone, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is an obvious pick. It’s the latest of the lot, has the best SoC, the much hyped privacy display, and a slightly rounded shape, which is a departure from its big, bulky, brick-like iconic boxy design. Sounds like an easy choice, except it’s not.
If I were looking to buy my next best Galaxy phone on a budget, it wouldn’t be the S26 Ultra, but a two-year-old S24 Ultra. Even after two years, the phone still feels like a 2026 flagship, with Android updates helping it age like a fine wine. It still has great battery life, an excellent display, performance that doesn’t leave you wanting for more, and a camera that scored 9/10 in our review and will still hold its own even five years down the line.
S24 Ultra design is peak Samsung
The boxy look Samsung is leaving behind still turns heads
Samsung has been moving away from its sharp-edged design language with the S25 and S26 Ultra, opting for softer, rounder corners that blend in with every other flagship on the market. The newer phones look fine, but they don’t look special anymore. The S24 Ultra, on the other hand, has that bold, boxy Note-like aesthetic that made it stand out in a market where every other phone looks the same.
I came from the curved-edge Note 20 Ultra and was skeptical about the flat design at first. However, the sharp edges, the titanium frame, and the flat display with uniform bezels all come together to give the phone a tool-like presence that no other Samsung phone has matched since. The build is rock solid too. After two years of daily use, the titanium frame hasn’t developed any structural issues, and the Gorilla Glass Armor is still doing its job.
The only real durability caveat is the oleophobic coating. Early units had problems where sunscreen or certain creams could strip the coating quickly. If you’re picking one up now, slapping on a screen protector from day one is the smartest move.
Flagship quality display
Still one of the best screens on any phone in 2026
Samsung has always made some of the best displays on any smartphone, and the S24 Ultra is no different. What’s impressive is how well this two-year-old panel holds up against the current crop of flagships.
You get a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. In practice, that means vibrant colors for HDR video, smooth scrolling through social media, and plenty of brightness for outdoor use under direct sunlight. I use mine for everything from editing images in Adobe Lightroom to late-night scrolling, and the display has never once felt like the limiting factor.
Now, the S26 Ultra does bring a newer 6.9-inch panel with the much-talked-about privacy screen that limits off-angle viewing. That’s a nice perk if you’re on public transit a lot, but it’s not a feature most people would pay an extra few hundred dollars for. And if you want to get technical, the S24 Ultra’s display has avoided some of the issues reported with newer Samsung panels. The S26 Ultra’s display has drawn criticism for reflections and color shifting at certain angles, something the S24 Ultra’s Gorilla Glass Armor handles better for everyday use.
Solid performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 still runs like a current flagship
On paper, the Galaxy S24 Ultra houses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC compared to the latest Gen 5 on the S26 Ultra, but the older chip can still hold its own against many current flagships. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can go toe to toe with the Google Pixel 10 Pro’s Tensor G5 on single-core CPU performance and even edges ahead on multi-core tasks.
In day-to-day use, the phone still runs without any noticeable lag. Apps open quickly, multitasking is seamless, and I haven’t run into any situation where the processor felt like it was struggling. Even for gaming, the GPU performance remains strong, keeping frame rates steady without excessive thermal throttling.
Battery life is another area where the S24 Ultra continues to impress. The 5,000mAh cell, paired with Samsung’s software optimization, comfortably gets through a full day of heavy use. If you use Samsung’s battery protection feature to cap charging at 80-90%, you can keep your Galaxy running like new for years without noticeable battery degradation.
The rear cameras remain excellent, too. In good lighting, the 200MP main sensor, the 5x periscope telephoto, and the ultrawide consistently produce sharp, detailed shots. The zoom range is still among the best you’ll find on any smartphone. The one weak spot is the front camera, which struggles in low light. Samsung hasn’t upgraded the 12MP selfie sensor in years, and it shows when you’re shooting in dimly lit rooms or tricky artificial lighting.
One UI 8.5 keeps the phone feeling fresh
Seven years of updates mean this phone has a long road ahead
What truly makes the S24 Ultra a no-brainer for the next five years is Samsung’s commitment to seven years of software updates. The phone launched with One UI 6.1 on Android 14, and it has already received the latest One UI 8.5 update based on Android 16. The update has refreshed the entire experience, from a redesigned Quick Panel to smoother multitasking with the new 90:10 split-screen feature.
One UI 8.5 also brings features that were previously exclusive to Pixel phones. AirDrop support through Quick Share, Call Screening to filter spam calls, and a much-improved Audio Eraser for cleaning up video audio are all now available on the S24 Ultra. These aren’t flashy additions on their own, but stack them on top of everything Samsung has already added over the past two years, and the phone feels completely up to date.
With five more years of guaranteed updates still ahead, you won’t have to worry about missing out on new Android features or security patches anytime soon. That kind of software longevity is a big reason why the S24 Ultra remains a better value proposition than most new phones at a similar price point.
9/10
- Brand
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Samsung
- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a polished iteration that subtly enhances its predecessors’ strong suits. It sports a more industrial, flat design with a titanium frame and a standout 6.8-inch display that’s brighter and glare-reduced, offering a top-notch viewing experience. The camera system, while showing promise, struggles with consistency, but in terms of performance, it’s a powerhouse with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and a solid two-day battery life.
The S24 Ultra is still good for another five years
Even after two years, the Galaxy S24 Ultra still feels like a current flagship, and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t need the S26 Ultra badge but wants a solid phone that’s also a lot cheaper. Yes, the front camera could be better, and you are missing out on the fastest Snapdragon chip, which might also affect how AI-ready your phone is going to be in the years ahead. But for the cost, nothing beats the sheer value the S24 Ultra offers.
While Samsung officially discontinued the S24 Ultra a few months ago, you can still find it on Amazon and other retailers at least $400 cheaper than what the S26 Ultra costs, and that price gap only makes the case stronger.
