Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S26

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S26

The Galaxy S26 wins this one, taking software longevity and performance decisively. Against the Galaxy S24 Ultra it's also the sounder buy at $9.90 per month of safe use.

Value Score: Galaxy S24 Ultra 70 · Galaxy S26 75 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra $949

Safe to buy$17.13/mo

2024◆ Buy-by Jan 20292031

Samsung Galaxy S26 $799

Safe to buy$9.90/mo

2026◆ Buy-by Mar 20312033

Category by category

Display

Galaxy S24 Ultra 100Galaxy S26 90

The Galaxy S24 Ultra's screen is the better one — 6.8-inch dynamic amoled 2x, qhd+ (3120×1440), 1–120hz, up to 2600 nits.

Performance

Galaxy S24 Ultra 92Galaxy S26 100

The Galaxy S26's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is simply the faster chip.

Camera

Galaxy S24 Ultra 96Galaxy S26 79

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has the stronger camera system (4 real rear lenses vs 3).

Battery

Galaxy S24 Ultra 80Galaxy S26 66

5,000mAh vs 4,300mAh — the Galaxy S24 Ultra lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

Galaxy S24 Ultra 66Galaxy S26 96

The Galaxy S26 is supported until Mar 2033 — 25 months longer than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Value

Galaxy S24 Ultra 70Galaxy S26 75

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S26 at $9.90 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	Galaxy S24 Ultra	Galaxy S26
Price (street)	$949	$799
Display	6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+ (3120×1440), 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits	6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, FHD+, 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
RAM	12GB	12GB
Storage	256GB/512GB/1TB	256GB/512GB
Battery	5,000 mAh	4,300 mAh
Charging	45W wired, 15W wireless	25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2.2 Ready)
Rear cameras	200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 50MP telephoto 5x periscope	50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x
Dimensions	162.3 × 79.0 × 8.6 mm	149.6 × 71.7 × 7.2 mm
Weight	232 g	167 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Supported until	Jan 2031	Mar 2033

Galaxy S24 Ultra full verdict →Galaxy S26 full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.