The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the last true Ultra Samsung ever made

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.

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.

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.

What stands out even more is how the Ultra no longer feels separate. When the S24 series launched, you could instantly tell the Ultra apart from the S24 and S24 Plus. It had its own personality, its own visual weight. Among newer generations, that distinction has faded. The S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra feel like variations of the same design. Less like siblings, more like triplets that are only different in size.

And that’s where the S24 Ultra still wins me over. If I’m choosing an Ultra, I want it to feel like one.

With the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung quietly removed one of the things that made the S Pen feel genuinely special — Bluetooth. Now, Samsung says not many people used Air Actions, so they removed it. But that reasoning never really sits right with me, because for me, the S Pen was always more than that.

I used it all the time as a Bluetooth remote for the camera. Whether it was a big group photo or just trying to get the right angle for myself, that tiny button made things effortless. Just click, and you’re good to go. And it didn’t stop there — I could hold the button and move the pen to zoom in or switch modes.

On the newer models, the S Pen is just a stylus. A very good one, no doubt. It’s smooth, precise, and has even convinced me that I might have some artistic talent hiding somewhere, which, let’s be honest, is a bit ambitious. But you get the point. The problem is, once you’ve used it as more than just a stylus, going back to this feels like a step down. For me, it’s a pretty noticeable downgrade. And if you relied on those extra features even a little, as I did, it’s more than enough reason to stay right where you are.

This isn’t something that’s exclusive 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 on its Ultra phones since the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Sure, the underlying tech and efficiency have improved, and software has done its bit. But on paper, nothing has really changed. The S24 Ultra packs 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 bit more endurance, but there’s only so much that can be done. At some point, you hit a hardware ceiling, and that’s exactly where things start to plateau.

That wouldn’t stand out as much if the rest of the industry weren’t moving so aggressively. Brands like OnePlus, OPPO, vivo, and realme have already begun pushing silicon-carbon batteries with notably higher capacities. To the point where some phones practically double up as power banks.

Meanwhile, Samsung is clearly taking the cautious route and sticking to what it knows works. And to be fair, that caution isn’t coming out of nowhere. Ever since the infamous Galaxy Note 7 incident, Samsung has been extremely careful with anything related to batteries. You can see that hesitation even today. The company is not rushing into newer battery tech unless it’s absolutely sure it won’t backfire.

But here’s where it starts to feel a bit underwhelming. When newer models like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S26 Ultra don’t increase capacity either, the sense of upgrade begins to fade. Because at the end of the day, battery life is one of the few things that changes how you use your phone — it’s what keeps the anxiety away. And for a phone with umpteen features and a massive display, this matters even more.

That’s really what it comes down to. If I’m upgrading my phone, I want it to feel like a clear step forward. Because with every new generation, the price goes up, and at that point, it has to earn that upgrade. Right now, I just don’t feel that pull with the newer Galaxy models. Not because they’re bad, but because what I already have still feels complete. The S24 Ultra hasn’t given me a reason to move on.

I’ve been using it for two years, and with Samsung promising up to seven years of software support, I know this phone is built to last. Realistically, I’m sorted for the next five years, which comfortably takes me all the way to 2031 without feeling like I’m missing out on anything. Unless Samsung comes out with something that genuinely surprises me. So, five more years, Samsung — that’s how long you have to win me over again.