Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: Expected differences
The Galaxy S26 Ultra might have just enough to make you upgrade from its two-year-old predecessor.
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The Galaxy S24 Ultra was one of the more significant pivot points for Samsung’s flagships: it was the first with a titanium frame, a fully flat display, and it revised the zoom cameras by trading the 10x telephoto for a sharper 5x. Two years later, it’s no longer on Samsung’s official roster, but it can still be bought refurbished or second hand for a much more affordable price than the $1,300 for a brand new Galaxy Ultra.
Now we are nearing the start of 2026, when Samsung is expected to release the Galaxy S26 Ultra — a generation that's said to bring several long-awaited changes to the company's ultimate flagship. Rumors point to a brighter and more efficient OLED panel with an interesting quirk, Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, improved charging experience, and a camera upgrades that could improve image quality (especially in low light).
Note: Latest leaks now point to a more traditional launch window. Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 lineup in late January 2026, with three likely announcement dates in play: January 27, 28, or 29. Shipments should follow in early February, around February 10, while any longer term plan to pull Galaxy launches closer to the iPhone cycle seems to be on hold for now.
This comparison explores what that two-generation leap could look like in practice. Will the S26 Ultra’s improvements truly add up to a big enough difference to elicit an upgrade for S24 Ultra owners?
Note: Latest leaks now point to a more traditional launch window. Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 lineup in late January 2026, with three likely announcement dates in play: January 27, 28, or 29. Shipments should follow in early February, around February 10, while any longer term plan to pull Galaxy launches closer to the iPhone cycle seems to be on hold for now.
Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra expected differences:
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S24 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Larger 200MP sensor or wider f/1.4 lens for the main camera | 200MP main on a ~1/1.3" sensor (still very good) |
| 6.9" OLED with new M14/CoE stack; stronger anti-reflection | 6.8" Dynamic AMOLED 2X; anti-reflective layer |
| ~3,000-nits maximu brightness | ~2,600-nits |
| Display anti-reflection improvements | Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) with bigger GPU/NPU gains | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy) |
| Faster 60W wired charging | 45W wired |
| Slightly larger 5,200 mAh battery capacity | 5,000 mAh battery |
| Potential 25W Qi2 magnetic wireless charging | 15W wireless; “Qi2-ready” without magnets |
| One UI 8/Android 16 with expanded Galaxy AI and 7-year support | One UI 6.1 (launch), now on One UI 7/Android 15; 7-year support |
| 7.9mm thin and possible return of a camera island | Titanium frame, flat display, separate “floating” lens rings |
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Design and Size
Thinner and much lighter
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S24 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Thickness 7.9 mm | Thickness 8.6 mm |
| Dimensions Around 162.8 x 77.6 mm | Dimensions 162.3 x 79 mm |
| Weight Around 217 grams, or slightly lighter | Weight 232 grams |
The Galaxy S24 Ultra modernized the Ultra look with a titanium frame and a flatter front glass, dialing down the Edge curve without sacrificing that boxy, Note-style silhouette. This year, Samsung made further adjustments by thinning down and reducing the weight with the S25 Ultra.
The S26 Ultra isn’t expected to introduce any drastic changes. Rumors point to a body that’s slightly thinner than the current generation (about 0.4 mm), but the overall design of the body will probably stay the same. There were rumours saying that the S Pen won't make an appearance this time around, but that was quickly debunked.
Materials and durability should remain flagship-grade (titanium-style frame, IP68), and Samsung’s more subtle color palette is likely to continue.
The S26 Ultra isn’t expected to introduce any drastic changes. Rumors point to a body that’s slightly thinner than the current generation (about 0.4 mm), but the overall design of the body will probably stay the same. There were rumours saying that the S Pen won't make an appearance this time around, but that was quickly debunked.
One area that may change is the camera module on the back. The S24 Ultra’s separate “floating” lens rings look clean but that design might not be sufficient to house the upcoming rumorued changes coming with the S26 Ultra. To accommodate thicker optics, the S26 Ultra may return to a unified camera island.
Materials and durability should remain flagship-grade (titanium-style frame, IP68), and Samsung’s more subtle color palette is likely to continue.
Display Differences
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S24 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Size 6.9" | Size 6.8" |
| Brightness 3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 2600 nits (peak) |
*Rumored/expected
Samsung’s OLEDs have been excellent for years, and the S24 Ultra’s 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X was already pretty good thanks to high brightness. The S26 Ultra is tipped to keepcome with a 6.9-inch screen (like the current model) but move to a new M14 material/CoE stack, which reduces internal reflections and power draw while pushing peak brightness to around 3,000 nits. We also expect the excellent anti-reflection Gorilla Armor that was introduced with the S25 Ultra to be improved, increasing outdoor readability even more.
One of the most interesting rumored changes is Samsung’s new Flex Magic Pixel system — a hardware-level privacy feature that narrows viewing angles using AI-controlled pixels. Unlike traditional privacy screen protectors, it does not dim the display or reduce clarity, and can be toggled on and off through software.
Performance and Software
A massive difference in performance
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S24 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) | Chip Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy) |
| Process 3nm | Process 4nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB 16/1TB Faster LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB --- LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
The S24 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 had great performance for its time, but it was vastly outpaced with the Snapdragon 8 Elite this year. With that in mind, we only expect the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 on the S26 Ultra to create an even larger gap.
Earlier rumors suggested that Exynos might return to the Ultra in some regions, but new FCC filings now strongly indicate that the S26 Ultra will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 everywhere. The documents reference Qualcomm specific features and connectivity, which makes a global Snapdragon-only Ultra far more likely, while any Exynos 2600 action is expected to be reserved for the non Ultra models in the S26 lineup.
Compared to the S25 Ultra this is shaping up to be an incremental improvement, but for S24 Ultra owners the generational jump in CPU, GPU, and AI performance should be much more noticable.
Some reports also claim that Samsung will be adding a new 5G modem, the Qualcomm X85. If so, we expect it to bring faster data transfers, better battery efficiency, and enhancements enabled by AI. The reports list peak download speeds of 12.5 Gbps and upload speeds of 3.7 Gbps.
Memory and storage should feel familiar: 12 GB LPDDR5X is expected again (with faster, more efficient modules), and the 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB tiers should return. Keep in mind that Samsung often offers a “free storage upgrade” at launch.
Camera
A familiar formula with a potentially game-changing main sensor
There has been conflicting information regarding the 3x telephoto. Some leaks suggested Samsung would swap the 10 MP sensor for a larger 12 MP unit, but Ice Universe — one of the most reliable Samsung leakers — has debunked this. According to him, the 3x sensor actually becomes slightly smaller this year, not larger, as the slimmer 7.9 mm chassis leaves no room for a bigger module.
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S24 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Main 200 MP, f/1.7 (or f/1.4) 24 mm ~1/1.1" sensor size | Main 50 MP, f/1.7 24 mm 1/1.3" sensor size |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/1.9 13 mm 1/2.5" sensor size | Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" sensor size |
| 5x Telephoto 50 MP, f/3.4 5X zoom (111mm) 1/2.52" sensor size | 5x Telephoto 50 MP, f/3.4 5X zoom (111mm) 1/2.52" sensor size |
| 3x Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3x zoom (67mm) 1/3.52" sensor size | 3x Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3x zoom (67mm) 1/3.52" sensor size |
Samsung made a smart move with the S24 Ultra by going for a high-res 5x zoom and relying on processing for longer ranges, while dialing back aggressive sharpening across the board. For the S26 Ultra, rumors state that we might finally see an upgrade to the camera hardware.
We’re expecting either a larger ~1/1.1-inch 200 MP Sony sensor or Samsung’s HP2 retained with a wider f/1.4 lens. Either route should improve low-light performance of the main camera and its high dinamic range. Plus, we would get the added benefit of a more natural background blur without turning the Portrait mode on.
Several software features are also expected: an Adaptive Pixel mode that reduces noise by merging multiple low-resolution frames, a new 24 MP default shooting option, a focus-speed slider for adjusting how quickly the camera racks focus, and a new APV video format with high-quality and low-quality variants aimed at improving detail while giving users control over file size.
The selfie camera will likely remain 12 MP but gain a wider 85-degree lens, which requires a noticeably larger 4 mm punch hole — the biggest on any Ultra so far. While the wider view is useful for group shots, it may introduce mild distortion when shooting at arm’s length.
Video might be where Samsung puts most of its focus this time. With Apple still ahead in cinematic video and stabilization, Samsung is expected to close the gap with smarter HDR, better mic audio, and possibly a few new shooting modes.
Battery Life and Charging
Same capacity, possibly faster charging at last
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S24 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Battery size 5,200 mAh | Battery size 5,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 60W wired 25W wireless charging Possible Qi2.2 magnetic support USB-C 3.2 | Charging speeds 45W wired 15W wireless charging Does not support Qi2 USB-C 3.2 |
Samsung has been conservative with battery capacity for years, but a new leak claims the S26 Ultra may finally get more than 5,000 mAh and move to a 5,200 mAh battery. It is not a huge jump on its own, but combined with the more efficient Snapdragon chip and new OLED display panel we might see some improvements to the battery life compared to the S24 Ultra.
A new report claims the S26 Ultra may finally receive a major wireless-charging upgrade: up to 25 W Qi2.2 charging with full magnetic alignment. This brings Samsung in line with Apple and Google and would be its first wireless-charging improvement in more than five years.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick overview of the expected Galaxy S26 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra specs:
| Galaxy S26 Ultra* | Galaxy S24 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 162.8 x 77.6 x 7.9mm, 217 g | Size, weight 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm, 232 g |
| Screen 6.9" OLED 120Hz | Screen 6.9" OLED 120Hz |
| Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (for Galaxy) 3nm | Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy) 4nm |
| Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB 16/1TB LPDDR5X | Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB --- LPDDR5X |
| Cameras: 200MP main 50MP ultrawide 50MP 5X zoom 10MP 3X zoom 12MP front | Cameras: 200MP main 12MP ultrawide 50MP 5X zoom 10MP 3X zoom 12MP front |
| Battery: 5,200 mAh | Battery: 5,000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 60W wired 25W Qi2.2 wireless | Charging: USB-C 45W wired 15W wireless |
*Rumored/expected
Summary
If you are eyeing an upgrade from the S24 Ultra, the S26 Ultra should be a good reason to do so. Even if leaks describe it as a mostly incremental step over the S25 Ultra, coming from the S24 Ultra you are looking at a thinner and lighter body, a more advanced anti-reflective display, a much more capable chip, a more flexible camera system, and finally a proper upgrade to both wired and wireless charging.
Pricing is still a big unknown though. Some leaks say Samsung will keep the S26 Ultra at around $1,299 since the upgrades over the S25 Ultra are relatively modest and the current price is already sky high. Others industry insiders warn that component and RAM costs could still push prices up. That said, there is a chance Samsung will keep the Ultra's price the same and make the other S26 models more expensive.
Still, the S24 Ultra remains a terrific phone even today. It has a titanium build, a bright and smooth display, reliable battery life and a versatile camera system. It also benefits from Samsung’s seven-year support, which means you can keep enjoying it for four more years before it stops getting new features and security updates.
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