Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S26 Ultra
Short answer: the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the better phone, with the much faster Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, 60W wired and 25W wireless charging, a lighter and thinner body, a 6.9 inch privacy display and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. The S24 Ultra is still a top flagship with the same 200MP main camera, 5x zoom, S Pen and seven years of updates, so it is the smart value pick if the price gap is big.
Updated 15 November 2026
Design and build
The S24 Ultra has a titanium frame, a flat 6.8 inch screen with sharp corners, Gorilla Armor glass and weighs 232 g at 8.6 mm thick. The S26 Ultra uses an aluminium frame with rounded corners, a 6.9 inch flat screen, Gorilla Armor 2 on the front and Victus 2 on the back, and weighs only 214 g at 7.9 mm.
The S26 Ultra feels noticeably lighter and slimmer in the hand. Both are IP68 and both carry a built-in S Pen. The S24 Ultra's titanium frame feels more premium to some buyers, but the S26 Ultra is more comfortable for long use.
Display
Both use a QHD+ LTPO AMOLED with 1 to 120Hz refresh and 2600 nits peak brightness, with anti-reflective glass. The S26 Ultra is slightly bigger at 6.9 inches and adds a built-in privacy display mode that makes the screen hard to read from the side.
The privacy display is useful on buses, in offices and in banks when you open WhatsApp or banking apps. Otherwise, brightness and sharpness are very similar.
Performance and chipset
The S24 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm). The S26 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy (3 nm) with Oryon cores up to 4.74 GHz, and comes with 12GB or 16GB RAM and UFS 4 storage.
The S26 Ultra is much faster in heavy games, video editing and on-device AI. The S24 Ultra is still very fast in 2026 and handles every popular game well, so the upgrade matters most for power users.
Cameras
Both have a 200MP main camera, a 50MP 5x periscope and a 10MP 3x telephoto. The S24 Ultra has a 12MP ultra-wide; the S26 Ultra moves to a 50MP ultra-wide and adds OIS to both zoom lenses.
The S26 Ultra gives sharper wide and macro shots and steadier zoom photos, and records 4K at 120fps against 4K 60fps on the S24 Ultra. For normal photos of family and food, the S24 Ultra is still excellent.
Battery and charging
Both have a 5000 mAh battery. The S24 Ultra charges at 45W wired and 15W wireless. The S26 Ultra charges at 60W wired, 25W wireless with Qi2.2 support, and 4.5W reverse wireless.
Faster charging helps a lot in Pakistan: when the power comes back for a short time during load shedding, the S26 Ultra fills up quicker. Its efficient 3 nm chip also stretches battery life further.
Specs side by side
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
- Display: 6.8 inch QHD+ LTPO vs 6.9 inch QHD+ LTPO with privacy display
- Main camera: 200MP vs 200MP
- Ultra-wide: 12MP vs 50MP
- Zoom: 50MP 5x + 10MP 3x vs 50MP 5x + 10MP 3x (both OIS)
- Video: 4K 60fps vs 4K 120fps
- Battery: 5000 mAh vs 5000 mAh
- Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless vs 60W wired, 25W wireless
- Frame: titanium vs aluminium
- Weight: 232 g vs 214 g
- Launch software: Android 14, One UI 6.1 vs Android 16, One UI 8.5
Software and updates
Both phones get seven major Android upgrades. The S24 Ultra launched with Android 14 in January 2024, and the S26 Ultra with Android 16 in February 2026, so the S26 Ultra will be supported about two years longer. Both have Galaxy AI, and the S26 Ultra gets new features first.
PTA Patch Approved and SIM notes in Pakistan
Our Android phones, including the S24 Ultra and S26 Ultra, are Non Custom box pack units that are PTA Patch Approved, so a local SIM works normally. Only our iPhones are sold as PTA Patch Approved. Read CPID vs patch vs PTA approved (CPID vs Patch vs PTA Approved Mobile: What Is the Difference?) to understand the difference.
Both phones are nano-SIM plus eSIM on international units.
Who should buy which
Buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra if you want the fastest Samsung, quicker charging, the privacy display and the longest support.
Buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you want the same 200MP and 5x zoom cameras, S Pen and a titanium frame for less money. Comparing with Apple too? See iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra (iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra).
