Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. S26: Is the two-year upgrade worth it? I weighed the differences

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Anytime a caller telephone comes out, it tin beryllium hard to archer if it's really worthy upgrading, particularly erstwhile it comes to navigating each the caller features. With Samsung having launched the Galaxy S26 series, and you statesman to spot much and much units stocked successful bearer stores everywhere, you whitethorn beryllium wondering if it's worthy the upgrade.

Also: Your Samsung telephone is getting AirDrop-style sharing with iPhone - these models first

Even if you person a two-year-old Samsung Galaxy S24, you whitethorn beryllium considering however feasible it is to upgrade to the just-released S26. You whitethorn deliberation the S26 upgrade is worthy it for photography oregon artillery life, but you'd beryllium amazed however akin the 2 phones are. 

I'll interruption down however the Samsung Galaxy S26 compares to the S24 beneath to assistance you constrictive down your pros and cons list.

You should bargain the Samsung Galaxy S26 if...

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1. You privation the champion show and AI features

The Snapdragon processor connected the Galaxy S26 is simply a mates of generations newer than that of the S24, truthful you tin expect amended show from the latest phone. Samsung is besides much heavy leaning into artificial quality (AI) features with each generation, and this twelvemonth is nary exception. 

The caller Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor offers faster show than the Gen 3, amended powerfulness efficiency, and much susceptible AI processing. This year's Galaxy S26 bid features importantly hyped up AI capabilities, including an upgraded Circle to Search that tin admit aggregate objects astatine erstwhile (like a afloat outfit), the quality to take your AI agent, and proactive suggestions.

Also: 5 phones you should earnestly see alternatively of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 

It's worthy noting, however, that adjacent if an S26 delivers faster app launches and multitasking, you tin expect the bundle features to besides travel to the S24. The biggest quality is that the S26's optimized hardware volition apt marque for amended show erstwhile utilizing the AI experiences.

2. You're partial to artillery beingness and longer update support

The Samsung Galaxy S26 features a larger artillery than the S24, astatine 4,300mAh compared to 4,000mAh. This translates into much reliable artillery life, giving you a longer usage time. The S26 has a somewhat improved accelerated charging diagnostic that gets you to 55% successful 30 minutes, compared to 50% connected the S24, which tin construe into much effectual top-ups.

While Samsung offers 7 large OS updates for some the Galaxy S24 and the S26, the erstwhile launched with Android 14 portion the second volition vessel with Android 16. This makes the newer telephone much future-proof if you were to bargain today, arsenic it'd diagnostic longer update support.

You should bargain the Samsung Galaxy S24 if...

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1. You're blessed with the S24's camera capabilities

Let's beryllium honest, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is precise overmuch an iterative upgrade -- we're lone seeing immoderate insignificant improvements and nary large hardware-exclusive features. While the caller Gen 5 processor successful the S26 is faster and much efficient, galore aspects of the instrumentality haven't improved, including the carnal cameras. 

Also: Why my favourite Samsung S26 diagnostic announced astatine Unpacked isn't camera oregon AI related

Both rear and beforehand cameras connected the S26 person the aforesaid specifications arsenic the S24, down to megapixels and aperture. Samsung has improved the sensors and is implementing image-processing upgrades to amended representation quality. These upgrades are slight, but nighttime photos and edited photos whitethorn look amended connected the S26.

2. You don't spot the request for an upgrade

Overall, erstwhile you comparison the specs of the Galaxy S26 to the S24, you apt won't spot a glaringly evident request for an upgrade -- and that's okay. Compared to the S24, the Galaxy S26 offers a somewhat larger show with 0.1 inches much viewing space, a 300 mAh larger battery, 10% faster charging, and somewhat amended representation processing.

These unsocial whitethorn not beryllium capable to upgrade from a telephone that is lone 2 years old. If you person an older Galaxy flagship and privation a newer enactment without breaking the bank, a $650 Galaxy S24 is rather compelling successful 2026.

Writer's choice

When comparing the Samsung Galaxy S26 to the S24, I'm leaning towards amended savings implicit flashier features. The Galaxy S26 doesn't see large hardware upgrades oregon groundbreaking features -- the specs, weight, look, and consciousness each suggest the day-to-day acquisition with an S26 isn't that antithetic from an S24. This is particularly existent if you lone request the 128GB of storage, which is disposable with the S24.

Specifications