5 reasons I’d buy a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra right now

I’ve been vocal about my displeasure with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. It wasn’t the best smartphone Samsung could have released, and I’m not willing to accept that for $1,300. This has forced me to look for alternatives, and just because Samsung might currently be out of favor with me doesn’t mean I’m looking to jump ship entirely. Many Samsung fans are disappointed by the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but they still wouldn’t consider a Google Pixel and most definitely not an iPhone.

If you’re looking for a flagship experience but can’t get excited about spending big money on a Galaxy S25 Ultra, there is an alternative to keep you in the Samsung fold. Here are 5 reasons I’d pick up a Galaxy S24 Ultra right now.

5

Premium specs for less

The Galaxy S24 Ultra still gets the job done

I’ve seen all the benchmarks showing significantly improved performance from the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but I still don’t care. I’ve used the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra side-by-side. Unless you’re editing video all day or engrossed in ray-tracing-intensive mobile games (if you can find any), you won’t notice a difference in your day-to-day usage. I never felt I had tapped into the full potential of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset powering my Galaxy S24 Ultra, and I won’t feel the need to upgrade for more power anytime soon.

I also don’t pick up much more in other areas. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the same 12GB of RAM as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, with plenty of other specs left unchanged by Samsung. I’ll mention battery life later, but don’t buy a Galaxy S25 Ultra expecting a noticeably different experience from your Galaxy S24 Ultra — it’s not there.

4

I prefer the old design

Plenty of creature comforts, too

It’s worth noting that many Samsung fans like the new curved corners on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, I never found the Galaxy S24 Ultra design uncomfortable, as I don’t grip my smartphone like I’m trying to win an arm wrestling competition. If you’re bothered by it, you can always buy a case, but I prefer the rounded frame of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Despite being thicker, it makes the device feel thinner than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it’s a design element used by phones like the OnePlus 13 for the same purpose.

I also appreciate creature comforts, like the anti-reflective layer on the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display. It makes outdoor and indoor viewing much more enjoyable, and you notice the glare when you move to a phone without it. The Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn’t feel dated — you’re buying a smartphone with the look and feel of a 2025 flagship device.

3

One UI 7 is coming

Prepare for a transformation

While I don’t value the Galaxy AI additions to One UI 7, the changes to Samsung’s Android flavor work well. One UI 7 is smooth and fluid, with long-awaited added features like a proper app drawer. The aesthetic overhaul is pleasing, and I still rank One UI as the most reliable Android software from any manufacturer. No software is perfect, and bugs occasionally creep in, but Samsung has a better track record than most for acknowledging problems and getting fixes out quickly. If there’s a reason to stay loyal to Samsung, it’s software, and you won’t be disappointed with One UI 7.

One UI 7 is also a reason to be confident about buying a Galaxy S24 Ultra in 2025. Samsung finally announced a firm date (almost) to roll out One UI 7 to older hardware. The company plans to make it available to users in the US in April. I’m running the One UI 7 beta on my Galaxy S24 Ultra, and I’m impressed. Once you start using it on older hardware, the allure of the Galaxy S25 Ultra will fade. I’m also not worried about which Galaxy AI features like Now Brief will appear on the S24 Ultra. Now Brief doesn’t add anything meaningful to the user experience, and I’m confident if it ever does, there’ll be a way to make it work on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

2

It still has excellent battery life

Battery size hasn’t changed

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has excellent battery life. I rarely end my day without a 40-50% charge remaining. The Galaxy S25 Ultra gets me most of the way through a second day on a single charge, thanks to the more efficient Snadrapdgon 8 Elite, but I’ve never wanted more from the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung left the battery size unchanged this year, meaning the Galaxy S24 Ultra has the same 5,000mAh battery cell as the newer model. All told, I won’t get significantly worse battery performance choosing to buy a Galaxy S24 Ultra over an S25 Ultra.

It’s not like Samsung has upgraded charging speeds, either. The 45W charging on my Galaxy S24 Ultra is still the company’s fastest speed on its flagship phones. If Samsung upgraded charging speeds or battery tech, I might be tempted to go for a Galaxy S25 Ultra, but I don’t feel I’m getting enough to justify the price difference.

1

Saving hundreds tips the scale

It’s hard to ignore a discount

Depending on your comfort level, there are multiple ways to save on a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The deepest discounts are on Amazon-renewed devices, where you can pick up an S24 Ultra for as little as $790. Buying a used smartphone isn’t for everyone, especially since you don’t know how the previous owner treated the device. However, Amazon has several protections if you don’t like the condition or the battery life isn’t up to par.

You’ll still save money if you want a new Galaxy S24 Ultra instead. Prices constantly change, but a new Galaxy S24 Ultra can typically be purchased for $900 to $1,000, several hundred dollars less than a new Galaxy S25 Ultra. I like saving money, especially since I get so much of the Galaxy S25 Ultra experience on the only-year-old Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Buying a slightly older Galaxy S24 Ultra has other benefits. You aren’t locked into a long-term carrier finance agreement and don’t have to trade anything in to save money. If you like more control over your mobile experience, buying a year-old flagship might be for you.

I don’t feel the need to spend more than I need to

Smartphones are rarely worth upgrading yearly, but Samsung’s lackluster Galaxy S25 Ultra made buying one of its older flagships more enticing this year. This makes the comparison more challenging when the Galaxy S24 Ultra is as capable as it is. It’s a fantastic way to get flagship power with a premium build while saving hundreds. Given how disappointing Galaxy AI is in its current form, Samsung might be doing us a favor by withholding some of its features from the Galaxy S24 Ultra.