nullHonestly? For most S25 Ultra owners, the S26 Ultra isn't a must-have upgrade. It's nice, but not essential.
Here's what you'd actually get
The meaningful improvements are:
- Better low-light camera with a wider aperture (47% more light)
- Faster charging (60W wired, 25W wireless)
- Magnetic accessories work now thanks to Qi2
- Privacy Display for hiding your screen from nosy neighbors on the bus
- Rounded corners instead of flat sides (some people will love this, others won't care)
When it makes sense to upgrade
Pull the trigger if:
- Low-light photos frustrate you currently
- You really want magnetic chargers and accessories
- You commute on public transit and Privacy Display sounds genuinely useful
- Samsung's trade-in deal makes the out-of-pocket cost minimal
When you should save your money
Keep your S25 Ultra if:
- Your photos look fine to you
- You mostly use wired charging anyway
- You're not bothered by the current design
- Paying $400-600 after trade-in feels like a lot for these upgrades
The real question
Your S25 Ultra gets software updates for another 6 years. It's not going anywhere. Unless the specific things Samsung improved this year directly address problems you're having, there's no rush.
The S27 Ultra will presumably bring bigger changes. Sometimes skipping a generation is the smarter move.
That said, watch the pre-order trade-in values. Sometimes Samsung gets so aggressive with deals that upgrading every year costs almost nothing. If that happens, go for it.
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How we researched this
Where this comes from: this answer draws on the product's published specifications and the reviews ShopSavvy collected for it, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data.
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