Fewer and fewer people are upgrading to new phones every year, and honestly, I get it. I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S23 since October 2023, and it’s been a rock-solid experience. I’ve rarely felt it slow down, and while there are occasional hiccups, it’s not nearly enough to make me dislike the phone.
Recently, though, I got a chance to try the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and with the Samsung store offering a solid trade-in for my Galaxy S23, I finally decided to upgrade after nearly 2.5 years. I’ve been using the Galaxy S26 Ultra for the past couple of weeks, and there are three major changes that have made the switch feel completely worth it.
If you bought a Galaxy S26, did you upgrade from an older Samsung phone?
77 votes
Yes, Galaxy S25 series
16%
Yes, Galaxy S24 series
16%
Yes, Galaxy S23 series
34%
Yes, Galaxy S22 series (or older)
26%
Yes, from a different Samsung phone line (Galaxy A, Galaxy Z, etc.)
5%
No, I came from another phone brand
4%
Privacy Display is genuinely useful (but isn’t perfect yet)
The headlining feature of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the new Privacy Display. For those unaware, this feature helps prevent people around you from viewing your screen. You can technically achieve something similar with a privacy screen protector, but Samsung has integrated it directly into the display, which is something we’ve never seen before.
You can toggle Privacy Display on or off whenever you want. So, if I’m watching something with someone next to me, like a video with my wife, I can turn it off, and the display becomes visible from the sides again. But when I am commuting on a train and don’t want others peeking at my screen, I can turn it on and limit the viewing angles.
In actuality, the Privacy Display works really well. Sure, it’s not as effective as a dedicated privacy screen protector, since some content is still slightly visible from extreme angles, but the implementation is what really stands out. You can keep the display looking normal most of the time and only enable the feature for specific situations.
For example, I have set it to turn on automatically for apps like WhatsApp and Messages, when entering a PIN or password, and for notification pop-ups. Only those specific elements are hidden, while everything else looks like a normal display. That level of control is what really made me appreciate the feature.
Sure, Privacy Display isnt’ perfect. There’s still some leakage from certain angles, and the “maximum privacy mode” makes the screen genuinely hard to use. But for a first-generation implementation, Samsung has done a great job. I’m already a fan of the hardware-level approach, and I’m confident it’ll only get better in future versions. But even right now, Privacy Display has been a big upgrade over my Galaxy S23.
Seven years of updates and Galaxy AI make this an easy long-term choice
While most Galaxy phones now come with long-term software support, Samsung only introduced that extended update policy starting with the Galaxy S24 series. That means the Galaxy S23 I was using is limited to four years of major updates, and Samsung has already rolled out three of them. Only the Android 17 update remains.
Moving to the Galaxy S26 Ultra means I now get much longer support. Samsung is promising seven years of major OS updates for this device, which means it’ll stay relevant for far longer than my Galaxy S23.
On top of that, Samsung has added several new Galaxy AI features that aren’t available on the Galaxy S23 (and may not arrive anytime soon). For example, one feature I’ve been actively using is call screening. Similar to what’s available on Pixel devices, it asks unknown callers on your behalf why they’re calling and only alerts you if it’s worth picking up. In my region, I get at least three unknown calls every day, and this has been a lifesaver.
Another feature that arrived with the Galaxy S26 Ultra (or rather One UI 8.5) is notification summaries. As the name suggests, it converts long notifications into a more readable format. For example, if you’re getting a flood of messages in a group chat or a long email you don’t have time to read, this feature summarises it into something quick and digestible. It does take a few minutes to kick in from what I’ve noticed, but waking up to neatly summarised notifications is a really nice perk I didn’t have on the Galaxy S23.
So many spec upgrades that really add up
Paul Jones / Android Authority
Other than that, several hardware upgrades have made the switch from the Galaxy S23 to the Galaxy S26 Ultra feel worthwhile. The base Galaxy S23 I used came with a 3,900 mAh battery. Moving to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, even though Samsung hasn’t increased the battery compared to its previous Ultra models, still means I’m now getting a much larger 5,000mAh cell.
It may not match the massive batteries on some Chinese competitors, like the OnePlus 15 with over 7,000 mAh, but it’s still a solid upgrade over the S23. In real-world use, I had to charge my Galaxy S23 at least twice a day. While some of that was due to battery degradation over time, the Galaxy S26 Ultra easily lasts a full day for me, even with heavy usage.
Several hardware upgrades have made the switch from the Galaxy S23 to the S26 Ultra feel worthwhile.
Charging speeds have also improved significantly. The Galaxy S23 is limited to 25W charging, whereas the Galaxy S26 Ultra supports up to 60W. In day-to-day use, that’s made a noticeable difference for me. My S26 Ultra takes only about 45 minutes to go from 0-100%, while it used to take over an hour for the S23 to fully top up.
And of course, there’s the chipset upgrade. The Galaxy S26 Ultra runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which is far more capable than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23. I don’t game much on my phone, but when you think long term and factor in AI features, along with tools like Samsung DeX that I use quite often, the performance bump definitely comes in handy.
Was the Galaxy S26 Ultra worth the upgrade?
So, was upgrading from the Galaxy S23 to the Galaxy S26 Ultra worth it for me? Absolutely.
Sure, I do miss the compact size of the Galaxy S23, and I wish Samsung made a mini-er version of the Ultra. But apart from that, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has been a breath of fresh air. The bigger battery, improved chipset for long-term use, faster charging that you only truly appreciate over time, and the clean, bug-free One UI 8.5 experience have all made the upgrade feel worthwhile.
There are still a few baffling choices, especially the whole Qi2 situation and Samsung’s refusal to add integrated magnets to its phones. But look past that, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra has been a great experience and a very worthwhile upgrade over the S23.
Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Privacy display • Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy • Power AI features
Powerful flagship with top-tier cameras, AI, and privacy features.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is Samsung’s slimmest and lightest Ultra yet, pairing a 6.9-inch display with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and a redesigned cooling system. It doubles down on imaging with a brighter 200MP main camera, upgraded zoom, advanced 8K video features, and Ultra-exclusive privacy and Galaxy AI tools.
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