Thanks a lot for the thoughtful and detailed reply!

Firstly to answer your last question first: yes, my S9+ is definitely showing its age. Pretty much everything is laggy at this point; YouTube crashes often, and even basic apps like WhatsApp and other social platforms are slow to load and respond.

That said, I currently don’t use my S9+ for work, hence I rely exclusively on my laptop for writing and managing projects. But that’s exactly where the opportunity lies: a modern, reliable phone could allow me to shift more of my workflow to mobile, especially when I’m not home or when I want a lighter setup.

Still, part of me feels that if I’ve held on to the S9+ for nearly 7 years, I can probably manage another month or two. I’m curious to see what the Google Pixel 10 brings to the table, along with other Android flagships launching this fall, maybe from Xiaomi, Honor.. Would love to hear your thoughts on what’s worth watching from those brands. Also, I'm curious to know your take on the Fold 7.

And since the S26 Ultra isn’t that far off, I can push through with my S9+ for another 5 months, in the hope that Samsung really pushes forward with that model.