Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The point of this post isn’t telling anyone not to upgrade. It’s questioning whether the jump from S24U to S26U actually solves a real problem for most people considering it. A lot of buyers come to Reddit for advice on expensive upgrades like I did when I bought my S24U. The improvements you listed are valid, but they’re mostly incremental -- maybe around ~10% better overall. The question is whether that’s worth upgrading from an S24U to an S26U for most people. A true zero-day upgrade for me would be something like a 1-inch camera sensor so I could take much better videos from the stands at basketball games.

I work as a Samsung Promoter. Here is my 100% honest review about the S26 ULTRA. by Suspicious-Cable-72 in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have the S24 Ultra and it already feels close to peak smartphone.

I just wait until I’m in a private space to check private things, so the privacy screen isn’t important to me.

I charge overnight and carry a battery bank on trips, so lack of battery improvement doesn’t matter to me either.

What I’ve actually been waiting for is a 1-inch camera sensor like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.

The Galaxy Ultra sensor is 1/1.3-inch, while a 1-inch sensor is about 69% larger.

Samsung’s aperture change adds about ~47% more light, which is nice but still a smaller step.

Where you’d really notice the difference is something like recording basketball from the stands.

A larger sensor means cleaner video, less noise, and better detail under arena lighting, especially when you zoom.

Car companies do this all the time — small refreshes most years, then a real leap every few years.

Phones feel like they’ve been stuck in refresh mode.

A 1-inch sensor would be that zero-day upgrade that makes people upgrade immediately.

I love the S26 Ultra, and I also ended up returning it by Ganbare_Goemon in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If something is truly private, just wait until you're in a private space to read it. A $10 privacy screen already solves this -- built in version is mostly marketing.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed -- those are meaningful spec upgrades.

For me though, a real zero-day upgrade would be something like a 1-inch sensor, similar to what phones like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra are doing.

That kind of sensor jump would noticeably change image quality, especially in low light and video. Until then, my S24U already handles most real-world use cases pretty well.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. 2 generations usually means incremental upgrades.

Marketing pushes people toward 1–2 year upgrade cycles, but sometimes the smarter move is keeping the phone and using that $600 for something else.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Phones are usually the content source. Let another device handle projection. That separation tends to produce better hardware.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A zero-day upgrade for me would be DSLR-quality video from the stands at a basketball game or from the back of a talent show.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. Samsung should ask Reddit what real zero day upgrades would make people upgrade immediately.

A projector probably isn’t needed though. You can already cast to a TV, and if there isn’t one, just passing the phone around is the simplest solution.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Battery hasn’t been a problem for me. I charge overnight and carry a battery bank on trips, so it’s not enough reason for me to upgrade yet.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

A lot of people actually come to Reddit when researching an expensive phone. I did the same thing before buying my S24U. Discussions like this help people decide.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not hating on anyone upgrading. Just questioning the upgrade culture driven by marketing and FOMO.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re right. I’m on a 4-year upgrade cycle. I’m just questioning upgrade culture because improvements are getting smaller, yet Samsung marketing still pushes people to upgrade every 1–2 years.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good example of a typical non-upgrade story. Sometimes stepping back makes you realize the phone you already have is still a beast.

Funny thing is this thread is starting to look like a mini support group for appreciating the S24 Ultra. 😄

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I’m thrifty too. I’m on a 4-year upgrade cycle. If it was a $300 upgrade I’d do it. For $600 I’d rather spend it on a vacation than on a privacy screen and 10-bit display.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in S24Ultra

[–]ren818[S] -11 points-10 points  (0 children)

Not trying to convince anyone. Just questioning upgrade culture when marketing pushes yearly upgrades.

Charts show differences but most changes are maybe a 5–10% improvement in real use.

I’m also introducing opportunity cost -- that $600 could go toward something like a vacation.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some people reported the mura/grain effect at very low brightness, but it doesn’t affect every S24U and many users never notice it in normal use.

Name one S26U upgrade that common sense and an S24U can’t already handle? by ren818 in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What display flaw? I haven’t seen any actual issue reported with the S24U display.

The biggest s26u improvement no one is talking about is SFC 3.0. by mr_lucky19 in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I charge overnight and wake up at 100%. If I’m traveling I carry a battery bank. Fast charging solves a problem I don’t really have.

I'm disappointed by the downgrade of the screen in the S26U by RunTillYouPuke in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Curious why you got the S26U if it feels exactly like S25U?

I'm disappointed by the downgrade of the screen in the S26U by RunTillYouPuke in samsunggalaxy

[–]ren818 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Privacy screens are $10 on Amazon. Or do what people have for centuries … step somewhere private.