topic Re: Re: Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade? in Galaxy S26

S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

Arsham — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:39:48 GMT

For many years, I was an iPhone user.

I started with the iPhone 4s and continued within the Apple ecosystem for a long time.

Everything changed when I saw the Galaxy Note 10 Plus. That device genuinely impressed me and marked the beginning of my journey with Samsung.

The curved display was visually striking.

The S Pen was not just a feature, but a powerful professional tool.

The sharp, squared design gave the phone a bold and distinctive identity.

However, in later generations, the curved display disappeared.

A few years later, I chose the S22 Ultra, and then the S24 Ultra.

The S24 Ultra no longer supported expandable memory, and the curved display was gone. Still, the overall experience remained compelling.

The Bluetooth-enabled S Pen,

the titanium frame,

the sharp corners,

and the excellent camera system

All of these elements made it feel like a true flagship.

In my opinion, one of Samsung’s greatest advantages over the iPhone has always been the built-in S Pen.

It enabled real productivity and practical professional use in different work environments.

It wasn’t a gimmick.

It was differentiation.

Then came the S25 Ultra.

For many users like myself, this was a turning point.

The sharp, bold corners were replaced with softer, rounded edges that feel closer to mid-range devices.

There was no meaningful design innovation. More disappointingly, the S Pen lost Bluetooth functionality.

It now feels closer to a simple stylus rather than the advanced remote productivity tool it once was.

And now with the S26 Ultra:

There is no longer the titanium frame that once gave a premium tactile feel.

There is no distinctive sharp-edged design.

There is no curved display.

There is no enhanced S Pen experience

not even the same capabilities offered two generations ago.

This raises a fundamental question:

Is there a clear design philosophy and long-term vision behind these new flagship generations?

Or is a new model simply being released each year out of tradition?

Are user surveys actively influencing product decisions?

Are the small but meaningful details

the ones that truly shape user attachment being considered?

If features continue to be reduced year after year, what is the real incentive to upgrade?

Is the only reason to upgrade the eventual end of OS updates?

Flagship devices are not defined only by processors and AI features.

They are defined by identity, differentiation, and bold decisions.

Right now, many long-time users are asking whether the Ultra line is evolving

or slowly losing what once made it special.

Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

Philosophics — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:19:04 GMT

My opinion, no longer is there anything "ultra" about the device, especially with features being removed such as Bluetooth spen.
Samsung really needs to do better if they want to keep using the Ultra moniker. That word should mean best of the best, not another average brick with less feature than the model prior.

Re: Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

Arsham — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:27:46 GMT

I completely agree with you.
Personally, I was really looking forward to some changes in the S26 Ultra, but I ended up disappointed.

Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

noitsjustsalty — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:36:32 GMT

interesting that your keyboard includes such a notorious dash instead of the [-] symbol. nevertheless, the s26 ultra is certainly an upgrade for anyone who has never had a galaxy ultra before. we dont need to upgrade every year, my J7 is still fully operational and thats pushing ten years

Re: Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

meself — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:47:13 GMT

Not sure your reciieving updates after 10 years

Re: Re: Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

noitsjustsalty — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:55:42 GMT

true. if it were my main phone you could still access banking and things through chrome. but my point is that if you have a newer phone, there's no need to update immediately (or ask gpt to write a script about it). wait until there's more advantages, your current phone can last a few years in proper care

Re: Re: Re: Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

meself — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 06:09:48 GMT

Easy now just inquired on updates not bashing anything

Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

CEParsons — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:41:14 GMT

The decision to revert to aluminium was made because it is ~13x more conducive to cooling than titanium.

The more ergonomic design is a welcome improvement that appeals to the mass market. Anecdotally, I specifically opted for the S24+ over the Ultra because the body shape was uncomfortable for me to hold.

The removal of S pen features was a data based decision (low usage of those specific features) made to help reduce potential interference with Qi2 Ready magnetic accessories.

Sure, the S26 line is a marginal upgrade, but slow, steady, incremental improvement is to be expected from a company operating at the massive scale Samsung does.

Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

safetysam — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 19:31:40 GMT

Removing the Bluetooth functionality from the S Pin is like selling a vehicle without a wheel. What were they thinking is not the question...its who forgot to included.

Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

LiftedNinja — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:43:36 GMT

I agree, they're downgrading the future

Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

SgtPepperArc360 — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:03:18 GMT

S23 Ultra user here. For them to remove Bluetooth functionality on the S Pen because quote-unquote “nobody uses it” is just a lame excuse to ask for even more money, and I also noticed that they haven’t improved on camera hardware at all. What’s the point of calling it “Ultra” if it's actually not? It’s certainly becoming a misnomer in the big 26.

Re: Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

Philosophics — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:18:58 GMT

The only real camera upgrade the S26U acquired over last year is the horizontal lock but, you can acquire a gimbal for less than $200 and utilize a S23U/S24U/S25U with that. Saves a lot of money too!

Re: Re: Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

SgtPepperArc360 — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 19:21:36 GMT

Yes, I have one—the iSteady M7.

Re: Re: Re: S26 Ultra, Upgrade or Downgrade?

Gabiobi — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:50:37 GMT

Me 3 I ended up canceling my upgrade order not even a the camera improved. Is better to keep the same phone and update the software when available