Thinking of upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra? Here's why you should consider an older model instead

Ask anyone who's used it, including us: the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is one of the best phones money can buy right now.

In our review, we heaped praise on its excellent cameras, powerful performance, neat Privacy Display, and handy stylus. It continues Samsung's run of ultra-powerful flagships, bringing a few useful improvements over its predecessor.

But it's not the perfect phone, and one aspect reliably puts potential buyers off: the high price. You'll have to pay at least $1,299 / £1,279 / AU$2,199 to enjoy the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is a lot for a handheld gadget.

And sure, the newest phone has the newest ...