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The Samsung Galaxy S26 is the company’s new compact flagship smartphone. It was announced quite recently, and in this article, we’ll be comparing it with one of its predecessors. We’ve already compared it with the Galaxy S25, by the way, in case you’re interested in that. In this article, we’ll be comparing the Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S24.
We will first list the specs of both smartphones, and will then move to a number of other categories. We will first compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. These two phones actually do look quite similar, despite a two-year difference between them. That even goes for some internals, but the Galaxy S26 does have a number of improvements.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S26
Samsung Galaxy S24
| Samsung Galaxy S26 | Samsung Galaxy S24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm | 147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm |
| Weight | 167 grams | 167 grams |
| Display | 6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | 6.2-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | 1-120Hz (adaptive) |
| Resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 2340 x 1080 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| RAM | 12GB (LPDDR5X) | 8GB/12GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0) | 128GB/256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0) |
| Main camera | 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) | 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size) |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.94-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) | 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.94-inch sensor size, 1.0um pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) |
| Periscope telephoto camera | N/A | N/A |
| Selfie camera | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.2-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size) | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.2-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size) |
| Battery size | 4,300mAh | 4,000mAh |
| Charging | 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready), 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included) | 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi), 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included) |
| Colors | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold | Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Jade Green, Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue |
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: Design
Both of these phones have flat displays with a centered display camera hole. The bezels around both displays are thin and uniform, and actually have very similar thickness in comparison. The corner curvature is similar on both phones, while the frame is flat on both of them. Speaking of which, the frame is made out of aluminum, while there is glass on the back of both smartphones.
You’ll find the volume up and down buttons above the power/lock key on the right-hand side. If we flip them around, you’ll see somewhat similar setups, with one notable difference. The Galaxy S26 has a vertical camera island, which is pill-shaped, and includes three camera sensors on top of it. The Galaxy S24 has three cameras as well, in the same spot, but without a camera island. All three cameras protrude directly from the backplate.
The two phones are actually equal in terms of weight, despite the fact that the new model has a slightly larger display and a larger battery. The Galaxy S26 is slightly taller, wider, and thinner than the Galaxy S24. Both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance, while both of them are also quite slippery. The in-hand feel is rather similar as well, which is not surprising considering everything we said here.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: Display
The Samsung Galaxy S26 features a 6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display. That panel is flat, and it supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. HDR10+ content is supported, while the brightness goes up to 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%, while the resolution is 2340 x 1080. The display aspect ratio here is 19.5:9. This display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 from Corning.
The Samsung Galaxy S24, on the flip side, has a 6.2-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panel. This display goes up to 120Hz as well, and it supports HDR10+. It has the same peak brightness of 2,600 nits as well. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 91%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. A fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) resolution is used here, while the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects that display.
You’ll get a fairly similar experience between these two panels. There’s not much difference between them, save for the fact the Galaxy S26’s panel is slightly bigger. They’re both vivid, have good viewing angles, and good touch response. They both get bright enough, but nowhere near as bright as some of the competitors. All in all, there’s nothing much to complain about, but these are certainly not the best displays out there, not even close.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: Performance
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor fuels the Galaxy S25. That is Qualcomm’s most powerful chip at the moment; it’s a 3nm processor. This variant is slightly overclocked. That chip is paired with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage, while the phone does not allow for storage expansion.
The Samsung Galaxy S24, on the other hand, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Exynos 2400 chips. Both of those are 4nm processors. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is included in China, Canada, and the US models, while the Exynos 2400 is fueling the Galaxy S24 smartphones in other regions. That chip is paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM inside of this phone. This handset does not offer storage expansion either.
The Galaxy S24 still offers solid performance. You will, however, notice a difference when you get the Galaxy S26 and compare it with the Galaxy S24. It is snappier, which is to be expected considering a two-year difference between them. The Galaxy S26 will also offer better performance for high-end games, even though the Galaxy S24 does a good job with those still. Day-to-day use is rather snappy on both phones. You’ll be able to find more about the Galaxy S26’s performance in our full review, which is coming.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: Battery
The Galaxy S26 is equipped with a 4,300mAh battery. The Galaxy S24, on the other hand, has a 4,000mAh battery on the inside. Do note that the Galaxy S26 also has a slightly larger display. With that being said, the Galaxy S24 did not offer great battery life. The battery life was fine, but only that. For most power users, it didn’t offer enough juice to last until the very end of the day.
What about the Galaxy S26, though? Well, we still didn’t test its battery life, but we’ll talk more about that in our review. The battery life seems good thus far, and better than on the Galaxy S24, for what’s that worth. That’s all we can say at the moment. Still, some of the competitors will offer much more in the battery department, as they’re offering much more battery capacity than the Galaxy S26. There’s only so much Samsung can do via software optimization.
The Galaxy S26 does not offer upgraded charging. Well, it is Qi2 Ready, unlike the Galaxy S24, but it does not offer a charging speed boost. Both smartphones support 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy S24 takes around an hour and 15 minutes to fully charge, while it will take the Galaxy S26 slightly more to get there, we’re guessing. We’ll test that in our full review. Neither phone ships with a charger, by the way.
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: Cameras
There are three cameras included on the back of both smartphones, and they’re actually identical. No, Samsung did not change anything in the camera hardware department over the span of two years. You’ll find a 50-megapixel main camera (1/1.56-inch sensor size), a 12-megapixel ultrawide snapper (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (1/3.94-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom) on the backs of both phones.
The two smartphones even have the same selfie camera, in case you were wondering. You’ll be getting a 12-megapixel unit (1/3.2-inch sensor size). The images that these two phones provide should be fairly similar. We’re still in the process of testing the Galaxy S26, so we cannot talk about that just yet, but soon. The Galaxy S24 offered solid image output, but not great, in all honesty.
That was the case even back then, so you can imagine what the situation is now, two years later. There are many great camera smartphones out there, so, quite frankly, we expected more of an upgrade from the Galaxy S26. Let’s hope that Samsung will upgrade the camera hardware next year, with the Galaxy S27.
Audio
Both of these smartphones have stereo speakers. The ones on the Galaxy S24 are actually a bit louder in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, the Galaxy S26 speakers are fine, but the difference is noticeable. The sound output quality is good on both.
There is no audio jack on either of these two smartphones. You can connect your wired headphones to their Type-C ports, though, if you want. Alternatively, the Galaxy S26 supports Bluetooth 5.4, while the Galaxy S24 supports Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity.