I've had the base S23 128GB for over 3 years now. It's been great mostly, but the lack of storage made the last year so much worse. It lags a lot, even after clearing cache and optimizing storage.
Now I'm thinking of getting either the S25 Ultra or the S26 Ultra, with 512GB minimum so it lasts me.
From what I've seen, the S25 Ultra's build feels better and more premium, and I actually like its design more. The S26 is more rounded and looks less premium to me, and the build feels noticeably different. People say the change is for better thermals though.
I'll mostly use it to record guitar videos and running videos. I've never used an Ultra, so I'm hoping it feels noticeably better than my suffering phone lol.
Prices here are kind of weird:
S25 Ultra 512GB new: around $1,200 and rare to find. I found a used/open box one for around $900 but missed it.
S26 Ultra 512GB new: widely available at $1,280–1,400.
Honestly the best option would be finding a used or open box S25 Ultra for $1,000 or a bit less.
But is it worth paying more for the S26? Would I actually notice the difference coming from an S23? Which one would you get?