Why spend over $1,000 on a single phone when you can get a flagship smartphone, a smartwatch, and premium earbuds for the same price? Here’s how, for the same money as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can buy into the entire Samsung ecosystem.

Why Spend Over $1,000 on a Single Phone?

I was seriously considering the base 256GB model of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra at $1,099, when I realized something—I could get almost the same experience with the older flagship—256GB model of the S23 Ultra at $845.

The main features I’m looking for are Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI, and the S Pen. The S23 Ultra covers all these needs perfectly. So, is the S24 Ultra worth the extra money, or should I save $250? To answer that, I quickly tallied the major differences between the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the S23 Ultra:

Now, I personally prefer a curved display, and the titanium frame feels like a gimmick to me, so I’m fine with aluminum. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 paired with 8GB RAM is plenty powerful for my day-to-day use. I don’t do video editing or hardcore gaming on my phone and rely on my PC for intensive workloads. I also don’t mind the subtle loss in camera performance since I don’t take many pics with my phone.

Software-wise, the S23 Ultra offers four years of OS updates (supported until 2027). While that’s not as long as the S24 Ultra’s seven years, it’s still plenty since I usually upgrade my phone every two to three years. Additionally, Samsung has promised that many of the Galaxy AI features available on the S24 lineup will also come to older generations.

So, considering what I actually need, saving $250 by choosing the S23 Ultra 256GB model makes much more sense to me. I can now pocket this money or consider investing it in accessing the Samsung ecosystem. Samsung devices work seamlessly with each other, so pairing a Samsung smartwatch and earbuds with my smartphone will enhance the overall experience.

Why Not the 2-Year-Old Galaxy S22 Ultra at $500?

At the time of writing, a refurbished S22 Ultra with 512GB storage costs around $500. Plus, in spite of being two years old, it’s still a flagship phone and outperforms any other brand-new $500 phone on the market. I’m also getting all the key features I was initially looking for, namely Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI, and the S Pen. So, if I’m open to buying old, why not go back one more generation and get the S22 Ultra?

Well, the main downside is that it’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, infamous for heating issues. Furthermore, it uses the older UFS 3.1 storage instead of UFS 4.0, which has 2x the speed. Also, the phone is slated to receive updates until 2026, and I’m not sure if I’m planning to update my phone that early. So, even though I would be saving $500 by getting the S22 Ultra, payoffs in terms of lower specs and fewer updates are just not worth it.

Spending the Savings to Create an Ecosystem

I started with a budget of $1,099 to buy the S24 Ultra. I am considering getting a brand-new S23 Ultra for $845. This way, I’m saving $254, which I can now invest in a Samsung smartwatch and earbuds. But which ones?

Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: $145

One of the best things about the Samsung smartwatches is the rotatable bezel that you can use to navigate and control the UI. It’s available with the latest model—Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, but it’s currently $359 for the non-LTE 47mm version, with refurbished models going for $290.

Both options exceed my budget, so to get a better deal, let’s look at the previous generations. Now, I won’t pick the Galaxy Watch 5 because none of the models in that generation has the rotating bezel I want. So, how about the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic?

This one costs $145 and is brand new for the 46mm variant. In terms of battery life, it’s half that of the Watch 6 Classic, but it can still get you through an entire day. Also, it lacks some of the newer health feature options like a temperature sensor and personalized heart rate zones.

That said, I’m not looking for special health monitoring features since I believe medical-grade equipment should be used for that. My main reasons for wanting a smartwatch are accessing notifications, setting Pomodoro timers, controlling music playback, checking maps, and journaling my daily weight and water intake. The budget-friendly Galaxy Watch 4 Classic does all this, and I’m happy with the $145 price tag. Now I’m left with $109.

Galaxy Buds 2: $108

There’s no way I am buying used or refurbished earbuds just to save money—it’s too gross and unhygienic. Now, I did some research, and there are a few brand-new options to pick from: Buds 2, Buds 2 Pro, Buds Live, and Buds FE. Out of the bunch, only the Buds 2 Pro and Buds FE make sense.

The top-tier Buds 2 Pro costs $108 for the 2022 model, and the recent Buds FE costs $55. Since my budget allows it, I’m going to get Buds 2 Pro and have $1 left over.

Now, I Have Access to the Samsung Ecosystem for the Price of a Galaxy S24 Ultra

I was a little skeptical when I started my research. The idea was to save some money and maybe invest a bit more to complete the ecosystem, but I never thought it would align this perfectly.

Instead of spending $1,099 on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, I can now get a Galaxy S23 Ultra for $845 paired with the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic for $145 and the Buds 2 Pro for $108, for a total of $1,098. It’s surprising how closely the costs match up, and I’m even saving $1 at the end of everything.

This should be a testament to how quickly tech prices tend to fall. So, the next time you think about throwing money at the latest gadget, consider your options carefully. You might fetch more value with something a year older and get more bang for your buck.