Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: the best Ultra ever, 2024USA STORIES

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: The best Ultra ever, and a must buy

January 27, 2024
2:38 am

If you were to consult your preferred AI chatbot for assistance in crafting a smartphone with optimal specifications, the result could closely resemble the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, a device infused with advanced AI features. The top-tier Galaxy model leaves little to be desired, encompassing everything from a stylus to the latest processor. Does this imply a straightforward decision to purchase? Let’s delve into the details to determine.

About our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review

After seven days using the Galaxy S24 Ultra extensively as the main smartphone, I’ll update the review in another week, finalizing evaluations of battery life, camera, and software reliability. No concerns have surfaced in these aspects or any other features. Unless there are significant changes, the overall score and opinion are expected to remain unchanged.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: design

The Galaxy S24 Ultra maintains its overall design similar to the S23 Ultra but introduces noteworthy enhancements for durability, user-friendliness, and modern appeal. The titanium frame, replacing the Armor Aluminum, offers a warmer touch and increased scratch resistance. With flatter sides and reduced bezel, the phone feels secure and boasts an imposing presence.

The flat screen enhances S Pen stylus comfort, and despite its 232-gram weight, the S24 Ultra adapts well to user handling. While not compact, it remains manageable. The phone’s durability is evident with its IP68 rating and Gorilla Armor glass, ensuring scratch resistance and improved visibility in bright conditions.

The refined style, featuring a titanium frame and ergonomic flat screen, makes the S24 Ultra instantly recognizable and durable. Despite its size, it’s a device to be proud of, especially with vibrant color options.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: screen and performance

The Galaxy S24 Ultra‘s Gorilla Armor glass minimizes reflections, and its 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen boasts a peak brightness of 2,500 nits for excellent outdoor visibility. Compared to the OnePlus 12’s brighter display, the S24 Ultra excels in vibrancy and pop, offering a fantastic viewing experience.

The device consistently delivers outstanding performance with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 12GB of RAM, and adaptive refresh rate. While the OnePlus 12 and Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro present strong competition, the Galaxy S24 Ultra stands out as an exceptional all-rounder, perfect for those who seek top-notch performance and visuals in a versatile smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: camera

The Galaxy S24 Ultra inherits the 200MP main, 12MP wide-angle, and 10MP 3x optical zoom telephoto cameras from its predecessor, the S23 Ultra. Notable hardware upgrades include a new 50MP telephoto camera for 5x optical zoom, providing “optical quality” at 10x zoom. Equipped with Samsung’s ProVisual Engine, Super HDR, and Galaxy AI editing tools, the S24 Ultra enhances photos during and after shooting.

In a separate test, the telephoto cameras outshine the S23 Ultra, delivering better, more colorful, and visually accurate photos, despite slightly less detail at 10x zoom. The main and wide-angle cameras produce vibrant, detailed photos suitable for social media, and the AI-assisted auto slow-motion mode is a standout feature. The camera’s versatility extends to video recording, offering UHD resolution, 8K at 30fps, and UHD slow-motion video at 120fps.

While lowlight performance is being tested further, the camera already showcases impressive AI features, improved telephoto capabilities, and an innovative slow-motion mode. The comprehensive array of photography tools positions the S24 Ultra as a versatile and capable device. Ongoing testing will provide a more comprehensive assessment, particularly in terms of battery life.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Galaxy AI

AI is making waves in the tech industry, and Samsung is quick to embrace it with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The device features a suite of Galaxy AI tools, including the Circle to Search by Google, a standout visual search tool for photos and the web. The Generative Edit tool excels in removing distractions from photos using AI.

While Live Translate and Interpreter offer real-time translations, they may not be daily essentials. Chat Assist, unfortunately, falls short, attempting to suggest tone changes in messages with questionable success. However, the grammar and spelling check proves more useful. Overall, Galaxy AI isn’t a primary reason to choose the S24 Ultra, but the features perform as advertised, with a few proving genuinely practical and enjoyable, though not necessarily for everyday use.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: battery, calls, and charging

The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery impressively matches the phone’s powerful capabilities. Initially lasting about five hours with 25% remaining, it significantly improves over subsequent charging cycles, reaching nearly five hours of screen time with 50% left by the end of the day, even with gaming, apps, video streaming, and calls. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Samsung’s effective power management contribute to its remarkable efficiency.

The phone’s battery life stands out as a massive advantage, showcasing solid performance even under stress tests and heavy use. While a 45W adapter can fully charge the battery in 70 minutes, it’s not the fastest compared to some competitors. The S24 Ultra supports wireless charging and reverse charging.

In terms of calls and connectivity, the S24 Ultra excels, offering crystal-clear sound and reliable performance on both Wi-Fi and mobile networks. The phone proves to be a great choice for those who prioritize effective phone functionality alongside its other features.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: software and S Pen stylus

The Galaxy S24 Ultra ticks all the boxes for a modern smartphone, boasting Android 14 and One UI 6.1. Despite some adjustment time to Samsung’s software, it becomes comfortable and easy to use after core adjustments. The device offers extensive customization, including the Creative wallpaper option, allowing AI-generated wallpapers with specific keywords.

The Quick Settings screen is logically laid out, and the lock screen’s notification icons allow interaction without accessing the main screen. Note that for Samsung’s Chat Assist, the Samsung Keyboard is required, which may not match alternatives like Gboard for swipe typing accuracy.

The S Pen stylus, while not gaining new features, benefits from the flat screen, providing comfortable use and functioning as a wireless shutter release for the camera. Samsung pledges seven years of software updates, solidifying the S24 Ultra as one of the best-supported smartphones. With its impressive capabilities, the phone is poised to last for years, justifying its initial high cost.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: price and availability

The Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,300 or £1,250 in the U.K., surpassing the Galaxy S23 Ultra and even the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max in price. It includes 256GB of storage, with options to upgrade to 512GB or 1TB. Available in Titanium Grey, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow, with additional Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, and Titanium Orange exclusively online.

The S24 Ultra is notably expensive, surpassing similarly specced Android phones, its outstanding overall value, encompassing features, power, and long-term support, justifies the investment. Comparable Android phones, like the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro at $1,199, Google Pixel 8 Pro at $1,000, and OnePlus 12 at $800, come at a comparatively lower cost. The Galaxy S24 Ultra stands out for its comprehensive offering and long-term value proposition.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra isn’t just a design refresh; it’s a true upgrade with new features, technology, and lifestyle-enhancing improvements. Packed with every desirable feature and specification, it stands out as a worthwhile purchase, even if you own a Galaxy S23 Ultra. The combination of outstanding battery life and genuinely improved camera makes it a must-buy.

The Galaxy AI features are highlighted, it’s the overall package — from battery performance to camera enhancements — that makes the S24 Ultra exceptional. While an upgrade from the Galaxy S23 Ultra is viable, it’s recommended to approach the S24 Ultra with the intention of keeping it for years. With Samsung’s commitment to recycled materials, software updates, device capabilities, and pricing, the S24 Ultra stands as a top-tier choice that you’ll likely appreciate for a long time. It’s a purchase that’s hard to beat.

Feature	Description
Processor	CPU Type Octa-Core
Display	Technology - Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Color Depth 16M , Max Refresh Rate120 Hz, Resolution 3120 x 1440 (Quad HD+)
S Pen Support	Yes
Camera	Main Camera - Auto Focus, Rear Camera - OIS, Front Camera - Resolution 12MP, Front Camera - Auto Focus, Video Recording Resolution UHD 8K (7680 x 4320)@30fps
Storage/Memory	Memory_12(GB), Storage 512GB
Network/Bearer	Dual-SIM
Connectivity	USB Type-C, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v5.3, NFC,
OS	Android
Sensors	Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor
Physical specification	162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6 (HxWxD, mm)
Battery	Battery Capacity 5000 mAh
Audio and Video	Video Playing Format MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM Audio Playing Format MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, DSF, APE Video Playing Resolution UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) @60fps