Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review
If you were to list everything you’d want in the best phone, it would likely lead you to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung seems to have followed the same list, and the S24 Ultra impresses fans and tech enthusiasts alike. It’s arguably the best phone available, offering exceptional battery life that outlasts top iPhones and previous Galaxy models, even with heavy use. When it comes to cameras, the S24 Ultra takes superior photos compared to its predecessor, making it the most versatile camera phone for various photography needs. Additionally, for gaming and professional use, it outperforms other Android phones and even competes with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
However, despite its impressive features, the Galaxy S24 Ultra reveals some shortcomings, particularly in its software. Samsung’s software interface is cluttered with numerous settings, hidden features, and outdated options, making it cumbersome to navigate. While the phone introduces new AI features, they often lack functionality and add unnecessary delays, detracting from the overall user experience. Despite these software challenges, the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains a top choice for its exceptional battery life, reliable cameras, and the versatile S Pen functionality.
Despite its software drawbacks, the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains my go-to device for work, showcasing future technology advancements while offering convenience and power. However, I hope Samsung addresses its usability issues and prioritizes user experience enhancements in future iterations. Compared to the iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 17, Samsung’s software falls short in terms of simplicity and sociability, highlighting the need for improvement. While the hardware continues to impress, Samsung must focus on refining its software to deliver a seamless and enjoyable user experience.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Price
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with a higher price tag at launch compared to its predecessor, the S23 Ultra. While the S23 Ultra was already feature-packed, the S24 Ultra doesn’t introduce any groundbreaking changes; it simply improves upon existing features in various ways.
However, the real value of the S24 Ultra may manifest in the long term due to Samsung’s promise of seven years of major Android and security updates. This extended support period sets a new standard in the industry, surpassing Apple’s five-year support for iPhones.
Despite Samsung’s promising commitment, there is reason for skepticism, particularly regarding the future availability of AI features. Buried in Samsung’s terms of service is a notice suggesting that current AI features may only remain free for a limited time, raising concerns about potential changes and additional costs down the line.
As someone who upgraded from the Galaxy S21 Ultra to the S23 Ultra last year, I’ve noticed that trade-in deals and launch discounts are not as attractive this time around. Trading up from the previous model may now require paying hundreds over the trade-in value, but considering the inevitable exclusion of older phones from new AI features, it may still be worthwhile to make the leap to the S24 Ultra, at least for this iteration.
In terms of pricing, the Galaxy S24 Ultra commands a premium, with prices varying based on storage capacity. The Ultra model is positioned as the extreme, offering unparalleled capabilities that justify its higher price tag compared to the S24 Plus.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Specs and Benchmarks
In our recent benchmark tests conducted at Future Labs, the Galaxy S24 Ultra showcased exceptional performance, surpassing even the top-performing iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro. Across various benchmark tests, including multi-core performance, graphics rendering, and battery rundown, the Galaxy S24 Ultra consistently outperformed both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
This achievement marks a significant milestone, as it’s been a while since an Android device achieved such a resounding victory in cross-platform benchmark testing. It’s worth noting, however, that while benchmark scores provide valuable insights, they shouldn’t be the sole basis for making a purchasing decision.
Here are the key specifications of the Galaxy S24 Ultra:
- Dimensions: 162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6mm
- Weight: 232g
- Screen: 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits
- Resolution: QHD+
- Refresh rate: Variable from 1Hz to 120Hz
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage options: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
- Operating System: Expected upgrades to Android 14 / One UI 6; promised 7 years of upgrades
- Rear Cameras: 200MP f/1.7 wide, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 50MP f/3.4 periscope (5x), 10MP f/2.4 telephoto (3x)
- Front Camera: 12MP f/2.2
- Battery: 5,000mAh
- Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless
- Colors: Titanium Violet, Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, and Titanium Orange
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra may seem visually similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, at first glance, but upon closer examination, subtle yet rewarding differences become apparent. While the overall design remains largely unchanged, with only minor alterations such as different speaker grills and slightly repositioned microphones, Samsung has maintained its commitment to refinement.
One notable aspect is the back glass, which boasts layers of metallic paint, creating a captivating depth, particularly in colors like the natural grey titanium finish. Among the available options, the violet finish stands out with its striking contrast against the polished metal frame.
Samsung’s meticulous attention to detail extends to color, materials, and finish. Each color variant features a subtly hued frame that complements the new Gorilla Glass Armor back. While the titanium black option offers a sleek all-black look, other colors incorporate warmer frame tones, adding to the device’s visual appeal.
Unlike Apple’s emphasis on symmetry, Samsung’s design philosophy prioritizes practicality. Placing the Power and Volume buttons on the same side minimizes accidental screenshots, enhancing user experience. Additionally, both Apple and Samsung have opted for titanium frames, although the impact on weight reduction is more significant in the iPhone 15 Pro Max compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
One distinctive feature of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is its S Pen, which offers a satisfying clicking mechanism along with advanced functionalities. Beyond its tactile feedback, the S Pen serves as a motion-sensing stylus and a Bluetooth camera remote button, showcasing Samsung’s commitment to innovation and user convenience.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Display
The display of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is truly exceptional, meeting the high standards expected from a flagship smartphone. It boasts a large, bright, and vibrant screen, particularly when utilizing the Vivid color tone option.
Numerous features enhance the display experience, including adaptive brightness and color tones that adjust based on ambient lighting conditions, ensuring optimal viewing quality. In intense outdoor lighting, the display can reach an impressive brightness of 2,600 nits, although brighter options exist, this level is more than adequate for most situations.
A notable feature is the Extra Dim option, allowing the display to maintain accurate color representation even at incredibly low brightness levels, such as one nit. While this level of dimness may seem excessive, it demonstrates the device’s versatility.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra offers an always-on display mode, providing convenient access to essential information like time, weather, and notifications. Additionally, Samsung continues to produce its unique S-View cases, which feature a small window for displaying pertinent information, adding a touch of innovation to protective accessories.
While the display is impressive, there is room for improvement. Some smartphone displays offer refresh rates of up to 144Hz, although this may surpass the threshold of human perception. Furthermore, Samsung’s reluctance to adopt Dolby Vision for its phone displays and TV sets is puzzling, especially considering its support for Dolby Audio. Integrating Dolby Vision could significantly enhance the viewing experience, particularly for streaming content from platforms like Netflix.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Software
Samsung’s primary focus is on hardware, with little attention given to improving its software. The software experience on the Galaxy S24 Ultra leaves much to be desired, and One UI is increasingly difficult to navigate. Even basic features are buried under layers of menus and options, indicating a lack of clear direction from Samsung regarding user experience.
I’ll give Samsung a year to address these software issues, but it may take longer to fully rectify the situation. The problems with Samsung’s software have only worsened over time, infecting every new addition like a pervasive issue.
Despite being packed with features, finding them on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a challenge. Features like AI translation tools or photo editing options are hidden deep within the Settings menu, making them cumbersome to access. It’s frustrating for users to navigate through numerous options just to utilize basic functionalities.
Samsung acknowledges this problem and understands the need for improvement. However, features remain buried within the Settings menu, making them difficult to discover. There’s an overload of messages and suggestions, further cluttering the user experience. Instead of inundating users with notifications, Samsung should focus on educating them about features in a more effective manner.
As for the new AI features, they vary in usefulness. While some, like AI translation during phone calls, feel like something out of science fiction and offer incredible utility, others seem gimmicky and unnecessary. Samsung should focus on refining and promoting the truly beneficial AI capabilities while discarding or hiding the less useful ones.
Some of the AI features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, such as the writing style adaptation and translation tools, fall short of expectations. While these features are integrated into the Samsung Keyboard and work across multiple apps, they often prove to be more gimmicky than useful. The writing style feature, for instance, didn’t offer significant practical benefits in my experience, and the promised ability to convert text to Shakespearean language was nowhere to be seen.
Unfortunately, the software keyboard on the Galaxy S24 Ultra suffers from significant issues, particularly with autocorrect. The keyboard frequently capitalizes words in the middle of sentences without reason and autocorrects partial words, leading to frustrating typing experiences. Correcting errors on the keyboard is also cumbersome, unlike the more intuitive approach of the Apple iPhone keyboard.
Additionally, some AI features inherited from the Google Pixel 8 family, such as the Voice Recorder app’s transcription and summarization capabilities, fail to match the performance of their Pixel counterparts. The image editing features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, while present, are also less impressive compared to the Pixel 8 Pro. For example, Samsung’s Generative Edit tool lacks certain advanced editing options available on the Pixel, such as Photo Unblur and Best Take.
Despite these software shortcomings, the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers unique capabilities that set it apart from other smartphones. Samsung’s DeX feature, which transforms the phone into a desktop-like interface when connected to a monitor with a keyboard and mouse, is particularly noteworthy. This functionality allows users to seamlessly transition between work and personal tasks without the need for a separate work laptop, providing a convenient and efficient solution.
Samsung’s promise of seven years of software updates for the Galaxy S24 Ultra raises questions about the feasibility of maintaining compatibility with future advancements in AI technology. The inclusion of certain language in Samsung’s terms of service regarding AI features potentially transitioning to subscription-based models further complicates the situation. However, clarification is needed to ensure transparency and uphold Samsung’s commitment to long-term support.
In conclusion, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts impressive hardware and unique features like DeX, its software experience falls short in some areas. Samsung must address these issues to deliver a more seamless and user-friendly experience, particularly given its promise of long-term support for the device.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Cameras
The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera system has garnered attention due to changes in its optical zoom capabilities, transitioning from a 10x zoom to a 5x zoom. Initially, concerns arose regarding this reduction in zoom range. However, upon closer examination, it’s evident that Samsung hasn’t taken a step backward but rather sideways. The Galaxy S24 Ultra still boasts one of the best zoom cameras on a smartphone, surpassing both its predecessor and competitors like the iPhone 15 Pro Max in certain scenarios.
At 10x or even 100x zoom, the Galaxy S24 Ultra produces images with improved color reproduction and dynamic range compared to its predecessor. While sacrificing some fine details, the overall image quality is enhanced, resulting in photos that are more visually appealing and shareable. In contrast, images taken at similar zoom levels on the Galaxy S23 Ultra often suffered from noise and blur, detracting from their quality.
In direct comparisons with the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 5x zoom, the iPhone may produce slightly better images. However, as digital zoom is applied, the Galaxy S24 Ultra outperforms the iPhone, preserving more detail and color accuracy. In real-world scenarios, such as capturing landscape shots or distant subjects like a lighthouse, the Galaxy S24 Ultra excels, even surpassing the iPhone’s capabilities in terms of zoom range and detail retention.
Samsung has made efforts to improve color accuracy and reduce digital sharpening artifacts, resulting in more natural-looking photos with enhanced detail. However, challenges remain in low-light photography, where competing devices like the Google Pixel 8 Pro may offer superior performance in certain situations.
Despite these challenges, the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains the top camera phone in the market, consistently delivering impressive results across various photography scenarios. It excels in capturing unique shots, such as macros or portraits, with accurate colors and sufficient detail. While Samsung has made advancements in photo editing capabilities with features like Generative Edit AI, relying on third-party software may still offer more comprehensive editing options.
In conclusion, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera system sets a new standard for smartphone photography, offering exceptional performance and versatility. Despite some limitations in low-light conditions, its overall imaging capabilities make it a standout choice for photography enthusiasts and casual users alike.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Performance
With the release of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung has achieved a significant milestone in smartphone performance, surpassing Apple’s best iPhone in raw processing power. This marks a departure from the trend of Android devices lagging behind iPhones in terms of performance. The Galaxy S24 Ultra not only matches the speed of the iPhone 15 Pro Max but often surpasses it in various aspects.
In practical terms, this means that users can execute tasks on their smartphones more swiftly and seamlessly than ever before. Whether it’s playing graphics-intensive games like Call of Duty Mobile or Genshin Impact at the highest settings or editing photos using demanding applications like Adobe Lightroom, the Galaxy S24 Ultra delivers smooth performance with fluid framerates and minimal stuttering.
The gaming capabilities of the Galaxy S24 Ultra are particularly noteworthy, rivaling dedicated gaming smartphones like the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro. In head-to-head comparisons, the S24 Ultra outperformed the ROG Phone 8 in every aspect, including producing higher framerates in the latest games. Paired with a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox or PlayStation controller, users can enjoy a superior gaming experience, dominating multiplayer arenas with unparalleled responsiveness.
Even for non-gaming tasks, the performance benefits of the Galaxy S24 Ultra are evident. Tasks like photo editing in Adobe Lightroom are significantly enhanced, with the device’s processing power enabling smooth adjustments and real-time rendering. In comparison tests, the S24 Ultra demonstrated faster performance in tasks like intelligent masking, highlighting its efficiency in handling demanding applications.
However, despite its impressive performance capabilities, the Galaxy S24 Ultra experiences delays when utilizing its new AI features. Ironically, while Samsung has achieved a performance lead over Apple, the inclusion of AI features introduces waiting times for tasks such as composing text messages or making edits in the photo gallery. These delays detract from the overall user experience, leading to frustration and diminishing the appeal of the AI tools.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Battery Life
The Galaxy S24 Ultra sets a new standard for smartphone battery life, surpassing even its predecessor and outlasting many other Android phones on the market. In rigorous lab testing involving continuous web browsing on 5G, the S24 Ultra in its default Adaptive display mode achieved an impressive runtime of 16 hours and 45 minutes. This exceeds the endurance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the previous Galaxy S23 Ultra by a significant margin.
What’s remarkable is that Samsung didn’t increase the battery size from the previous model; instead, it improved power management to enhance efficiency. The device offers various power-saving options, including adaptive screen settings and customizable settings for screen resolution and processor performance. Users can also access extreme power-saving modes to further extend battery life when needed.
One such feature, Adaptive Power Saving, adjusts power-saving settings based on user habits, but its buried location within the settings menu makes it challenging to discover. Samsung could improve the user experience by making such useful features more accessible and enabled by default.
In terms of charging, the Galaxy S24 Ultra supports 45W wired charging, delivering respectable charging speeds. In real-world testing, the device reached nearly 40% charge in just fifteen minutes and fully charged in approximately 45 minutes, faster than Samsung’s advertised charging times.
While there are phones with faster charging capabilities, such as the OnePlus 12 with its 80W charger, the S24 Ultra’s 45W charging is still impressive. Additionally, the device supports up to 15W wireless charging and features wireless power sharing, allowing it to charge other devices wirelessly.
However, it’s worth noting that the Galaxy S24 Ultra does not come with a charger in the box, requiring users to purchase one separately for optimal charging performance. Fortunately, there are more affordable third-party charger options available, such as the Anker 713 Nano Charger, which offers similar performance at a lower cost.
Overall, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s exceptional battery life and fast charging capabilities make it a compelling choice for users who prioritize long-lasting performance and convenience. With efficient power management and versatile charging options, it sets a new standard for flagship smartphones in the market.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Scorecard
Value: Despite being more expensive than its predecessor and lacking the enticing deals of the previous year, the Galaxy S24 Ultra still offers top-of-the-line features for those willing to pay the premium. (3/5)
Design: While the design remains largely unchanged from the S23 Ultra, the device still impresses with its packed-in features. The titanium frame adds a touch of refinement, although weight reduction could have been improved. (4/5)
Display: The device boasts a large, vibrant, and responsive display with excellent sharpness. The flat design enhances usability, although the phone’s size may be unwieldy for some. (5/5)
Software: Samsung’s software continues to suffer from complexity and clutter, with each new feature adding to the mess. One UI needs significant improvement to enhance usability and user experience. (3/5)
Cameras: The Galaxy S24 Ultra maintains Samsung’s reputation as the best all-around camera phone, offering reliability and versatility. While competitors may produce better photos in specific scenarios, the Ultra consistently delivers exceptional results. (5/5)
Performance: Surpassing even the fastest iPhone, the S24 Ultra offers unparalleled performance for gaming and real-time photo editing. However, delays associated with AI features may detract from the overall experience. (5/5)
Battery: With exceptional battery life surpassing both iPhones and previous Galaxy Ultra models, the S24 Ultra ensures extended usage without the need for frequent charging. (5/5)
Conclusion
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra excels in key areas such as display quality, camera performance, and battery life, making it a top choice for users seeking a premium smartphone experience. However, software improvements are necessary to enhance usability and streamline the user interface effectively.