Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Doing (and costing) the most

Consider the largest, most complex Swiss Military Knife you’ve ever seen, one with extra instruments than you may ever use. Now, give it a USB-C port, a stylus, and 4 cameras on the again. Congratulations, you’ve bought the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely. That could be oversimplifying one of the crucial succesful Android telephones available on the market, however the analogy isn’t too far off. Let’s get into our Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely overview, and also you’ll see what I imply.

There’s just one place to start out with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, and that’s with AI — Galaxy AI, particularly. It’s the principle occasion, the large concept, no matter else you need to name it. Samsung talked about the phrase a whopping 50 occasions throughout its first Unpacked occasion of 2024, promising a laundry checklist of options to make your smartphone smarter and much more useful. Now, take that with a grain of salt as a result of we’re nonetheless very a lot within the experimentation section of on-device AI, however I’ve discovered just a few Galaxy AI options that ought to in all probability stick round.

We’ll come again to the images options like Picture Help (primarily Samsung’s model of Magic Editor) later, however there are many different methods to make texting, calling, and even note-taking simpler. One which I’ve been utilizing is Chat Help, which lives inside the Samsung Keyboard. It reads via messages as you kind them, providing ideas for spelling and grammar, however it may possibly additionally provide you with different tones to attempt. Chat Help has tones like Skilled and Informal to be used with bosses and coworkers and a #Social tone, which masses your message with emojis and hashtags, like a tweet from again when X was Twitter.

As a author, I can normally do with out Chat Help, however the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s Word Help is a lifesaver. It covers just a few totally different AI options, together with the power to summarize a webpage right into a extra concise set of notes, one thing I’ve sorely wanted whereas researching how on-device AI works. Word Help additionally covers reworking my horrendous S Pen handwriting into legible notes when I’ve to scribble out a fast reminder throughout a Zoom content material assembly.

Among the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s extra refined AI options, nonetheless, are these co-developed with Google. Choices like Circle to Search and the power to generate wallpapers based mostly on just a few prompts are already obtainable on the Pixel 8 collection, and now they’re on Samsung’s newest flagships as effectively. Circle to Search works like Google Lens, although it’s a bit simpler to regulate now which you could select particular parts from a extra cluttered picture. Samsung’s generative wallpapers are the identical as these on the Pixel 8 Professional, proper right down to the checklist of prompts you may choose from, however they’re enjoyable both method.

Our Galaxy S24 Extremely additionally got here with Android 14 and One UI 6.1 out of the field. Samsung’s Android 14 expertise doesn’t really feel a lot totally different from its earlier setup, although it has just a few good tweaks. The short settings menu has been slimmed down, shifting to smaller buttons that appear to drift above your house display screen moderately than block it out. Samsung’s color-coordinated theming is best, too, with extra app icons matching your background colour as an alternative of completely the first-party choices. The perfect software program information is that the Galaxy S24 collection is in line for seven years of upgrades — a stable bump from its earlier 4 years of Android variations and 5 years of safety patches, and one which places it again in keeping with Google concerning replace insurance policies.

As soon as you progress previous the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s AI-fueled coronary heart, you’re left with the telephone itself. It appears like a Galaxy S23 Extremely with a bit extra polish throughout all features. The 2 telephones look nearly similar, with boxy corners, digital camera rings that dot the satin-textured rear glass, and an S Pen that hides away alongside the underside edge. So, in the event you like Samsung’s present flagship design, you’ll in all probability discover lots to love concerning the up to date model. And but, these modifications provide simply sufficient quality-of-life enchancment to make them value mentioning.

For starters, Armor Aluminum is out, and titanium is in. Apple already switched from stainless-steel to titanium on its iPhone 15 Professional collection, and now it’s Samsung’s flip. Nevertheless, Samsung is upgrading its body for a really totally different purpose. Whereas Apple made the change to save lots of just a few grams from its hefty Professional fashions, the Galaxy S24 Extremely adopted titanium purely for its improved sturdiness. It solely shaved a few gram off the burden of the earlier Galaxy S23 Extremely, however the titanium body has a slight texture, making it rather more snug in hand than the earlier mannequin. Oh, and the textured end is pleasingly fingerprint-averse, too.

Samsung additionally upgraded its top-tier flagship to the most recent and best glass that Corning has to supply — as ordinary. The sweeping 6.8-inch Dynamic 2x AMOLED is now fabricated from a particular low-glare sheet of Gorilla Armor, whereas the remainder of the Galaxy S24 collection hangs onto Gorilla Glass Victus 2. We’ll have to attend and see if Gorilla Armor is the hardest glass that Corning has to supply, however the glare-resistant remedy is already a simple win for Samsung. It presents an evening and day distinction in the way it handles vibrant daylight in comparison with the earlier show, making it a lot simpler to make use of in broad daylight. The Galaxy S24 Extremely additionally tops out at 2,600 nits of peak brightness, which doesn’t harm its efficiency on sunny days.

Samsung’s ultimate show modification might be the one you’ll discover first — it’s flat. The Galaxy S24 Extremely now matches its extra inexpensive siblings by dropping the curved edges, so that you now not have to fret about unintentional presses or squeezes. As somebody with smaller fingers, I welcome the change, as I can hold the body in a tighter grip whereas utilizing this beast of a telephone with two fingers. Granted, the swap leads to barely extra noticeable facet bezels, however I’d name it a good commerce.

Though its Galaxy AI options briefly contact on the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s popularity as an influence consumer’s finest pal, there’s much more to cowl in terms of efficiency. For starters, Samsung has lastly finished away with break up ranges of RAM, placing all Galaxy S24 Extremely configurations on equal footing with 12GB as an alternative of limiting the bottom mannequin to only 8GB. The elevated RAM pairs properly with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, an overclocked model of Qualcomm’s newest silicon to offer Samsung probably the most energy doable.

That further energy interprets to a number of the finest benchmarking scores in an Android telephone proper now. The Galaxy S24 Extremely topped every little thing however the iPhone 15 Professional Max in our Geekbench 6 run, got here up only a hair wanting the ASUS ROG Cellphone 8 Professional (in its high-performance X-Mode) within the graphically intensive 3DMark exams, and topped the charts in our PCMark race. Samsung’s robust numbers have been much less inspiring throughout our stress exams, tailing off to extra modest outcomes after just a few runs, however they have been nonetheless adequate to remain forward of most opponents. Though the Galaxy s24 Extremely was left behind by the ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, it achieved its outcomes with out attempting to burn a gap via our desks, which means that you may take pleasure in its efficiency, in contrast to the ASUS mannequin. Try our devoted Galaxy S24 benchmarks article for a deeper dive.

After all, none of this benchmarking efficiency means a factor if the day-to-day expertise suffers. Fortunately, we all know Samsung effectively sufficient to count on a consumer expertise matching its lofty lab numbers. I totally loved how all the Galaxy S24 Extremely bundle got here collectively throughout my weeks with the telephone, providing greater than sufficient energy for gaming, social media, and its generative AI options with out ever actually coming near the thermal troubles of Google’s early technology Tensor choices.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely landed proper between just a few of my busier intervals of labor journey, which means that it bought to be my journey companion moderately than a enterprise accomplice, powering my GPS and Spotify playlist for a drive from Baltimore to Philadelphia and again. Whereas in Philly for a pal’s birthday, I put the Galaxy S24 Extremely via loads of work as a go-to digital camera for each stills and movies and in addition used it to stream the divisional spherical of the NFL playoffs utilizing T-Cellular’s 5G community. Though the telephone warmed whereas streaming the sport, it by no means reached some extent the place it was uncomfortable to carry, nor did I really feel just like the battery drained too shortly.

Mentioning the battery, it hasn’t modified. I can nonetheless push the 5,000mAh cell past a day of combined utilization, averaging a day and 1 / 4 to a day and a half earlier than I’ve to succeed in for a charger. After all, after I’m leaning on Samsung’s generative AI capabilities, the outcomes are barely decrease, nearer to a good day. And sure, it’s straightforward to toss out anecdotal battery outcomes, however the Galaxy S24 Extremely backs it up within the lab, too.

We put it via a battery stress check, which covers 4K video recording, 4K video playback, internet searching, and a simulated Zoom name, amongst different widespread duties, with the Galaxy S24 Extremely popping out forward of its predecessor almost throughout the board. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powered Samsung’s newest flagship to a forty five% enchancment in 4K video playback, in addition to smaller 16% bumps to gaming, internet searching, and video recording. There’s an excellent probability that Qualcomm’s extra environment friendly chipset is to thank for lots of the outcomes, although its superior picture processing comes with a tradeoff of 33% decrease digital camera efficiency. All of because of this sure, the Galaxy S24 Extremely presents higher battery life than its predecessor, and you must simply be capable of push it previous a day of utilization, however you’ll need to be aware of how a lot time you spend on every job.

If you inevitably want a charger, the Galaxy S24 Extremely nonetheless helps 45W wired — with a USB PD PPS charger — and 15W wi-fi speeds. It takes a hair over an hour to cruise from an empty battery to a full one with a appropriate charger (no, there nonetheless isn’t one within the field), which is barely quicker than the earlier technology. Our wired charging check confirmed a ultimate time of about 62 minutes for the Galaxy S24 Extremely in comparison with round 64 minutes for the Galaxy S23 Extremely — an enchancment, however a minor one.

By now, you’ve in all probability picked up on the truth that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely will get lots of issues proper. It’s as highly effective as you may ask for, delivers stable battery life and charging, and sports activities an upgraded body with harder Corning Glass. Nevertheless, all that success comes at a value — each literal and figurative.

The literal half of that value comes within the type of a $100 worth bump unique to the Galaxy S24 Extremely. It calls for an eye-watering $1,299 on the base configuration, whereas the top-tier model with 1TB of storage reaches all the best way to $1,659 — only a hair under the folding Galaxy Z Fold 5. After all, worth will increase occur, but it surely’s harder to justify the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s bump once you break down what you’re getting — or moderately, what others aren’t.

For starters, the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus get entry to the identical Galaxy AI options because the Extremely. Which means you don’t must cross the $1,000 barrier to make use of Picture Help, Chat Help, or translate your telephone calls from one language to a different in actual time. These two telephones additionally get the identical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset within the US (or the Exynos 2400 in lots of international markets) and the identical seven years of software program updates. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Extremely is the one one to get a titanium body, however even that doesn’t matter a lot when you add a protecting case.

Even the earlier generations of Galaxy gadgets will get entry to a few of Samsung’s finest AI options. The corporate inadvertently let slip that Circle to Search, Stay Translate, Word Help, and Picture Help could be coming to no less than the Galaxy S23 collection, and also you received’t have to fret a few $100 worth bump on any of them.

There’s room for the literal value of the Galaxy S24 Extremely to extend, too, with Galaxy AI options solely at present assured to remain free via the tip of 2025. Which means, do you have to select to maintain your Galaxy S24 Extremely via the tip of its life cycle in seven years, you’ll in all probability spend 5 of these years paying for the AI-powered options that you just already paid further for. After all, Samsung has but to element its plans for Galaxy AI previous the tip of 2025, but it surely has steered it’d offset a number of the anticipated subscription charges by introducing extra new options — we’ll simply have to attend and see.

As for the figurative half of the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s value, it’s a large telephone — there’s no method round it. Samsung’s 6.8-inch show may provide extra display screen actual property than anybody wants, but it surely comes at the price of being nearly not possible to make use of one-handed. Granted, the presence of the S Pen suggests that you just’re not supposed to make use of one hand anyway, however most individuals received’t use a stylus always. Pair that with the huge rectangular body with its perpetually uncomfortable corners, and the Galaxy S24 Extremely turns into a tricky gadget to pocket for the smaller amongst us. Actually, I don’t all the time really feel like I’ve the pocket area for it, even when I needed to hold a telephone this massive.

Circling again to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely’s AI options, simply keep in mind that we’re nonetheless within the comparatively early days of on-device capabilities. As such, a number of the options are nonetheless hit and miss, together with the real-time translations and the Picture Help edits. Whereas efficient for brief, casual chats, Samsung’s translations get tough across the edges with extra sophisticated sentences and topics. Not all the Chat Help suggestions are significantly useful, both. The #Social tone, particularly, appears like an out-of-date throwback with an overabundance of hashtags and emojis that I’d have utilized in center faculty. Asking the Galaxy S24 Extremely to translate, transcribe, and summarize a protracted textual content may push its gears to their restrict, typically bailing on the duty midway via.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely’s digital camera doesn’t look totally different from its predecessor’s, which is an effective factor. The Galaxy S23 Extremely earned its place as the most effective digital camera telephones we utilized in 2023 with a powerful mixture of long-range zoom and in-depth professional options, so it’s honest to count on the Galaxy S24 Extremely to fit proper within the earlier telephone’s place. It largely does — don’t fear — however there are extra modifications to speak about than those who meet the attention, together with many who happen after you press the shutter button.

We solely must spend a second or two on the {hardware} modifications, as there’s just one value mentioning. Samsung ditched its longstanding 10MP 10x optical telephoto sensor in favor of a shorter however larger decision 50MP 5x optical telephoto sensor. Which means the Galaxy S24 Extremely presents full-resolution images at 5x zoom and applies a sensor crop for optical high quality photos as much as 10x zoom, whereas the earlier Galaxy S23 Extremely used a mixture of digital zoom and post-processing for every little thing between 3x and 10x zoom. The brand new sensor additionally packs a wider most aperture of f/3.4 as an alternative of f/4.9, which permits extra gentle to succeed in the sensor in addition to a shallower depth of subject.

Exterior the telephoto swap, the Galaxy S24 Extremely has the identical 200MP main sensor as its predecessor, full with a large f/1.7 aperture. It’s backed by 10MP 3x optical telephoto and 12MP ultrawide sensors, which stay unchanged from the earlier technology. The 12MP punch gap selfie digital camera is unchanged, too.

Samsung’s default digital camera app hasn’t modified, both — it’s nonetheless loaded with customizable taking pictures modes and a mountain of professional options. Nevertheless, the little Galaxy AI emblem of stars pops up once you open your digital camera roll or the Samsung Gallery app. It’s each the button you faucet on to start making AI-powered edits and the tiny watermark that reveals up as a reminder that Samsung’s algorithms performed a job in your edited shot. Oh, and no, you may’t eliminate the watermark utilizing AI, however you may crop it out of your shot — although which may additionally lower out the edits you so fastidiously generated. I’ll add some edited samples under, however first, just a few unedited pictures.

Samsung’s 200MP main sensor delivers glorious pictures in nearly any type of vibrant lighting situation. Whether or not it’s the intense, sunny pagoda or the pair of flags within the shade, the Galaxy S24 Extremely captured loads of element and recreated correct colours — a welcome change from Samsung’s ordinary love of reds and greens. The close-up picture of the balloons additionally reveals good textures on every, with some showing shinier, like the grey one to the precise, whereas others are extra matte. My portrait mode picture of a duck additionally reveals a satisfying depth of subject, preserving the duck in focus however not instantly eliminating every little thing round it with synthetic bokeh.

One side of Samsung’s cameras that’s usually critiqued is its points with shifting targets, and sadly, that is still a difficulty right here. I received’t go into an excessive amount of element right here as my colleague Rita El Khoury has already finished that — take a look at her deep dive into how the Galaxy S24 Extremely handles folks and pets for samples.

The change from a 10x optical zoom to 5x additionally works effectively for Samsung in vibrant daylight. Whereas the earlier Galaxy S23 Extremely would have required a substantial amount of post-processing for the 5x shot of the Domino Sugar manufacturing facility, the brand new digital camera captures it at full decision earlier than binning right down to a 12.5MP ultimate consequence. It picks up first rate particulars for being on the far facet of a large harbor, with solely a slight shift within the colour profile the place the constructing displays on the water. Samsung’s 10x zoom shot makes use of a crop from the middle of the schedule, which isn’t fairly the identical as true optical high quality, but it surely’s a good commerce to get higher mid-range images. The manufacturing facility’s 30x and 100x zoom photos are noticeably softer, with many of the brick constructing being lowered to purple and white rectangles — appropriate for social media to point out off which you could zoom thus far, however that’s about it.

Testing the Galaxy S24 Extremely at evening delivered maybe probably the most shocking outcomes throughout my time with the telephone. I’m used to calling Google’s newest flagship the nighttime king, however the Galaxy S24 Extremely turned in higher coloration in my selfie, extra particulars above the water line within the ultrawide pattern, and far, significantly better particulars within the 5x zoom picture of Mr. Trash Wheel. The final of these three outcomes might be due to the upper decision telephoto sensor, however Samsung’s Galaxy AI picture processing shines throughout all the slate of outcomes.

Now, the enhancing check you’ve all been ready for… it’s good, however not nice. I expanded the picture of my espresso cup and shifted the angle to see how Samsung would sort out producing a part of my laptop computer, and it did simply nice. It recreated Apple’s Starlight end accurately however added a little bit of texture to the in any other case easy laptop computer and recreated the wooden grain of the desk as a collection of traces. One of many extra spectacular particulars is that Samsung lower off the pot within the right spot and accurately guessed the lighting by a window that wasn’t inside the body.

The pattern picture of my cat tells the same story — shut however imperfect. It principally erased my hand and my blue shirt, however moderately than extending the blue of my pants off the facet of the picture, the Galaxy S24 Extremely halted it early, making my leg look extra like a pillow than a human leg. Samsung didn’t trouble to generate the remainder of my cat’s paw, although the bokeh does a fairly good job of hiding what would in all probability be a stunted paw in a clearer image.

I don’t have a lot to say concerning the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s selfie digital camera, primarily as a result of it hasn’t modified since final yr. It’s nonetheless a 12MP punch gap, which stays a extra dependable wager than the earlier 40MP monster from just a few years again. Selfie cameras shouldn’t must bin by default, particularly once you’re in all probability not going to make use of the completed product for rather more than social media. Samsung hasn’t modified its video capabilities an excessive amount of, both, providing as much as 8K high quality at as much as 30fps when utilizing Professional Video mode or 4K decision at as much as 120fps.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely is Samsung’s most refined extremely flagship to this point. Its flat show does away with unintentional presses, whereas the titanium body is delightfully fingerprint-free, and it’s nonetheless powerful to match the brilliance of Samsung’s high-end shows. The beast of a smartphone stays a dream for energy customers, too, with exceptional efficiency from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and several other Galaxy AI options stepping in to make calling, texting, and even note-taking simpler in your each day life.

We’ve come to count on greatness from Samsung’s Extremely yr in and yr out, and it continues to ship. The Galaxy S24 Extremely packs 4 extremely versatile rear cameras, providing a number of the finest zoom functionality you’ll discover on a flagship and a colour profile that’s slowly however certainly inching towards pure. Galaxy AI has a job right here, too, particularly when eliminating undesirable objects out of your pictures. Combine in an replace promise that when once more leads the Android class (or no less than ties with Google), and it’s straightforward to see the Galaxy S24 Extremely incomes a spot in your pocket for a very long time.

Nevertheless, it’s simply as straightforward to cross over the Galaxy S24 Extremely as an improve you don’t want. Its $100 worth enhance is hard to justify when the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus didn’t get the identical remedy, and the Galaxy S24 Extremely appears to be lacking a killer purpose to improve now that lots of its cloud-based Galaxy AI options have already been confirmed as coming to the older Galaxy S23 collection. Samsung’s titanium body isn’t vital, both, because it barely saves any weight, and also you’ll in all probability neglect it’s any totally different from Armor Aluminum as quickly as you place your telephone in a case.

If you happen to resolve the Galaxy S24 Utlra isn’t for you, its finest different is only one step down the Samsung totem pole. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus ($1119.99 at Samsung) is the best member of the trio to advocate, providing the overwhelming majority of the Extremely expertise with out the total brunt of the excessive price ticket. It’s only a tenth of an inch smaller at 6.7 inches however packs a 4,900mAh battery and similar charging specs to Samsung’s costliest flagship. As talked about, the Galaxy S24 Plus additionally will get the identical slate of Galaxy AI options, which means which you could circle to look, faucet into name or chat help, and edit your images with out the uncomfortable corners of the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s boxy body digging into your hand. You’ll must dwell with out the second telephoto sensor and the S Pen, however the financial savings are greater than worthwhile.

You may also resolve to skip Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem altogether, by which case it’s time to take a look at a number of the finest Galaxy S24 Extremely options.

The primary choice that springs to thoughts is Google’s Pixel 8 Professional ($999 at Amazon). Though priced in keeping with the extra inexpensive Galaxy S24 Plus, the Pixel 8 Professional is a real Galaxy S24 Extremely rival. It beat Samsung to the punch with Magic Editor for images, its long-term replace dedication, and even the swap from a curved show to a flat one. After all, the in-house Tensor G3 chip nonetheless doesn’t maintain a efficiency candle to Qualcomm’s highly effective Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, nor does the Pixel 8 Professional cost almost as shortly because the Galaxy S24 Extremely. In the end, although, selecting between these two could come right down to which taste of Android you favor — Google’s gentle, stock-like expertise or Samsung’s heavier, feature-rich One UI.

One other wildcard value taking a look at is the OnePlus 12 (on the product’s web site). It’s as soon as once more extra inexpensive than the Galaxy S24 Extremely (most telephones are), but it surely packs a spec sheet that punches effectively above its price ticket. The OnePlus 12 stuffs a large 5,400mAh battery into its slim body, then backs it with 80W wired charging and at last brings again 50W wi-fi charging after a number of years on hiatus. It matches the Galaxy S24 Extremely with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset underneath the hood and both 12 or 16GB of RAM. The partnership with Hasselblad continues to repay for OnePlus, too, with a trio of highly effective, high-resolution sensors and a colour profile that’s come a good distance. That mentioned, the OnePlus 12 places the least emphasis on new AI-powered options, so it could be one to keep away from in the event you’re trying to get generative.

Oh, and given the sky-high worth of the Galaxy S24 Extremely with 1TB of storage, it could be value taking a look at a foldable Android telephone as a greater use of your cash. Each the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 ($1799.99 at Samsung) and OnePlus Open ($1499.99 at OnePlus) are glorious choices, with the previous providing lots of the identical software program options because the Galaxy S24 Extremely. It received’t obtain as many updates, nor does it have the identical slate of AI options, but it surely permits you to customise the inner and exterior shows independently — one thing most foldable telephones ignore. The OnePlus Open is a kind of foldables, but it surely makes up for the limitation with a way more usable cowl show and lighter general development.

Do you have to select to enterprise outdoors of Android altogether, Apple’s iPhone 15 Professional Max ($1199 at Amazon) is the one iPhone value contemplating. It’s the one gadget to outpace the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in our Geekbench 6 scores, and Apple’s top-tier flagship stays the digital camera to beat in terms of taking pictures smartphone video. It grabbed a titanium body earlier than Samsung did, and Apple has lastly softened its sharp iPhone edges, no less than a bit of bit. The iPhone 15 Professional Max set the unique commonplace for software program replace commitments, and it continues to match Google and Samsung every time they enhance their promise. After all, you’ll must get used to iOS and its quirks, however you’ll lastly present up as a blue bubble to your whole iMessage-toting associates.

All informed, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely is a superb smartphone. It takes up the mantel of its predecessor and carries it additional, including a titanium body and several other Galaxy AI options to the combination whereas sustaining the already glorious digital camera setup. It’s Samsung’s most full expertise to this point, providing energy that may fulfill probably the most demanding of customers at a worth that’s excessive sufficient to doubtlessly flip away nearly all others.