The $799.99 Galaxy S24 is the smallest and most affordable entry in Samsung’s flagship phone lineup, but it more than earns its place alongside the S24+ ($999.99) and the S24 Ultra ($1,299.99). In addition to a top-end Qualcomm processor and excellent cameras, the Galaxy S24 gets all of Samsung’s cutting-edge AI features and a generous seven-year commitment to software updates. The Google Pixel 8 remains our Editors’ Choice winner for compact Android phones thanks to its lower $699 price, slightly better cameras, and competitive set of AI features, but Samsung devotees are sure to enjoy the longer battery life and the additional processing power of the S24. For the best phone in the Galaxy lineup, meanwhile, the S24 Ultra is our top pick for its S Pen stylus, extra camera zoom, and more durable build, but it costs a lot more than the standard Galaxy S24 and isn't for fans of small phones.
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Design: Pocketable and Premium
The Samsung Galaxy S24 shares its rounded design language with the slightly larger S24+. Neither bears much resemblance to the squared-off S24 Ultra. I prefer the rounded corners of the S24 and S24+ since they don't dig into my hands.
Source: PCMag
At 5.79 by 2.78 by 0.30 inches (HWD) and 5.93 ounces, the Galaxy S24 is easy to hold or carry in a pocket. It absolutely qualifies as a small phone in an industry that assumes bigger is better. It's noticeably smaller and lighter than the Galaxy S24+, which measures 6.2 by 3.0 by 0.30 inches and weighs 6.95 ounces. The Pixel 8 (5.93 by 2.79 by 0.35 inches, 6.6 ounces) and the Apple iPhone 15 (5.81 by 2.82 by 0.31 inches, 6.02 ounces) are about the same size, but heavier.
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the company's second-most resilient smartphone glass, protects the front and back of the S24. Victus 2 is a robust material that resists scratching and shattering, but the Gorilla Armor panel that appears on the front of the S24 Ultra is even tougher and less reflective. The Pixel 8 uses first-gen Gorilla Glass Victus, while the iPhone 15 uses Apple's Ceramic Shield.
Sources: PCMag, Corning, PCMag
Display: Sharp and Bright
The Galaxy S24's 6.2-inch display is a hair larger than the Galaxy S23's 6.1-inch panel, but both share the same 2,340-by-1,080-pixel resolution. For comparison, the Pixel 8's 6.2-inch screen has a slightly higher resolution of 2,400 by 1,080 pixels. The 6.7-inch S24+ and the 6.8-inch S24 Ultra are sharper still, with 3,120 by 1,440 pixels.
The S24 features the same 120Hz variable refresh rate as the S24+ and the S24 Ultra, as well as the Pixel 8. That means the screen can dip as low as 1Hz to preserve battery life or scale up for smooth gaming performance. All three Galaxy models share a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, which goes beyond the Pixel 8's 2,400 nits and the iPhone 15's 2,000 nits.
Source: PCMag
Performance: Big Power in a Small Package
Samsung gives the S24 the same system on a chip (SoC) that powers the S24+ and S24 Ultra, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. This is a modified version of the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with tweaks for better CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. I've benchmarked several 8 Gen 3-based smartphones and, so far, the results are close across the board.
If there's anything that holds the S24 back compared with its peers, it's RAM. Samsung caps the phone's memory at just 8GB, whereas the S24+ and S24 Ultra get 12GB. I would have liked to see all three models at the 12GB mark or higher. For comparison, the Pixel 8 also has 8GB of RAM while the iPhone 15 has 6GB.
For storage, the S24 starts at 128GB ($799.99) and maxes out at 256GB ($859.99). If you like carrying a lot of media with you, plan to take a lot of high-res video, or install large apps, get the 256GB model. The S24+ tops out at 512GB for $1,119.99 and the S24 Ultra with 1TB goes for $1,659.99.
Source: PCMag
To make comparisons fair, I used a series of artificial benchmarks to test the S24. On Geekbench 6, which tests basic computing power, the S24 scored 2,260 on the single-core test and 6,893 on the multi-core test. On the same test, the S24+ scored 2,289 and 7,075. The Pixel 8, which uses Google's Tensor G3 processor, scored 1,171 and 3,119, though Google claims it tunes the G3 for AI performance and not benchmarks. The iPhone 15, which runs on Apple's A16 Bionic chip, pulled in scores of 2,607 and 6,231. Historically, Apple's SoCs have far outperformed Qualcomm chips, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 narrows the gap.
Battery Life: Plenty of Pep for the Day
Samsung boosts the capacity of the Galaxy S24's battery to 4,000mAh, a 100mAh increase over the S23. Wired charging maxes out at 25W, while wireless charging reaches 15W. Reverse wireless charging is also available at up to 7.5W, which can come in handy in a pinch. Samsung doesn't pack a charger with any of the S24 phones, so you need to supply your own.
The Pixel 8 and the iPhone 15 charge at similar rates (30W and 20W, respectively). The Galaxy S24+ and Ultra both can charge at a speedier 45W rate and I would have liked to see parity with the S24 here. However, other manufacturers are pushing the limits of wired charging even further. The OnePlus 12 ($799), for example, charges at speeds up to 80W via a proprietary power brick.
Source: CNET
In my battery tests, which involve wirelessly streaming an HD video with the screen brightness set to the maximum level, the S24 survived for 13 hours and 5 minutes. This is 7 minutes shy of the S23's battery life of 13 hours and 12 minutes. For comparison, the S24+ and the S24 Ultra each lasted over 14 hours. The Pixel 8 hit just 10 hours and 20 minutes, while the iPhone 15 ran for 16 hours.
It took one hour and 22 minutes to charge the S24 from 0% to 100% using a 25W charger. Plugging it in for 15 minutes yielded a charge of 34% and 30 minutes got the phone to 60%.
Connectivity
The Galaxy S24 shares its radios with the S24+. That means it has 5G, with support for mmWave and C-band. It supports one physical SIM card and one eSIM. It also has Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and Wi-Fi 6E. The S24 Ultra steps things up to Wi-Fi 7.
Source: CNET
When I tested the S24 on T-Mobile's 5G UC network in New York City, it reached a maximum download speed of 813Mbps and an upload speed of 82.1Mbps, which are almost identical to the Galaxy S24+'s numbers on the same network in the same place (812Mbps down, 82.1Mbps up).
I tested the S24 on my home Wi-Fi 6 network and it reached a max download speed of 420Mbps and an upload speed of 10.5Mbps (that low upload speed is a function of my internet service provider and not the phone). The S24+ fared a little better at 468Mbps down and 15.1Mbps up. When I took the S24 as far away from the access point as possible in my apartment, speeds dropped to 149Mbps down and 5.2Mbps up. The S24+ pulled in an impressive 200Mbps down and 15.0Mbps up at that distance.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a perfectly capable small phone with a high-end processor and a premium build. We’re also fans of its quality camera stack and AI features. The S24 Ultra is our Editors' Choice in the Galaxy lineup thanks to its S Pen stylus, increased durability, and additional camera zoom, but it costs $500 more than the base Galaxy S24 and is much larger. When it comes to one-handed devices under $800, the Pixel 8 slightly edges out the Galaxy S24 with its lower price and better camera quality. But if you want more processing power or longer battery life, the Galaxy S24 is a worthy alternative.
Source: Wired