The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the ultimate flagship smartphone for those who buy into a “more is more” worldview and are willing to pay a premium. They will be rewarded for doing so. The S24 Ultra delivers a superior display, best-in-class performance that puts the Pixel 8 Pro to shame, and a stellar multi-camera system. But there are curious gaffs, too. Aside from the usual issues with Samsung bundleware, the Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn’t offer Qi2 wireless charging. Maybe next year.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra continues the design legacy of its predecessors, maintaining the large, rectangular form factor that has become synonymous with the Ultra series. The device measures 6.39 x 3.11 x 0.34 inches and weighs 8.18 ounces, making it one of the heftiest smartphones on the market. The use of titanium in the exterior frame, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, adds a premium feel and enhances durability. However, the frame's squared-off design, intended to accommodate the new flat display, may not appeal to everyone, especially those accustomed to the curved edges of previous models.
The rear of the phone is made of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which offers improved durability but is notably slippery, making a case almost a necessity. The large camera array protrudes from one corner, causing the device to wobble when placed on a flat surface. This design choice is curious, especially when compared to Google's more stable camera bar on the Pixel series.
Samsung offers the S24 Ultra in a variety of colors, including Titanium Green, Titanium Blue, Titanium Orange, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow, catering to both conservative and flamboyant tastes. The placement of all buttons on the right side, with the volume buttons above the power button, may take some getting used to for those switching from other brands.
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Display
The Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts a 6.8-inch dynamic AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1440 x 3120 (505 PPI), a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, a 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate, and HDR10+ capabilities. This display is the first to utilize Corning Gorilla Armor, making it more durable and resistant to scratches. The flat display edges are a departure from the curved edges of previous models, reducing glare and touch-related errors but sacrificing some aesthetic appeal.
The display can output a stunning 2600 nits of peak brightness, making it easily readable even in direct sunlight. This is particularly beneficial for outdoor use, as experienced during a month-long stay in Mexico City, where the display performed flawlessly under bright conditions.
The display settings offer numerous customization options, including adaptive brightness, motion smoothness, eye comfort shield, and color tone. Despite the high resolution, most users may prefer to keep the display at FHD+ (2340 x 1080) to conserve battery life. The selfie camera cutout is small and unobtrusive, ensuring an uninterrupted viewing experience.
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Hardware and Specs
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile platform, paired with 12 GB of RAM and storage options of 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB of UFS 4.0 storage. This combination ensures top-tier performance, capable of handling demanding applications and multitasking with ease. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offers a 20% speed increase and 26% faster graphics compared to its predecessor, making it one of the fastest smartphones available.
In real-world usage, the S24 Ultra excels in performance, easily handling games like Diablo Immortal at high settings without overheating or stuttering. However, intensive tasks do impact battery life, with an hour of gaming consuming about 18% of the battery. Despite this, the phone's battery life is impressive, lasting up to 60 hours of general use.
The device supports tri-band Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and a full suite of 5G capabilities, ensuring robust connectivity. However, it is worth noting that the S24 Ultra's Wi-Fi performance is slightly outperformed by the iPhone 15 Pro Max in certain scenarios.
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Camera
The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a versatile camera system with four rear lenses and a single front-facing camera. The main lens is a 200 MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, capable of capturing stunningly detailed images. The ultra-wide lens offers a 120-degree field of view, while the two telephoto lenses provide 3x and 5x optical zoom capabilities. The new 50 MP periscope telephoto lens replaces the previous 10 MP 10x lens, offering higher resolution and better quality at 10x zoom.
The camera system excels in various conditions, from bright daylight to low-light environments. The main lens delivers natural-looking photos with excellent dynamic range, while the ultra-wide lens adds a bit more HDR pop. The telephoto lenses perform admirably, with the 5x lens providing clear, high-resolution images even at 10x zoom.
Samsung has also improved its photo processing, stepping back from the over-saturated look of previous models. The S24 Ultra's photos now have a more natural appearance, similar to the Pixel 8 Pro, but with better low-light performance and faster shutter speeds.
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Software
The Galaxy S24 Ultra runs on One UI 6.1, based on Android 14, offering a plethora of customization options and tools. Samsung promises seven years of software and security updates, matching the support offered by Apple and Google. This long-term support is a significant advantage for users looking to keep their devices for an extended period.
One of the standout features of the S24 Ultra is its integration of AI tools. These include generative AI-based wallpaper capabilities, advanced grammar and spelling tools in the keyboard, and real-time voice translation. However, the effectiveness of these AI features varies. While some, like the AI wallpaper generator and Circle to Search, are genuinely useful, others, like the Interpreter app and generative photo editing, fall short of expectations.
Samsung's approach to software customization can be overwhelming, with numerous settings and options that may confuse users. The company also tends to replace stock Android features with its own versions, which are not always superior. Despite these quirks, One UI remains a powerful and flexible interface for those willing to invest the time to learn its intricacies.
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Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra stands alone at the apex of the Android flagship smartphone market, at least from a hardware perspective. Those who value the biggest and best of everything—screens, performance, and cameras, oh my—will find this smartphone impossible to resist, especially if you’re in year three or later with your current phone. And for those so inclined, the S Pen is truly unique.
Yes, Samsung’s redundant and superfluous software, services, and features somewhat undermine the overall experience, and the highly touted Galaxy AI is mostly a bust. But these things can be avoided or even disabled, for the most part. You’ll need to do some work to achieve that, and to customize this complex device to your needs. But doing so will be worth it if you go this route.
Put simply, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a terrific choice for those willing to put up with a bit of software complexity. It’s highly recommended.
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