Display and Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra brings subtle but highly impactful design changes, trading curves for a stunning flat panel.
- Anti-Reflective Display: The new Gorilla Armor glass practically eliminates glare, making the screen incredibly vibrant and readable even in direct sunlight.
- Titanium Frame: Samsung adopted a titanium build this year, providing a premium feel, though the phone remains quite large and heavy.
- Ergonomics: The large, sharp corners can dig into your palms during extended use, making it less comfortable than rounder competitors.
Camera Performance
The S24 Ultra remains a powerhouse for photography, with some slight shifts in zoom hardware.
- Main Sensor: The 200MP primary camera captures staggering amounts of detail with vibrant colors.
- Zoom Shift: Replacing the older 10x optical lens with a 50MP 5x optical lens results in sharper zoom at mid-ranges, though maximum zoom loses a bit of crispness.
- Motion Blur: Shutter lag in low-light conditions continues to be an occasional issue, sometimes resulting in blurry photos of moving subjects.
Performance and Software
Performance is absolutely stellar, bolstered by a massive commitment to longevity.
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: The customized Snapdragon chip delivers unparalleled speed for gaming and multitasking.
- Galaxy AI: A suite of AI tools like Circle to Search and Live Translate add meaningful utility to the software experience.
- Software Support: Samsung now promises an incredible 7 years of OS and security updates, ensuring the phone stays relevant.
- S Pen: The integrated S Pen continues to be a unique selling point for note-takers and power users.
Battery and Charging
The battery endurance is among the best we've ever tested on an Android flagship.
- Endurance: The 5,000mAh battery paired with the efficient Snapdragon chip easily powers through a full day of heavy use.
- Charging Speeds: The 45W wired charging is reliable but feels slow compared to Chinese competitors that offer 100W+ charging.
- Wireless Charging: It supports standard wireless charging, but misses out on the newer Qi2 magnetic charging standard.
