The Samsung System S24 Ultra stands apart as a unique smartphone, with flaunting power, a smooth plan, a lively showcase, and a hearty camera arrangement. However, the question remains is this the ideal phone for you?
Highlights
- The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra features a titanium body.
- The Galaxy S24 Ultra has ditched the curved display in favor of a flat screen.
- The Galaxy S24 Ultra is costlier than its predecessor.
The Samsung Universe S24 Ultra is a strong lead smartphone. It’s strong, highlights a brilliant showcase, flaunts a great camera arrangement, and accompanies a battery that endures almost a day. It has an appealing plan and is more brilliant, on account of its incorporated artificial intelligence highlights. However, is it the best flagship smartphone? Perhaps. Is it a significant upgrade from the S23 Ultra? Not really. Should it be your next smartphone? That depends.
When it comes to hardware, the Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn’t undergo significant changes, but the most prominent upgrade you’ll notice in the phone is the Galaxy AI a set of integrated AI features that you observe working at the hardware level. Certainly, this year, you won’t see major changes in terms of display, S Pen features, RAM options, and camera matters, but generally, the S24 Ultra feels smarter and more user-friendly.
However, all these new smart features come at a cost. No, there’s no need to compromise; this is the actual price. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is expensive compared to its predecessor.
With nearly identical hardware, built-in smart features, and a hefty price tag, does it make sense to buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra? We will answer this question in this review.
I have been using the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra as my primary device for almost four days now. I had to look for the upgrades that the smartphone brings in terms of hardware and beyond. They are only a handful.
The most notable change in the hardware of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the introduction of the Titanium design, a feature that Apple adopted with last year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max. Another change is the shift from a curved display design to a flat display design. While most of the camera setup remains similar to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung has replaced the 10-megapixel 10x zoom with a 50-megapixel 5x zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The display size remains unchanged, but it is now more vibrant, reaching up to 2,600 nits compared to the maximum brightness of 1,750 nits in the S23 Ultra.
Apart from these changes, the S24 Ultra retains the same USB Type-C port, offers onboard storage of up to 1TB, maintains the familiar 45W fast charging speed, keeps the 5,000mAh battery size, and features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display. There is no upgrade in the S Pen, but it still securely fits into the built-in slot at the bottom of the device.
The S24 Ultra is packed with AI features such as live translation, chat assist, Magic Compose, transcript assist, Circle to Search, and generative edit suggestions for photos and videos. It allows real-time translation or transcription during calls, slows down normal-speed videos, and permits detailed editing of elements like unwanted shadows in photos or videos.
I wasn’t able to explore each AI feature in-depth, but I found the Circle and generative edit features most useful. These features are so seamlessly integrated into the device’s software and hardware that using them feels quite natural and intuitive. Circle to Search has become my favorite shortcut for most of my web searches. It lets you tap or doodle on what you want to search for on the web without the need to switch apps or open a new tab. Just trigger Google Assistant, create a circle/tap/doodle on any object or word in an image, video, or sentence, and a pop-up will show you relevant information about it. It’s the most convenient AI feature on the smartphone.
Another Galaxy AI feature that I explored myself was Generative Edit. It provides the convenience of removing or repositioning objects in an image with a simple tap and drag. The remarkable thing is that, when it does this, the space left by you is naturally filled by Generative AI. Below is an example where I move my sister from the left side to the right side of the image, and the background is seamlessly filled.
Also Read: Pre Order Now Open for Samsung Galaxy S24 Series in India
Call Assist is another feature that is genuinely helpful and allows you to translate calls in real-time. To activate it, you just need to tap on the Call Assist button, which you’ll see whenever you make a call. From there, choose Live Translation to start translating. Samsung claims that all the data for this feature is processed on your phone.
While I enjoyed testing these features, I wonder if they are compelling enough for someone to spend over INR 1,30,000 on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. As I mentioned, Galaxy AI features are well-integrated into the smartphone. However, for the end-user, evaluating the significance of AI can be subjective. While it makes the phone smart, the smartness is quite personal. What may be intelligence and convenience for one can be unnecessary gimmicks for another.
The lack of camera updates is underwhelming
Expectations of significant changes in the camera of a smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might arise, but unfortunately, this is not the case. As a standalone, the S24 Ultra camera is quite good, but when compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the photography experience on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is not significantly different.
This lack of change can also be seen on paper in the camera setup. The primary camera, ultra-wide camera, 3x smartphone camera, and selfie camera are the same between the Galaxy S24 Ultra and its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Although some software enhancements such as Super HDR support and better low-light photography have been presented in the S24 Ultra, these changes have not had a notable impact on my testing. The only noteworthy change between the S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra is the second smartphone camera, which now uses a 50-megapixel sensor instead of the previous 10-megapixel sensor. However, I don’t see much improvement in Zoom performance.
I encountered a peculiar issue where at 10X zoom, the colors of S24 Ultra images were appearing washed out. I have also contacted Samsung, and they assured me that this is a unit-specific issue with the testing unit. However, I have requested a replacement unit to see if the problem persists. I will continue to update the review with the results.
S24 Ultra was doing the same with some images at 30X zoom, but the company claims that this is a separate issue with my review unit. However, I have clicked some other shots at 30X and even up to 100X during my testing, and those images came out remarkably well-detailed. Like the 30X image of a dove below, it maintains the colors on the bird’s neck and details in its wings.
Also Read: Best 5 Smartwatches Under 1500: Battery Backup Lasts Up to 12 Days
In addition, I felt that I prefer 30X zoom over 100X. There is a need for a steady hand for high zoom levels, and there is a significant loss of detail. With 30X, the camera is much more stable and maintains better details.
During my testing, the portrait mode seemed a bit moody, and despite AI processing, it couldn’t effectively separate the subject from the background, especially when I took pictures of my cats you can see a slight blurriness in the background affecting its eyes and ears.
However, this only happens in low light. In a well-lit room, the portrait mode works excellently with vibrant colors and a significant depth between the foreground and background.
Another thing I noticed during my testing is that during selfies, it is challenging for the S24 Ultra to identify faces for focusing. If there are three people in an image, it usually chooses the one closest to the phone for focus and gives a lighter focus to others. We had to make three to four attempts in some cases where we were all in focus.
Overall, the S24 Ultra camera is good, but in my opinion, the upgrade is slightly disappointing. It also offers a fair amount of fine-tuning, which, fortunately, can be achieved through a software upgrade. So, we hope Samsung will do that soon.
Looks the same but feels better
Big upgrades may not be possible in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but when it comes to design, the smartphone looks somewhat new. Samsung has opted for a titanium body option for the S24 Ultra this time. Although this reduces its weight by a few grams, Samsung claims that the purpose behind the switch behind the device is to increase its stability. This plan also coincides with the promise of a 7-year system update from the company this year a first from Samsung.
In addition, this time, Samsung has also abandoned the curved edges and opted for a flat display. While many argue in favor of curved displays, which look better even from a beauty perspective, I have no objection to a flat display. With the S-Pen, a flat display will save you from all the accidental touches and unintentional commands, which was a bit of an issue even with the S23 Ultra.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display is as vibrant as I remember the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but this time, it seems a bit more glossy than the previous one. The S24 Ultra is capable of providing brightness up to 2,600 nits, but the display size remains the same at 6.8 inches with AMOLED screen technology and a 1440p resolution. After using the phone for a few days, the display appeared highly responsive with minimal latency. Thanks to HDR10+, watching shows and movies on the phone is excellent. The display has excellent viewing angles, and I didn’t notice any glare from any corner of the screen.
Overall, though, the S24 Ultra has a premium form factor, and its quality is very good. However, it may not be suitable for those looking for a device with good one-handed usability. For someone like me with small hands, I always need to use both hands to operate the phone, which is especially challenging if you want to use the device while walking or if you’re a big fan of multitasking. However, for many people, this may be just a selling point, especially for those who enjoy watching a lot of videos or playing games on their smartphones.
Performance Overview
When it comes to gaming, the Galaxy S24 Ultra isn’t marketed as a gaming phone, but it’s a highly capable device for those who enjoy mobile gaming on the go. Samsung has improved the vapor cooling chamber for better heat dissipation in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the titanium build plays a significant role in it.
While the gaming performance of the Galaxy S23 Ultra was already impressive, the Galaxy S24 Ultra takes it to the next level. The combination of a 2,600-nit display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and ray tracing makes the gaming experience on the device outstanding. I played Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Asphalt 9 on the phone, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment without experiencing any frame drops or interruptions.
Even when using the device for everyday tasks, the S24 Ultra is fast and understands your commands almost instantly whether it’s switching between apps, browsing through social media apps, or just checking something on the device, I have no complaints about the phone’s display-to-response relationship.
We directed some benchmark tests on the S24 Ultra, which included pressure tests and assessments of the telephone’s showcase abilities, and it performed uncommonly well in every one of the tests. You can see the results of the benchmark tests above, but in simple terms, they consistently show that the S24 Ultra is capable of delivering good performance even under long heavy usage.
Looking at how the S24 Ultra supports its display, I believe the device has a quite impressive battery backup. To the extent that after extensive testing, gaming, and general multitasking on the phone, the S24 Ultra easily lasted a full day on a complete charge. Charging the phone may not be as fast as the 100W charger of the Vivo X100, but even with 45W, you can fully charge the S24 Ultra in about 40 minutes.
Galaxy S24 Ultra is great, but should you buy it?
In recent days of testing, it became clear that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a powerhouse, equipped with all the promised premium features. It is packed with AI features, which may be considered innovative by some users, enhancing the phone’s overall usability. When you look at the device as a standalone, these features become more apparent.
However, when you compare the device to its predecessor, you only see some hardware upgrades, and the model’s price leaps, starting now at 130,000 rupees. The starting price for the S23 Ultra was 124,000 rupees. Naturally, the question arises whether the S24 Ultra is a worthy upgrade. Since I started testing the phone, this has been the most frequently asked question. In my opinion, the S24 Ultra is an excellent flagship as a standalone, but as an upgrade, it falls short, especially because the Galaxy A series will not remain limited to the S24 series and will soon be available for the S23 series as well.
Certainly, I would say that it’s appropriate to buy the S24 Ultra only when you are upgrading from the S22 or an older device, or if you plan to purchase a completely new Android flagship phone. But if you’re not very certain about the latest model, seriously consider the Galaxy S23 Ultra. You’ll save a considerable amount on almost the same device.
