Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: the best Ultra ever, and a must buy

If you asked nan AI chatbot of your prime to thief creation a smartphone pinch nan champion specification possible, it mightiness travel up pinch thing akin to nan Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which itself is packed afloat of AI smarts.

After all, there’s very small missing from nan apical Galaxy model, pinch everything from a stylus to a flagship processor included. Does this mean you shouldn’t deliberation doubly astir buying it? Let’s find out.

About our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review

Our reappraisal of nan Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was published successful February 2024 aft Andy Boxall spent much than 2 weeks pinch nan phone. Throughout nan first trial play we utilized a reappraisal sample supplied by Samsung. On March 1, Christine Romero-Chan added her thoughts astir nan S24 Ultra aft utilizing it for a fewer weeks successful nan caller conception titled “a 2nd opinion.”

After nan reappraisal exemplary was returned to Samsung, Andy Boxall continued utilizing his individual Galaxy S24 Ultra, purchased directly, and updated nan reappraisal astatine nan extremity of October 2024. Our wide people and sentiment connected nan telephone has not changed since nan publication of nan first review, but various points person been refined, and we’ve included much accusation connected nan latest alternatives.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: specs

Revisiting nan S24 Ultra successful October 2024

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Many months into its release, and conscionable arsenic you’d expect from a $1,300 smartphone, nan Galaxy S24 Ultra is still very desirable, and for bully reason. It’s incredibly powerful, and nan operation of a monolithic screen, versatile camera, easy-to-use software, S Pen stylus, and cutting-edge mobile tech for illustration Galaxy AI makes it a unsocial proposition. The artillery life continues to impress, and six hours of surface clip connected a azygous complaint is imaginable pinch wide use.

There are regular deals connected nan Galaxy S24 Ultra too, and if you find a bully one, it could beryllium considered awesome worth erstwhile you return into relationship each it tin do and really agelong nan package will beryllium supported. It’s a one-time acquisition that you tin usage and bask for years, safe successful nan knowledge it’s improbable to beryllium dramatically improved upon successful nan adjacent future. After utilizing nan S24 Ultra again for a fewer weeks, my wide sentiment of nan telephone really hasn’t changed, and it’s a highly recommended purchase.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

However, what has changed is nan competition, and it’s a batch much compelling than it was erstwhile nan S24 Ultra first came out. Google has stepped up its crippled truthful overmuch pinch nan Pixel 9 bid that either nan Pixel 9 Pro aliases nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold are superb alternatives and my individual preference. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold really impressed maine during my reappraisal period, and I’m looking guardant to utilizing it again successful a measurement I person not pinch nan S24 Ultra. If you tin spend nan higher cost, past it’s a awesome bargain if you aren’t worried astir nan S Pen stylus.

Then there’s nan Apple iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The hardware is superb, nan iOS 18 package is only getting amended arsenic nan twelvemonth goes on, and some easy situation nan S24 Ultra for artillery life. If you’re not group connected owning a Samsung aliases Android phone, some are awesome big-screen phones.

This shows nan grade of Samsung’s problem. The S24 Ultra remains a superb phone, but it’s now fighting for attraction against astatine slightest 4 different newer and conscionable arsenic compelling alternatives. I find nan S24 Ultra’s flat, little comfortable creation hurts it, and I’d strongly urge trying nan others out earlier conscionable buying nan Samsung phone. It was erstwhile almost a default recommendation, but astatine nan extremity of 2024 I find I thin much toward nan title and looking guardant to what nan Galaxy S25 Ultra brings.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: design

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Galaxy S24 Ultra looks very akin looking to nan Galaxy S23 Ultra, but it has made various alterations that make nan telephone much durable, easier to use, and moreover much modern. It whitethorn not person had a important redesign, but what has been altered is much meaningful than conscionable a fewer caller lines and a different look to nan camera.

A titanium framework replaces nan Armor Aluminum framework utilized connected nan S23 Ultra, and it’s warmer to nan touch, apt much scratch-resistant, and has a much charismatic ocular texture. The sides are little curvy than before, which, mixed pinch nan grippier titanium, makes it consciousness much unafraid successful your manus than nan aged model, but it’s still a small slippery owed to nan flatter design. The surface is flatter too, and pinch a smaller bezel astatine nan bottom, making nan tremendous surface look someway moreover bigger. This is an imposing smartphone.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The level surface isn’t nan creation disaster connected nan S24 Ultra arsenic it is connected immoderate different phones, and it really makes penning pinch nan S Pen stylus much comfortable erstwhile you’re holding nan telephone successful your different hand. Dimensionally, nary of this makes overmuch of a quality compared to nan Galaxy S23 Ultra, arsenic it’s only a hairsbreadth thinner (8.6mm compared to 8.9mm) and a millimeter shorter and little wide, too, positive it is 1 azygous gram lighter.

It intends nan Galaxy S24 Ultra is still a monolithic 232-gram smartphone that will agelong your pouch to capacity. It’s not ungainly, though, and clip does mean you get utilized to wrangling specified a whopping portion of technology. But if you want a compact device, nan regular Galaxy S24 will beryllium overmuch much up your street.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Drop nan S24 Ultra, and you could look a hefty repair bill, truthful a lawsuit is recommended if you’re concerned. Samsung has sealed nan telephone good capable to person an IP68 h2o and particulate guidance rating, and nan surface is covered successful Corning’s Gorilla Armor glass, exclusive to nan S24 Ultra. It’s expected to beryllium much scratch-resistant, which is great, but much noticeably and conscionable arsenic invited is it’s little reflective than different glass, making nan surface easier to spot successful agleam conditions.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s style has been refined complete nan past fewer generations and is instantly recognizable. The summation of titanium makes it much modern, and surprisingly, truthful does nan level screen, which besides has sizeable ergonomic benefits. It’s besides arsenic durable arsenic phones get. I’d take 1 of Samsung’s brighter, exclusive online colors to springiness it immoderate ocular pep, but otherwise, this is simply a smartphone you’ll beryllium proud to transportation astir — moreover if it doesn’t ever fresh successful your pocket.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Titanium Orange color

If you bargain nan Galaxy S24 Ultra straight from Samsung, location are 3 further exclusive colors to take from, and we picked nan Titanium Orange model. It’s nan brightest of each nan colors, but you do person to get it successful nan correct ray to admit it.

It’s rather muted indoors, pinch nan orangish taking connected a peach tone. But get it successful nan sunlight, and nan orangish shines through, making it a very charismatic phone. It’s nan colour to take if nan modular colors are excessively ordinary, but beryllium alert that conscionable for illustration nan exclusive colors for nan Galaxy Z Flip 5, they travel pinch ineligible matter stamped beneath nan Samsung logo connected nan back. This matter is wholly missing from nan modular colors.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: surface and performance

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The typical Gorilla Armor solid stops reflections from being specified a pain, but nan 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x surface has different instrumentality to make extracurricular viewing easier: a highest brightness of 2,500 nits. Dreary wintertime days successful nan U.K. mean I’ve astir apt not seen it deed this yet, but connected nan sunnier days, I’ve had nary problem viewing nan surface comfortably pinch nan brightness slider astatine maximum. The Adaptive Brightness useful well, and I haven’t needed to set it manually, indicating it isn’t aggressively restricting nan brightness to prevention artillery life.

But what astir alongside nan OnePlus 12? The caller OnePlus telephone has a highest brightness of 4,500 nits for those who dislike their retinas but will beryllium astatine 1,600 nits erstwhile it’s not trying to unsighted you. Compare them side-by-side astatine maximum mundane brightness (set by nan slider), and nan OnePlus telephone surely is simply a small brighter, up to nan constituent of being rather stark. Even pinch nan Pro mounting activated for nan OnePlus’s colour profile, it can’t rather lucifer nan S24 Ultra’s beautiful vibrance and pop. The OnePlus 12’s surface is undoubtedly a spot brighter, but unless you unrecorded connected nan aboveground of nan sun, I uncertainty you’ll request nan further level of brightness that often.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (left) and Galaxy S24 Ultra, showing differences successful surface reflection Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Out of nan box, nan surface is group to a 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution, and you must manually move to its afloat 3120 x 1440 pixel resolution. The refresh complaint is group to adaptive arsenic standard, meaning it dynamically switches betwixt 1 and 120Hz depending connected nan screen’s activity. During normal use, I don’t announcement immoderate quality successful sharpness erstwhile utilizing nan highest solution setting, and it’s wonderfully soft and unchangeable astatine each times. The surface ever looks excellent.

Qualcomm has worked pinch Samsung to optimize nan Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for nan Galaxy chip inside nan S24 Ultra, and it comes pinch 12GB of RAM and a prime of retention options. I’ve had nary problems astatine each pinch its capacity erstwhile utilizing nan telephone for calls, apps, and different basal tasks. Over 30 minutes of playing games for illustration Asphalt 9: Legends hardly makes nan telephone warm, and moreover benchmarking accent tests can’t make it excessively basking to handle. Annoyingly, holding nan telephone successful a scenery predisposition does make it easy to screen nan speakers.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

This is nan advantage of nan Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro, which besides uses nan Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, arsenic its forward-facing speakers aren’t truthful easy obscured, positive they present much bass and person a overmuch fuller, wonderfully philharmonic tone. Due to Asus’s redesign, nan ROG Phone 8 Pro is lighter and much manageable than nan Galaxy S24 Ultra, positive nan surface is perfectly stunning. Playing games back-to-back, I’d play for longer connected nan Asus phone, truthful do see it if gaming is simply a priority.

While nan OnePlus 12 and Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro are beardown title successful definite situations, nan Galaxy S24 Ultra’s capacity and visuals are unthinkable almost each nan time, nary matter what you’re doing aliases where, making it specified a awesome all-rounder. It’s cleanable for personification who wants to do beautiful overmuch everything connected their telephone and not compromise.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: camera

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Like nan Galaxy S23 Ultra, nan Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 200-megapixel main camera, a 12MP wide-angle camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera for 3x optical zoom photos. The main hardware alteration is simply a caller 50MP telephoto camera for a 5x optical zoom, and 10x zoom photos are now “optical quality.” Inside is Samsung’s ProVisual Engine, Super HDR, and a action of Galaxy AI editing devices to heighten your photos during and aft shooting them.

You tin spot really nan Galaxy S24 Ultra’s telephoto cameras comparison to nan Galaxy S23 Ultra’s successful our abstracted test, but remainder assured that extracurricular of somewhat little item astatine 10x zoom, nan Galaxy S24 Ultra’s telephoto cameras return better, much colorful, and much visually meticulous photos than its predecessor. Despite what nan nomenclature whitethorn lead you to believe, it’s a genuine upgrade.

Shoot pinch nan main and wide-angle camera, and nan S24 Ultra performs overmuch for illustration nan S23 Ultra — taking colorful, punchy photos that are awesome for societal media but besides person extent and item truthful you tin edit them utilizing apps for illustration Lightroom for a very polished last look. I dislike really close-up shots unit nan main camera to activate nan intrusive “focus enhancer” mode, ruining immoderate extent of section you whitethorn beryllium trying to create.

A much successful characteristic is nan caller AI-assisted car slow-motion mode, wherever you pat and clasp connected a video changeable astatine normal speed, and nan S24 Ultra slows it down while nan AI fills successful nan missing frames. If nan video is very busy, it’s a mini spot jerky, but astatine each different times, you’d ne'er cognize it wasn’t really changeable successful slow motion. You tin edit nan video to only slow down astatine definite moments too, creating your ain small stylized movie. It’s great.

Photos taken successful debased ray are agleam and elaborate but aren’t represented good successful nan preview connected nan phone’s screen. When nan ray is replaced only by ambient light, nan Galaxy S24 Ultra tin present rather a batch of noise, and while scenes are recognizable and bright, I don’t deliberation they’re very atmospheric. The Galaxy S23 Ultra had nan aforesaid problem, and erstwhile compared to nan iPhone 15 Pro Max, it mislaid retired erstwhile taking photos astatine night. It’s surely not terrible, and its wide expertise astatine nighttime is impressive, but nan photos deficiency realism and atmosphere.

The camera is packed afloat of video features, too, including UHD solution signaling pinch entree to each nan different zoom levels, 8K astatine 30 frames-per-second (fps), and UHD slow mobility video astatine 120fps. Along pinch assessing nan artillery life, I’ll proceed to usage nan Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera complete nan coming week. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera impresses pinch its versatility; nan useful AI features activity very well, and nan telephoto cameras person been improved astatine 3x and 5x zoom. The 10x zoom is besides acold amended than I expected, and it completes nan S24 Ultra’s broad array of photography tools.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Galaxy AI

In lawsuit you hadn’t noticed by nan truth nan tech manufacture is perpetually talking astir it astatine nan moment, AI is being touted arsenic a very large deal, and Samsung has wasted nary clip getting involved. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a suite of Galaxy AI tools and features onboard. But what are they, do they work, and, astir importantly, are you ever apt to usage them?

The Circle to Search by Google characteristic is an instant winner, taking everything adjuvant astir Google Lens and adding a quick, elemental motion truthful it useful arsenic a ocular hunt instrumentality for your photos, your Instagram feed, and crossed nan web. It’s joined by nan Generative Edit photographic tool, which useful a spot for illustration Google’s Magic Eraser to cleanly region distracting elements from photos, resize aliases straighten images, and past capable successful nan blanks utilizing AI. It’s superb astatine this, and only nan astir captious oculus would cognize it had been used, truthful a sparkly watermark is added to images wherever it has worked its magic.

Circle to Search Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Outside of these 2 features, you whitethorn not find galore uses for nan different Galaxy AI devices connected a regular basis. The Live Translate characteristic provides a real-time translator (across 13 different languages) for sound and text, while Interpreter sits successful betwixt 2 group and translates typed-out matter successful real-time. Outside of a objection during nan Galaxy S24 Ultra’s launch, I person not needed to usage either of these features yet.

Chat Assist is AI astatine its worst, arsenic it makes suggestions connected really to springiness your typed messages a different reside — and is almost ever laughable. Outside of pathetically adding a fewer emojis aliases hashtags to simulate “personality,” it goes connected to suck each nan personality retired of your messages erstwhile it tries to springiness them a master aliases polite tone. It’s perfectly awful. The characteristic does person a grammar and pronunciation cheque that’s much useful, and it’s each activated pinch a pat of a sparkly icon supra nan Samsung keyboard. Samsung’s Notes app besides has immoderate AI features to summarize notes and adhd formatting.

Chat Assist’s AI-generated replies Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I tried retired nan Interpreter mode, wherever nan AI facilitates a speech betwixt 2 group who speak different languages. It tin beryllium excessively clever for its ain good, arsenic it tries to “guide” nan speech but gets confused erstwhile it hears things it doesn’t expect. Not only is nan illusion of automatic translator ruined, but you besides attraction connected sorting retired nan telephone alternatively than concentrating connected nan different person. It’s much successful erstwhile it’s utilized for nan basics for illustration introductions aliases ordering food, but there’s small present that Google Translate aliases different apps can’t do.

Galaxy AI is not a logic to bargain nan Galaxy S24 Ultra, but nan features mostly look to activity arsenic advertised, and a fistful of them are genuinely useful and fun, though you whitethorn not find a usage for them each day. The features that are terrible, specified arsenic Chat Assist, do make you mobility really overmuch thought was put into nan suite of tools, though, and besides punctual america that AI connected phones tin still beryllium a spot of a gimmick.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: battery, calls, and charging

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The 5,000mAh artillery wrong nan Galaxy S24 Ultra has nan stamina to lucifer nan tremendous powerfulness of nan phone. During nan break-in period, a azygous complaint lasted astir 5 hours of mean usage without gaming, pinch astir 25% remaining astatine nan extremity of nan day. That’s coagulated performance, but it has gotten a lot amended since then.

After a fewer charging cycles, nan Galaxy S24 Ultra’s artillery will eat up astir 5 hours of surface clip and extremity nan time pinch 50% remaining, and that’s pinch gaming, apps, video streaming, and calls. Once nan first afloat week of usage was over, nan S24 Ultra’s artillery settled down to present a very beardown performance. Even pinch nan surface solution raised to nan afloat QHD mounting and pinch astir 2 hours of surface time, it still finishes nan time pinch 75% remaining.

The artillery life is shaping up to beryllium a monolithic advantage of choosing Samsung’s biggest S24 model.

Running nan tough, 20-minute Wild Life Extreme Stress Test benchmark saw nan artillery suffer 14%, suggesting superior gaming will put it nether immoderate strain, but nan telephone didn’t get thing much than conscionable basking during nan process. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is proving to beryllium very efficient, moreover nether moderately dense use, and Samsung’s package is likewise effective astatine powerfulness management. Used normally, you’ll easy get 2 full, packed days from nan Galaxy S24 Ultra’s battery, and you could agelong it retired for a batch longer if nan telephone is utilized lightly. The artillery life is shaping up to beryllium a monolithic advantage of choosing Samsung’s biggest S24 model.

You don’t get a charger successful nan box, and to get nan fastest wired charging speed, you’ll request a 45W adapter. I utilized nan Samsung-compatible Anker 313 GaN charger and nan correct cable, and it took 70 minutes to complaint nan artillery fully. It’s acceptable, but nan OnePlus 12 is overmuch faster. If you usage a charger that doesn’t support nan S24 Ultra’s fastest speed, it will return 90 minutes to complaint fully. The Galaxy S24 Ultra besides supports wireless charging and has reverse charging, too.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Calls and connectivity are excellent, and nan S24 Ultra has been 1 of nan best-sounding and astir reliable smartphones I’ve utilized successful this respect for a while. The speaker is crystal clear, and uncovering nan correct spot to spot it against your receptor is easy. I’ve had nary complaints astir value either, moreover successful debased awesome areas without Wi-Fi calling active.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has solidly connected to my location Wi-Fi and to some 4G and 5G networks erstwhile retired and about. It each sounds for illustration a given, but it isn’t ever nan case. If you want to usage your telephone as a phone, nan Galaxy S24 Ultra is simply a awesome choice.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: package and S Pen stylus

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you made a checklist of everything a modern smartphone should have, nan Galaxy S24 Ultra would apt person a people successful each box. It comes pinch Android 14 installed on pinch One UI 6.1, and it has been wholly reliable truthful far. Samsung’s package does return a small getting utilized to, but erstwhile a fewer halfway adjustments person been made — specified arsenic mounting nan always-on surface and changing nan ringing and alert reside — it’s comfortable to usage and elemental to learn.

There’s plentifulness of customization throughout, and I for illustration nan caller Creative wallpaper option, wherever you tin make immoderate cool AI-generated wallpapers utilizing a fewer keywords for illustration “surreal building made of amethyst successful shades of indigo and blue.” The Quick Settings surface is packed but logically laid out, and a pat of nan notification icons connected nan fastener surface allows for plentifulness of relationship without delving into nan main surface aliases opening nan app.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

One point to statement is if you want to usage Samsung’s Chat Assist features, you must besides usage nan Samsung Keyboard, which isn’t arsenic bully arsenic nan alternatives. Swipe typing is acold little meticulous than Google’s Gboard, moreover aft spending a week “training” it, and it regularly refuses to correct pronunciation aliases expect nan correct and astir logical words erstwhile typing. The bully point is that Chat Assist isn’t awesome either, truthful don’t consciousness bad if you want to group Gboard arsenic nan default.

The S Pen stylus is unsheathed from nan bottommost of nan telephone and does not look to person gained immoderate caller features complete nan Galaxy S23 Ultra. The level surface makes it much comfortable to remainder your palm’s bottommost erstwhile you scribble connected nan screen, though, and nan measurement it useful arsenic a wireless shutter merchandise for nan camera is awesome for selfies utilizing nan rear camera aliases avoiding having to group a timer for group shots.

Samsung promises 7 years of package updates for nan Galaxy S24 Ultra, making it 1 of nan best-supported smartphones around. The telephone has truthful overmuch expertise and is powerful capable to past for galore years, truthful this semipermanent support will thief offset nan first precocious costs of buying nan device.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: value and availability

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Galaxy S24 Ultra starts astatine $1,300 aliases 1,250 British pounds successful nan U.K., making it much costly than nan Galaxy S23 Ultra. It comes pinch 256GB of retention abstraction astatine this price, but you tin salary much for either 512GB aliases 1TB of storage. It comes successful 4 colors: Titanium Grey, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow. There are 3 much colors, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, and Titanium Orange, disposable exclusively done Samsung’s ain online store.

There’s nary getting distant from nan truth nan Galaxy S24 Ultra is very expensive, and each nan different big-name, likewise specced Android phones costs less. For example, nan Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max starts astatine $1,200, nan Google Pixel 9 Pro is $1,000, and nan OnePlus 12 is $800. The only measurement to walk more is to bargain a big-screen folding smartphone instead. However, it’s besides intolerable to reason astir nan outstanding wide worth of nan Galaxy S24 Ultra, arsenic it has each nan features, power, and support you could realistically want for years to come.

Price is an important consideration, but having spent a batch of clip pinch nan iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Google Pixel 9 Pro, and nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold, I find it difficult to put nan Galaxy S24 Ultra supra any of them connected my database of nan year’s champion phones. This says much astir really fantabulous nan title is astatine nan extremity of 2024 than it does nan S24 Ultra, which is still great. I powerfully urge earnestly considering nan latest models from Google and Apple alternatively than conscionable going for nan S24 Ultra immediately.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: a 2nd opinion

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

One of nan things that has deterred maine from utilizing nan Ultra exemplary of Samsung’s flagship S-Series devices has ever been nan size. I’m a instrumentality of smaller phones simply because I bask being capable to usage my smartphone one-handed without having to participate successful digit gymnastics to scope nan apical corners of nan display.

However, I’ve been thoroughly amazed pinch nan S24 Ultra successful my clip pinch nan device. Despite nan gigantic size, nan caller level edges make it manageable and moreover comfortable to hold. It’s decidedly not a one-handed telephone for maine and my petite hands, but to my surprise, I’m not excessively bothered by nan size.

One of nan reasons why nan size does not fuss maine is chiefly owed to nan S Pen. Since this is my first clip pinch an S-Series Ultra model, I’ve been eager to effort retired nan S Pen, and honestly, it’s my favourite point astir nan device. I bask utilizing nan S Pen chiefly for navigating astir nan telephone alternatively of my digit because it leads to less fingerprints and smudges each complete nan display. The flatter show from its predecessor besides makes utilizing nan S Pen moreover much delightful. And of course, nan S Pen is besides incredibly useful erstwhile attempting to return selfies, since it tin beryllium utilized arsenic a distant shutter button, among different things.

Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

Speaking of displays, nan S24 Ultra decidedly has 1 of nan champion I’ve utilized connected a smartphone. I request agleam displays since I unrecorded successful Southern California, wherever it’s typically sunny. The S24 Ultra delivers connected that beforehand pinch its incredibly agleam 2,600 nits of brightness. Plus, acknowledgment to nan caller Corning Gorilla Armor glass, it’s besides little reflective than different smartphones, truthful you don’t person arsenic galore issues pinch glare. And pinch nan dense resolution, everything looks awesome successful position of color, sharpness, and wide crispness.

Another rumor I’ve had pinch Samsung phones is that Samsung tends to make images look measurement excessively vibrant, to nan constituent wherever it looks unnatural. Thankfully, Samsung seems to person corrected that pinch nan S24 lineup, including nan S24 Ultra. Images I’ve taken pinch nan S24 Ultra look rather realistic and existent to life, pinch a small oomph added for colour without being complete nan top. I admit nan fine-tuning of nan colour floor plan this clip around.

While we’re connected nan taxable of cameras, nan 200MP main camera is very impressive. Photos move retired incredibly detailed, and nan 5x optical zoom is bully to have. I do wish that Samsung had kept its 10x optical zoom camera, but nan caller 5x camera still delivers fantabulous photos.

Lastly, nan artillery life really is great. This monolithic beast packs successful a 5,000mAh artillery that tin easy past 2 afloat days, depending connected usage. It’s rather awesome and a game-changer erstwhile I chiefly usage an iPhone 15 Pro. The 45W charging is beautiful fast, too, but I do wish that Samsung would scope OnePlus levels, arsenic nan OnePlus 12 has 80W accelerated charging. Given nan value of nan S24 Ultra, that isn’t excessively overmuch to inquire for, right?

Though nan S24 Ultra is my first Ultra instrumentality from Samsung, it’s been one of my favorites successful 2024 truthful far. If you tin spend it (this isn’t cheap), past I urge getting nan Galaxy S24 Ultra if you request nan champion of nan champion that Android has to offer.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: verdict

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

A refreshed creation does not make a existent upgrade. New features, caller technology, and lifestyle-enhancing alternations do, and nan Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has each of this on pinch seemingly each different characteristic aliases specification bump you could want from a caller phone. Not only is it worthy buying if you don’t already ain a Galaxy Ultra phone, but I’d moreover opportunity it’s worthy buying if you person a Galaxy S23 Ultra, provided you tin make bid pinch nan value increase. It’s really that good.

Obviously, you don’t need to upgrade your Galaxy S23 Ultra (it’s still excellent), but it’s heartening to observe Samsung hasn’t conscionable sent retired a vague refresh of its astir costly non-folding telephone this year, which is really what it did pinch nan Galaxy Z Fold 5 complete nan Galaxy Z Fold 4. The Galaxy AI worldly is being pushed hard, and while immoderate of it is worthy your time, it’s not a logic to take nan Galaxy S24 Ultra connected its own. It’s a operation of each its parts — from nan astonishing artillery life to nan genuinely improved camera — that makes it a must-buy.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra really is that good.

Although I opportunity it’s moreover worthy an upgrade from nan year-old Galaxy S23 Ultra, I do deliberation you should mostly spell into nan Galaxy S24 Ultra pinch nan volition of keeping it for years. Quite isolated from Samsung’s efforts to usage much recycled materials, nan package update commitment, nan sheer expertise of nan device, and nan value bump each shout, “Keep me!” In each honesty, I don’t deliberation you’ll tyre of nan Galaxy S24 Ultra aliases scope its afloat imaginable immoderate clip soon. Buy it and support clasp of it, arsenic you simply can’t do overmuch better.