The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is suffering

I’ve been utilizing nan Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra again for nan past fewer weeks, and while I do deliberation it continues to beryllium 1 of nan astir versatile smartphones around, I quickly sewage tired of nan style and design.

I wasn’t nan only 1 who had complaints astir this facet either, and it showed maine thatSamsung really needs to deliberation earnestly astir giving nan Galaxy S25 Ultra a large boost to summation its entreaty adjacent year, peculiarly because nan title has really improved.

The S24 Ultra is still highly versatile

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I’ll commencement pinch nan positives. I mean it erstwhile I opportunity nan Galaxy S24 Ultra is incredibly versatile. It’s correct up location pinch nan Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold for me, catering to each my mobile needs successful 1 highly powerful package. The monolithic surface is fantastic, truthful crisp and colorful, and moreover though I’ve had it permanently group astatine nan apical 3120 x 1440 pixel resolution, nan artillery life has not been dramatically shortened for me.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s top advantage is its artillery life. I’ve been connected picnic for a week, truthful nan S24 Ultra’s duties were different from usual. I didn’t usage email aliases Microsoft Teams much, but I spent much clip pinch nan camera and apps for illustration Reddit. The artillery has lasted astir 3 days without a charge, pinch astir 2 hours of surface clip per day, and it has kept gait pinch my iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Like astir existent flagship phones, I’ve ne'er erstwhile felt for illustration nan S24 Ultra was slow aliases struggled to header pinch aggregate tasks, and it’s wonderfully responsive, too. Years of acquisition pinch Samsung phones intends I tin group nan One UI package to lucifer my individual preferences successful minutes. While I do get a small tired of immoderate strategy notifications telling maine astir features I don’t attraction about, I for illustration nan layout and design. However, nan little said astir Galaxy AI, nan better, arsenic I simply haven’t had immoderate logic to usage it, and I consciousness nan aforesaid measurement astir nan S Pen stylus, But some are location for those who whitethorn want them.

An aged design

The Google Pixel 9 Pro (from left), Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and iPhone 16 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

There’s truthful overmuch to nan Galaxy S24 Ultra that it’s intolerable not to urge it to personification who wants nan astir complete, do-anything smartphone successful their pocket. However, moreover though I jazzed my telephone up by getting it successful orange, nan creation is really showing its age. It hasn’t changed since nan Galaxy S22 Ultra, and a non-techy friend who hadn’t seen nan telephone earlier called it “boring” erstwhile she saw it connected nan array adjacent to nan iPhone 16 Pro Max.

It made maine extremity and deliberation astir nan S24’s creation much than I had been doing. There’s nary getting distant from its simple, slab-like style and wide flatness. The deficiency of flourish and characteristic won’t matter to everyone, and nan all-business achromatic type will undoubtedly person its fans, but there’s besides nary getting distant from nan truth that not overmuch has changed for nan Ultra exemplary complete nan past fewer years, and it’s not improving pinch clip — particularly alongside nan awesome Google Pixel 9 Pro.

Worse is that I’ve really noticed really unforgiving nan corners of nan telephone are. They excavation into your thenar aft a short while and nan telephone is not arsenic pleasing to clasp arsenic nan iPhone 16 Plus or iPhone 16 Pro Max. It feels wider and thicker than Apple’s latest phones, moreover though there’s small quality successful beingness size, and nan sides aren’t very ergonomic. I’ve been spoiled by nan caller Pixel 9 phones and nan iPhone 16 models, which person shone a bright, shameful ray connected nan S24 Ultra’s slippery style and deficiency of pleasing tactility.

Much-needed change

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Samsung’s determination to support nan aforesaid wide Ultra design for a fewer years now needs to end. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has to compete pinch Google and Apple’s apical phones successful position of in-hand comfortableness and modern, eye-catching style. If it’s a continuation of nan S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, and S24 Ultra’s look, there’s a consequence it’ll beryllium sidelined, particularly arsenic Google is intelligibly taking materials, design, and build much earnestly this year.

The remainder of nan S24 Ultra’s package is truthful bully that it’s difficult to spot really Samsung could get the technical broadside of nan S25 Ultra wrong. However, while I admit nan subtle changes it made to nan Galaxy Z Fold 6’s shape, not everyone wants to spot nan aforesaid creation complete and complete again. Samsung besides made a correction successful changing nan Z Flip 5’s fantabulous design, arsenic nan Galaxy Z Flip 6 is obscurity adjacent arsenic bully to clasp and use. It’s these things that interest maine astir really Samsung is going to attack nan S25 series, and utilizing nan S24 Ultra aft nan title has truthful evidently improved during 2024 has emphasized nan effort it needs to put successful for nan sequel.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Galaxy S25 Ultra creation leaks aren’t giving maine overmuch confidence, though. An iPhone-like creation would beryllium a disappointment, but astatine slightest it does look curvier, though nan now wholly level sides won’t do overmuch for comfort. At slightest early accusation points to nan telephone being lighter than before, but this won’t beryllium capable of a alteration connected its own.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra hasn’t near maine wanting for much, but here’s nan takeaway: I’d for illustration to put my SIM paper successful nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold aliases nan Pixel 9 Pro than proceed utilizing it. This hasn’t happened earlier and should item conscionable really awesome Google’s phones are this twelvemonth and really Samsung can’t simply springiness america much of nan aforesaid pinch its adjacent Ultra telephone — not erstwhile nan Android and iOS title is truthful strong.