One of Samsung’s most contentious updates may be the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The largest camera boost might not even be an upgrade at all, and there aren’t many other significant hardware upgrades. For example, the phone’s design won’t be much changed.
Instead, software is where the major changes with this year’s flagship Samsung phone are found, as the phone manufacturer is investing heavily in AI-powered capabilities. Although the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a remarkable array of additional features, will they be sufficient to persuade consumers to purchase it?
We can assist if you’re having trouble answering that exact question. We now know more about the advantages and disadvantages of the new phone after using the Galaxy S24 Ultra for a while in order to write our final assessment. Here are the reasons why the new phone is a solid investment and why you might want to pass on this specific model, with preorders for the Galaxy S24 Ultra starting now and the phone going on sale on January 31.
Strong AI functionalities
There’s no arguing about which aspect of the Galaxy S upgrades for this year is the best. Samsung has worked hard to develop AI-powered features, all of which are available on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The greatest thing about the Galaxy AI features is that they’re not just tricks of the trade to entertain you and your friends—instead, they’re genuinely helpful.
With the Google-developed Circle to Search, you can tap or circle an object in any app, and a Google search box will appear at the bottom of the screen. When you make a call to someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you, Live Translate provides real-time translations right from the Phone app. When texting friends or coworkers, Chat Assist helps you come across in the right way. Additionally, the integrated Notes app offers a ton of AI features that can automatically format or summarize your notes.
The part AI plays in photo-editing hasn’t even come up. Any film you’ve taken with the Galaxy S24 Ultra may be converted to slow motion using a handy tool, and artificial intelligence can make several adjustments and corrections to your image. The Samsung generative AI editing tool is likely to be the preferred choice for most users. It allows you to select items and manipulate, resize, or remove them completely from the image.
The Bixby smart assistant on your Galaxy S flagship may not have been very useful to you. However, as soon as you hold the S24 Ultra, you should check out the Galaxy AI features.
Brighter, flatter display
If there was one thing we didn’t like about the earlier Ultra versions, it was the curved screen. It made the phone heavy to handle and might make using items close to the edge of the screen more difficult than necessary. Thank goodness, the Galaxy S24 Ultra from Samsung offers a flatter display without compromising any of the 6.8-inch panel’s real estate.
Samsung’s screen adjustments have made the Galaxy S24 Ultra not only more comfortable to hold and operate, but also brighter. As opposed to the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 1,750 nits, the Ultra’s panel has a maximum brightness of 2,600 nits. Regardless of the surrounding lighting, the outcome is an exceptionally brilliant display that is easy to watch. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s details are clear without the need for you to squint.
The best Android chipset
Choose from the Galaxy S24 or Galaxy S24 Plus; the system-on-chip that powers your phone depends on where you live. For owners of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, there is no such mystery because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is included in every variant of Samsung’s high-end phone.
It’s a significant victory for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. We’re still testing the new phone, but based on Qualcomm’s claimed performance enhancements and previously leaked scores, it looks like this chipset will be the finest Android silicon of the year. In terms of graphics performance, it may also cause a slight increase in heat for the A series semiconductors that power Apple’s most recent iPhone models.
Performance improvements are not the only thing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offers. Additionally, it manages power more effectively (which we’ll discuss in a moment), and the neural processing unit has also seen some enhancements, which will probably aid with the Galaxy AI aspects we’ve already discussed.
Amazing battery life
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has already provided us with some initial battery test findings. You won’t have to search for an outlet too frequently during the day to charge your phone, let’s just say that.
In our test, wherein phones are allowed to browse the web via cellular data until they run out of juice, the Galaxy S24 Ultra specifically lasted 16 hours and 45 minutes. As of right now, only two gaming phones that are designed to run for extended periods of time on a single charge are ranked higher than that on our list of the top phone batteries we’ve tested over the last 18 months.
Having its variable refresh rate enabled when the Galaxy S24 Ultra logged its excellent battery test result adds to the device’s impressive long endurance. While higher refresh rates have been known to deplete a phone’s battery, the S24 Ultra can scale up to 120Hz when there is a lot of activity on the screen. It doesn’t seem to be a problem with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and neither does it seem to be affecting battery life with its brighter display.
Brighter main camera
For the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung hasn’t changed the camera configuration all that much from last year; the main difference is a new 50MP telephoto lens. (I promise, we will quickly address that.) However, you will notice a shift in the size of the pixels on the 200MP primary camera of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung claims that they are 60% larger than previously, which will result in photographs that are brighter.
The gallery above, which shows a fountain in New York City, illustrates how larger pixels are able to capture more light. Though they are little, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra images differ from one another. The S24 Ultra image features more prominent reflections on the sea and buildings with a brighter sheen. In addition, I think the Galaxy S24 Ultra picture has a richer, more detailed background with blue signage. The disparities are really noticeable when you include in a considerably darker photo taken with the Pixel 8 Pro.
For almost the entire year of 2018, the Galaxy S23 Ultra was our top pick for a camera phone. Although we still need to test the camera more, the Galaxy S24 Ultra appears to be a viable replacement.
A more durable phone
Samsung used titanium for the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s frame, just like Apple did with the iPhone 15 Pro versions from the previous year. Though Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra has an aluminum frame, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be built of a more robust material, thus it won’t really matter that Apple was first.
Samsung continued to fortify the Galaxy S24 Ultra after using titanium. Corning Gorilla Armor, which is four times more scratch resistant than other toughened glass kinds, is used in the new phone. In the end, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is designed to withstand life’s knocks and bruises, yet to keep your phone looking brand new, we still advise getting a decent case and screen protector.
Seven years of software support
Because Samsung recently changed their policy to allow you to keep your phone for as long as you wish, you’ll want to keep your Galaxy S24 Ultra looking brand new for as long as possible.
For its best Galaxy handsets, Samsung used to provide security support for an extra year in addition to four years of Android software updates. This is no longer the case with the Galaxy S24 series, as you will now receive software and security updates for seven years.
Will a phone purchased in 2024 truly be used by anyone into the beginning of the next decade? Even if it doesn’t, having that option is still beneficial, particularly if it helps to balance the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s price.
