Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review 2024

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra stands as the pinnacle of flagship smartphones for users who embrace the philosophy that “more is more” and don’t mind paying a premium for it. And for those who invest, the rewards are significant. The S24 Ultra boasts an exceptional display, unrivaled performance that surpasses even the Pixel 8 Pro, and an outstanding multi-camera setup. However, it does have its quirks. In addition to the common frustrations with Samsung’s pre-installed apps, the Galaxy S24 Ultra surprisingly lacks Qi2 wireless charging—a feature that might arrive in the next iteration.

Design

As the true successor to the Galaxy Note, the Galaxy S24 Ultra retains the familiar design elements seen in previous Ultra models, including the built-in S Pen stylus, conveniently tucked into a slot at the bottom left corner. While it’s undeniably large and hefty—measuring 6.39 x 3.11 x 0.34 inches and weighing 8.18 ounces—the size wasn’t as bothersome to me as the sharp corners that tended to dig into my hand during use.

Similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Galaxy S24 Ultra incorporates titanium in its external frame, offering a premium feel that surpasses the anodized aluminum design it replaces. However, this year, the frame is more squared off rather than curved, likely to complement the newly introduced flat display. The titanium finish is sleek and polished, and while it lacks the subtle brushed texture of the iPhone, it arguably has a more refined appearance and avoids the streaky discoloration issues found on the iPhone.

That said, don’t be overly focused on the titanium—most of the S24 Ultra is still glass. The back is constructed from Gorilla Glass Victus 2, enhancing its durability. However, it remains noticeably slippery, which can be risky for users who prefer to forgo a protective case.

If you’re willing to handle the potential drawbacks, I’d suggest opting for a slim case to protect the Galaxy S24 Ultra. To keep things simple, I initially bought a basic Samsung silicone case along with my device, knowing I wouldn’t feel comfortable using it without protection otherwise. However, the added bulk and weight quickly became something I regretted.

At least my bulky case helped resolve the wobbling issue with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the S24 Ultra features a large camera array that juts out from one corner of the back, making it impossible for the phone to lie flat when placed face-up. As a result, tapping the screen causes the device to wobble. Google addressed this with its Pixel series by using a camera bar that spans the entire width of the phone, and it’s not hard to picture Samsung adopting a similar horizontal design. I wonder why they didn’t take that approach.

Ralated artcle Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review 2024

Samsung does at least offer the S24 Ultra in several fun colors, in sharp contrast to Apple’s more dour iPhone Pro models. The unit I purchased came in Titanium Green, a more subtle than I’d hoped-for light greenish-gray color that is matched to a very dark gray titanium frame. Other color choices, like Titanium Blue, Titanium Orange, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow, are even more out there. And don’t worry if you’re less flamboyant. There are more traditional Titanium Black and Titanium Gray (a light gray) colors too.

Similar to Google, Samsung places all of the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s buttons on the right side—unlike Apple, which oddly separates the power button to the right and the other three buttons on the left of the iPhone. However, Samsung’s button layout feels a bit off, with the volume buttons positioned above the power button. While you’ll eventually adapt, it’s one of those minor quirks that can make the S24 Ultra feel slightly unusual if you’re switching from a different brand’s device.

Display

Samsung introduced three significant display enhancements with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, pushing it into the elite ranks of flagship smartphones in terms of display quality. This is, without a doubt, the best smartphone display I’ve ever encountered.

The first major improvement is the long-awaited shift away from the curved edges that plagued previous models with glare and accidental touch issues. However, in line with the phone’s more angular design, the S24 Ultra’s display corners are completely squared off. Unfortunately, this detracts from its aesthetic appeal. Unlike Samsung’s more functional, brick-like design, Apple and Google utilize gracefully curved display corners that give their devices a more refined and sophisticated look.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the first smartphone to feature Corning Gorilla Armor for its display glass, making it more durable and particularly resistant to scratches. And this claim holds up: After using the S24 Ultra for three months, the display remains as flawless as it was on day one. The Gorilla Armor also reduces glare and reflections, which proved invaluable during my month-long stay in Mexico City, where almost every day was cloudless and intensely sunny.

Beyond the durability, the display itself is a standout upgrade from previous models, setting the S24 Ultra apart from competitors. It boasts a 6.8-inch dynamic AMOLED panel with a 1440 x 3120 resolution (505 PPI), a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, a 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate, and HDR10+ support. Additionally, it can achieve a remarkable peak brightness of 2600 nits.

While the displays on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Pixel 8 Pro are excellent, the S24 Ultra’s display surpasses them, albeit in ways that are more technical than immediately noticeable. During five weeks of intense sunlight in Mexico, I had no issues reading the display, even in harsh, direct light.

As with most aspects of this phone, the S24 Ultra offers numerous display settings. After experimenting with various configurations, I settled on leaving the settings mostly at default, with adaptive brightness, motion smoothness, eye comfort shield, and color tone all enabled, and the resolution set to FHD+ (2340 x 1080) instead of the more power-hungry QHD+. Meanwhile, Galaxy superfans took issue with the Vivid mode, finding it insufficiently vibrant, leading to a minor update that left me questioning why Samsung even bothered.

In short, this display excels in almost any scenario, offering vibrant colors, excellent contrast, and rich, deep blacks. The bezels are minimal, and I really like the positioning and compact size of the selfie camera cutout—it stays out of the way while watching videos.

Hardware and specs

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is equipped with some of the most advanced and powerful hardware available in any Android smartphone today. It features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile platform, 12 GB of RAM, and storage options ranging from 256 GB to 1 TB with ultra-fast UFS 4.0 technology. The Snapdragon chip driving this powerhouse is built on a 4 nm process and includes an 8-core Kyro processor, an Adreno 750 GPU, and a Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU) for enhanced AI tasks.

In everyday usage, the S24 Ultra feels like a high-performance racehorse, effortlessly handling whatever I threw at it. Not once did I encounter any performance hiccups, even while juggling dozens of apps. It competes head-to-head with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and easily outpaces the Pixel 8 Pro in speed. Though its AI capabilities aren’t groundbreaking in practical use, they operate more quickly than similar features on the Pixel. (I’ll touch more on this in the Software section.)

This level of performance, combined with the future-proof hardware of the S24 Ultra, makes me question Google’s commitment to its Tensor SoC. After three generations, the Tensor still lags in comparison, feeling sluggish in various situations. While the Pixel performs adequately for day-to-day tasks, the Galaxy S24 Ultra clearly delivers superior performance across the board.

To evaluate the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s performance and compare it with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Pixel 8 Pro, I installed and tested the game Diablo Immortal on all three devices. While the gameplay experience was generally comparable, there were notable differences in graphics settings. The Pixel 8 Pro could only handle medium resolution with no image sharpening and low graphics quality. In contrast, the S24 Ultra, like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, supports high resolution with post-processing and very high graphics quality.

It’s also worth noting the performance load on each device. Even at its lower quality settings, the Pixel 8 Pro was already under a medium load before gameplay began, whereas both the S24 Ultra and the iPhone were operating at low loads, with the iPhone even lower than the Samsung. After about 30 minutes of gameplay, the S24 Ultra remained in the lower range of medium load. Unlike the iPhone, which began to heat up quickly even with its bulky case, the S24 Ultra stayed cool throughout. Additionally, the S24 Ultra delivered a smooth experience with no stutters, glitches, or pauses.

However, the S24 Ultra’s battery life took a bigger hit from this intensive use compared to the iPhone. After a comparable amount of gameplay, the S24 Ultra’s battery level dropped to approximately 76 percent, while the iPhone’s battery remained around 90 percent.

The clear takeaway is that while both the S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max are well-equipped to handle modern games, the Pixel 8 Pro falls short in this regard.

Connectivity

The S24 Ultra boasts top-notch connectivity features, including tri-band Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and comprehensive 5G support for all major CDMA and GSM networks. It connects to my home network at full Wi-Fi 6E speeds. However, it’s worth noting that my iPhone, which also supports Wi-Fi 6E, consistently outperformed the S24 Ultra by a significant margin, regardless of the distance from the router. The S24 Ultra typically achieves around 200 Mbps download speeds in the farthest corner of my condo, while the iPhone reaches speeds of over 500 Mbps.

Audio-video

The Galaxy S24 Ultra offers an exceptional multimedia experience, thanks to its impressive display and powerful stereo speakers. When watching HDR content, such as 6 Underground on Netflix, the S24 Ultra delivers superior visual performance compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The S24 Ultra also matches the iPhone’s Dolby Atmos spatial audio features and provides impressively rich, dynamic sound across all my video and music apps. This holds true at any volume—whether set to low or cranked up to 100 percent—without any distortion or vibration.

Cameras

Samsung’s expertise in hardware is evident in the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera system, featuring four rear lenses and a single front camera. Both on paper and in practical use, this setup is impressive and managed nearly everything I tested it with.

From a hardware standpoint, Samsung, much like Apple, combines high-resolution and what I’d describe as sufficient-resolution lenses in its flagship camera system. However, true to its “more is more” philosophy, Samsung surpasses the competition in the flagship smartphone market (excluding China) with an impressive main lens boasting four times the resolution of those found in Apple and Google’s flagship devices. Additionally, Samsung includes two separate telephoto lenses, each equipped with its own optical zoom capabilities. Take that, Apple!

As mentioned, the main lens is exceptionally powerful. It features a 24 mm wide lens equivalent with an impressive 200 MP resolution, an f/1.7 aperture, multi-directional phase detection autofocus (PDAF), laser-guided autofocus, and optical image stabilization (OIS). Users can choose to capture photos in binned 12 MP or 50 MP resolutions, or opt for the full 200 MP for the highest detail.

Opting for the 200 MP setting doesn’t impact performance, though the large file sizes can be cumbersome. Additionally, the resolution selection affects the zoom presets available in the Camera app. At 12 MP, you have access to zoom buttons for 0.6x, 1x, 3x, 5x, and 10x, plus a secondary set for 2x, 30x, and 100x. Switching to 50 MP limits the options to 1x and 5x, with 2x and 10x available in the secondary range. When using 200 MP, the zoom options are reduced to 1x and 5x, with 2x and 10x appearing in the secondary range.

This approach is logical: at higher resolutions, the camera system relies solely on the main lens. In contrast, the broader range of zoom options available at 12 MP indicates that the system utilizes the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses as well. As a result, I primarily kept the main lens set to 12 MP after experimenting with the higher resolution settings, which is likely what most users would prefer. (It’s convenient that you can switch resolutions directly from the main Camera app interface.)

The ultra-wide lens on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a 13 mm equivalent with a 12 MP resolution, an f/2.2 aperture, and dual-pixel PDAF. It provides a broad 120-degree field of view, comparable to that of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, though the Pixel 8 Pro’s ultra-wide lens extends to 125.5 degrees. The image quality is excellent, featuring a bit more HDR vibrancy than the main lens, but it can exhibit noticeable distortion at the edges.

The telephoto lens setup on the Ultra series is always intriguing. Similar to the previous S23 Ultra, the S24 Ultra features two telephoto lenses, including a periscope telephoto lens with advanced optics. However, whereas the S23 Ultra had a 10 MP periscope telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom, the S24 Ultra now has a 50 MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. This change sparked some concern among fans, but Samsung’s reasoning is sound: The 50 MP lens allows for 10x zoom with a cropped image that is higher in resolution and quality compared to the 10 MP lens.

I can attest that this is not a downgrade. My wife’s S22 Ultra, which has the same periscope telephoto lens as the S23 Ultra, is consistently outperformed by the S24 Ultra in terms of quality, whether at 10x zoom or other levels.

The periscope telephoto lens on the S24 Ultra has a 111 mm equivalent focal length, an f/3.4 aperture, PDAF, and OIS, offering 50 MP resolution and 5x optical zoom. In addition, there is another telephoto lens with a 67 mm equivalent focal length, similar to its predecessor, featuring 10 MP resolution, an f/2.4 aperture, PDAF, OIS, and 3x optical zoom. In the Camera app, the 3x and 5x zoom buttons correspond to these respective lenses. When you use these presets, the camera utilizes its full optical capabilities; otherwise, it resorts to hybrid zoom, which can produce varied results.

I can’t quite pinpoint why, but I appreciate when preset zoom options in a camera app align with the physical hardware. Regardless, the S24 Ultra’s telephoto performance was impressive during my time in Mexico City, capturing distant views of the Santa Fe neighborhood visible from our balcony.

We also took the opportunity to compare moon photos during the trip, which offered a compelling apples-to-apples test. Both devices use similar methods to achieve impressively detailed results.

Overall, I find the S24 Ultra’s camera system to be on par with my wife’s S22 Ultra. However, Samsung has made some notable improvements over the past two years. Specifically, when zooming in to 100x—a feature I rarely use—the S24 Ultra consistently produces clearer, less distorted images.

These tests also neatly highlight that Samsung is stepping back from the over-saturated photo processing that has long divided its fans. Where my wife’s phone delivers a bit too much HDR pop across the board, the S24 Ultra provides a more idealized and natural look, something akin to the Pixel 8 Pro, and not at all like the overly bland iPhone in its default settings.

This is a big change for Samsung, and it’s very much an improvement, though it varies by lens, with the telephoto shots on the blander side, the main lens shot just about ideal, and the ultrawide shots a bit more saturated in general. These things are subjective, and I would like to see some consistency across the lenses. But I like where Samsung landed quite a bit.

If zooming beyond 30x is important to you, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is currently unmatched in my area. The iPhone 15 Pro Max maxes out at 25x, and the Pixel 8 Pro goes up to 30x. While both offer comparable quality at these levels, the S24 Ultra extends zoom capabilities further, pushing boundaries beyond its competitors.

I may have taken quite a few portrait mode shots in recent months, and the S24 Ultra managed this task effectively in all conditions.

The depth of field in portrait mode can sometimes become overly shallow, which is a common issue, though it’s partly my fault for frequently using this mode.

I also tested the S24 Ultra extensively in low-light and nighttime conditions, both indoors and outdoors. These tests revealed that Samsung has made notable strides in this area compared to the Pixel, though the S24 Ultra’s images can occasionally have a yellowish tint.

Despite this, the S24 Ultra performs significantly better in low light than the Pixel, offering instant shutter response and often delivering brighter, clearer photos. In contrast, the Pixel can experience delays, with even minor hand movements affecting image quality during its extended capture time.

Ultimately, the low-light performance is quite close between the two, with each having its strengths. Sometimes the S24 Ultra outperforms the Pixel, and other times the reverse is true. On occasions, I needed to manually activate Night Sight on the Pixel to match the light and clarity of the S24 Ultra, which can introduce lag and potential blurriness. This marks a significant improvement over my wife’s S22 Ultra, indicating Samsung’s progress.

The selfie camera on the S24 Ultra is a 12 MP wide lens with a 26 mm equivalent focal length, an f/2.2 aperture, and dual-pixel PDAF. While it excels in daylight, delivering decent results, it’s less impressive in low-light conditions. It offers two on-screen options for wide or tight framing.

In a surprising twist, I found myself taking numerous videos with the S24 Ultra, particularly during my time in Mexico City. These included various types of videos: portrait and landscape, day and night, and indoor and outdoor. I even captured some slow-motion footage on a beautiful morning.

Although I don’t typically shoot much video, I was pleased with the results. On a notably cloudy day, I used the S24 Ultra to record slow-motion clips of the clouds drifting over our neighborhood.

Comparing camera systems over time can be challenging, but I believe the Galaxy S24 Ultra stands on par with the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The S24 Ultra has notably improved compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, particularly in low-light conditions, while offering faster performance and superior zoom capabilities. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, though excellent, often requires additional settings adjustments, such as increasing contrast with a rich contrast photographic style to counter its default dullness. Each of these camera systems performs admirably and can easily meet my needs.

Security

The Galaxy S24 Ultra features both facial recognition and an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, both of which performed swiftly and reliably for unlocking the phone in my experience.

However, it’s worth noting that facial recognition isn’t secure enough for mobile payments, so using both methods is advisable. This is a peculiar limitation in the Android landscape, with secure facial recognition for payments only becoming available on Google’s Pixel 8 Pro. Apple’s Face ID continues to be the benchmark for secure authentication.

Overall, I didn’t encounter any significant issues with the phone’s security features.

Battery

Before our recent trip to Mexico City, I planned to use my Pixel 8 Pro daily, so I bought an Anker Nano power bank, anticipating that Google’s phone wouldn’t last a full day of sightseeing and photography. However, I decided to purchase the Galaxy S24 Ultra just before the trip. Despite bringing the power bank along as a precaution, we never needed it—the S24 Ultra’s battery life was that impressive. If you do need a charge, the S24 Ultra supports rapid 45-watt charging with a compatible charger.

This kind of battery performance is a significant advantage, although the iPhone 15 Pro Max also provides reliable all-day battery life. Like other flagship models, the S24 Ultra can reach a 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes, similar to Apple and Google devices. A full charge likely takes around 60 to 70 minutes, though I never let it drop that low.

For wireless charging, the S24 Ultra supports speeds up to 15 watts. However, it lacks Qi2 compatibility, meaning it doesn’t support the latest Qi2/MagSafe wireless chargers. This is a notable shortcoming for a device that aims to be a comprehensive solution.

Unique hardware features

While many users may overlook it, the S Pen remains a standout feature for those who enjoy writing with a stylus or exploring its various functionalities. For my larger hands, the S Pen feels a bit too small, but that’s the trade-off for having it neatly stored and charged in the built-in compartment when not in use.

The design of the S Pen is sleek and efficient. On the hardware front, it locks securely in place with a smart button-push mechanism and charges automatically when docked in its compartment.

When it comes to software, removing the S Pen triggers a subtle on-screen icon that leads to an Air command menu with options like Smart select and Screen write. While I’m not sure I’d commit fully to Samsung’s ecosystem, the menu is customizable, allowing you to add other S Pen-compatible apps as needed.

A practical feature is the phone’s warning system, which alerts you if the S Pen has been left out of its compartment for too long, helping to avoid losing the stylus.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s USB 3.2 Type-C port offers more than just charging capabilities. It supports DisplayPort 1.2 and OTG storage, and when connected to a USB-C display, it activates Samsung’s DeX desktop mode. This mode even includes an on-screen touchpad that can be navigated with either touch or the S Pen. While intriguing, I faced some challenges setting up a full desktop environment. For example, when connected to an Anker USB-C dock, the display didn’t activate, though I could still use a mouse connected via USB dongle with an on-screen cursor. The display worked when directly connected to the phone, however.

DeX is a unique offering from Samsung, filling a gap that the platform makers haven’t fully explored. Impressively, DeX can also be used wirelessly with compatible displays.

Lastly, the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, allowing it to survive up to 30 minutes submerged in 4.5 feet of water. So whether caught in the rain or accidentally dropped in water, it’s built to endure.

Software

Let’s start with the positive: Samsung now offers Galaxy S24 Ultra users an impressive 7 years of Android OS upgrades and security updates. This is a significant improvement over the previous 4-year promise for Galaxy flagships and aligns with Google’s commitment to Pixel devices. It’s a smart move, especially for those hesitant to invest $1300 or more in a smartphone.

Samsung also boasts extensive customization options, almost to the point of being overwhelming. It’s worth taking the time to explore the seemingly endless settings menus. However, as I’ve discovered, it’s easy to lose track of where certain features are configured, even if you know they exist. The possibilities are vast if you can remember where to find them.

A simple example is the generative AI-based wallpaper feature, similar to what the Pixel 8 Pro offers. On the Pixel, you long-press the home screen, select “Wallpaper & style,” then “More wallpapers,” and finally “AI wallpaper,” which is prominently displayed. On the S24 Ultra, the process is slightly more convoluted: you long-press the home screen, select “Wallpaper and style,” then “Change wallpapers,” and scroll down to find “Generative” under the “Creative” heading, which isn’t visible until you scroll. This reflects the S24 Ultra’s complexity, where so many features are packed in that they sometimes get lost in the mix.

This extensive feature set is exactly what many power users crave, although there’s an ongoing debate between the minimalist, clean design philosophy that Google champions with the Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung’s more comprehensive “everything but the kitchen sink” approach. As always, the Galaxy S24 Ultra leans heavily toward the latter, with all the benefits and drawbacks that come with it.

On a more critical note, Samsung’s broader corporate strategies in mobile sometimes detract from its cutting-edge hardware, introducing unnecessary complexity and inconsistency. This is unfortunate because there are clear flashes of brilliance, particularly in its OneUI interface, which I personally find quite appealing. OneUI’s sleek “squircle” icon design, for example, adds a touch of elegance that stands out.

What we’re observing here is a cold war of ecosystems where Samsung and Google, though partners, are also fierce competitors. Unfortunately, it’s their shared customers who get caught in the crossfire. My view on this situation is straightforward: I see Samsung in a similar light to how Steve Jobs once viewed Microsoft in the 1990s—lacking class and a refined sense of design. There are ways to innovate by improving the experience, and Android’s openness offers that possibility. Yet, Samsung often chooses to differentiate itself by replacing as much of the Android interface as possible. It feels excessive, especially since many of the stock apps and services Samsung aims to replace remain available in OneUI. Many of Samsung’s alterations make the experience different but not necessarily better than standard Android.

For instance, Android offers both iPhone-like gesture navigation and the older three-button navigation style, which transitioned from physical to on-screen buttons years ago. Samsung’s OneUI defaults to the button-based navigation, which makes sense for discoverability. However, Samsung unnecessarily flips the standard navigation button layout. Instead of the usual Back, Home, and Recents button arrangement from left to right, OneUI presents it as Recents, Home, and Back. This change serves no real purpose and can confuse users switching between devices.

In stock Android, when you move an app icon on the home screen, the “Remove” and “Uninstall” options appear at the top of the screen. OneUI, on the other hand, requires you to press and hold the icon to access these options. It’s not inherently better or worse—just different and, at times, inconsistent. This variation can easily confuse users unfamiliar with Samsung’s approach.

In stock Android, swiping up reveals the All Apps view, allowing you to scroll through app icons using the same gesture, with icons arranged vertically. However, in Samsung’s OneUI, the experience differs: swiping up also opens the All Apps view, but continuing to swipe up—which you’d expect to scroll through the icons—actually returns you to the Home screen. This odd behavior stems from the horizontal arrangement of the icons, forcing you to scroll left-to-right instead. This shift in context creates a frustrating user experience and, in this instance, it’s not just inconsistent with stock Android, but objectively worse. Samsung also adds folders to the All Apps screen for some reason.

Aesthetically, OneUI is visually appealing, but it’s cluttered with eccentric options, many of which attempt to pull you further into Samsung’s ecosystem. For instance, Galaxy devices support themes in addition to the standard wallpaper and style settings, but venturing into this feature brings you to the Galaxy Store, where users bizarrely pay for these customizations. There are also modes and routines—such as sleep, theater, and driving—that require activating a customization service. This service has its own privacy policy, data-sharing agreement, and exchanges calendar events and call logs with Samsung apps. Throw in Bixby, experimental Labs features like pop-up views and split screens, and a unique dual messenger functionality (which, to be fair, is actually useful).

Then there are the AI features, which were hyped up during Samsung’s launch event back in January. Unfortunately, many early reviews fell for this marketing spin without much real-world testing. That’s unfortunate, as the so-called “Advanced Intelligence” features in the S24 lineup are as inconsistent and unreliable as many other aspects of OneUI.

In reality, they’re hardly worth mentioning. These features sound impressive in theory and demo well on-stage—features like real-time phone call translation, live conversation translation, and photo assist—but in practice, they fall apart.

Let me give you a few examples.

I spent over four weeks with the Galaxy S24 Ultra in Mexico, during which time we had workers come by multiple times to fix a water heater. None of the workers spoke English, so I tried using Samsung’s Interpreter app, which I had set up for Spanish translation via its navigation shade icon. While the app functions similarly to Google Translate, translating spoken phrases between two languages, it proved cumbersome and often failed to pick up what someone was saying. In the end, every time, the workers resorted to using Google Translate on their own phones, which worked much better. Ironically, Google Translate also offers live conversation translation—one that actually functions properly, unlike Samsung’s unreliable Interpreter app.

As a fan of Magic Eraser and similar AI tools in Google Photos, I was intrigued by Samsung’s attempt to replicate these features with its own Photo Editor. I wondered if their version might even surpass what Google offers. But exploring this feature turned into another typical Samsung experience: overly complex and underwhelming. You need to use Samsung’s Camera or Gallery apps (instead of Google Photos), enable generative AI features, and wade through a seemingly endless barrage of permissions. Once you finally get there, two things become clear: while the tool is fast, thanks to Samsung’s powerful hardware, the results leave much to be desired. Google Photos consistently delivers cleaner object removal, while Samsung often leaves behind unsightly artifacts. In this case, slower performance actually results in better quality.

In short, these AI-driven features are quintessential Samsung—duplicating existing Google services but offering an inferior experience.

Is there anything in Samsung’s ecosystem that truly stands out? Unfortunately, not from what I could find. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy or game-changing that would compel someone to buy into this ecosystem. My advice to anyone using a Samsung device: enjoy the hardware, but steer clear of Samsung’s apps and services whenever possible. The moment you encounter one of their endless permission screens, you know you’re headed in the wrong direction.

Pricing and availability

The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with a hefty price tag, starting at $1,300 for the base model, which includes a generous 256 GB of storage. However, Samsung takes a more consumer-friendly approach to storage upgrades. You can add 256 GB of additional storage for $120, bringing the total to 512 GB for $1,420. If you need even more space, the 1 TB model is priced at $1,660. Apple could certainly take a lesson from Samsung here.

Fortunately, there are ways to lessen the impact on your wallet. Samsung frequently offers substantial trade-in deals. For example, you can trade in a Galaxy S22 Ultra for $600 or an iPhone 12 Pro (even after three years) for $300. On top of that, Samsung provides 24-month financing options, making the cost easier to manage. For example, in the case of my wife’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, the payments would be just $29 a month. There’s even a four-part installment plan, splitting the cost into payments every two weeks.

As mentioned earlier, the S24 Ultra comes in a wide array of colors, with some truly distinctive options. However, I do recommend using a case to protect the phone, even though it will hide its stunning design. You’ll also likely need to purchase a charger to fully utilize the fast-charging feature, as Samsung sells 25- and 45-watt chargers separately. Alternatively, you could opt for more affordable third-party options from brands like Anker.

Recommendations and conclusions

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra stands as a top-tier contender in the Android flagship arena, especially when viewed from a hardware standpoint. For those who crave the ultimate in size, performance, and camera capabilities, this smartphone is hard to overlook—particularly if you’ve had your current phone for three years or more. And if you’re a fan of stylus input, the S Pen adds a unique touch.

While Samsung’s excessive software, redundant services, and features can detract from the overall experience, they’re not deal-breakers. In fact, most of these can be disabled or ignored. It may require some effort to personalize and streamline this feature-rich device to suit your preferences, but if you’re willing to put in the time, the payoff will be well worth it.

In summary, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is an excellent option for users who don’t mind navigating some software intricacies. It’s a highly recommended device.