Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Flagship excellence redefined
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Picture: Noel Campion.
The all-new S24 Ultra is everything we’ve come to expect from a flagship Galaxy phone — elegant industrial design, attention-grabbing display, top-notch specs, and highly customisable software. Is it the ultimate flagship of 2024? Perhaps, if you can afford it.
Visually, the Galaxy S24 Ultra maintains the sleek design language of its predecessors with subtle enhancements. The frame features a more pronounced curve, while the punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera is slightly smaller. Also, the bezels around the display are now completely symmetrical, contributing to a more balanced aesthetic.
The device boasts a 6.8-inch, 120Hz, 1440p display, maintaining the high standards set by its predecessors. The most notable change is the shift from curved edges to a completely flat screen. While this departure may seem less futuristic, it offers practical benefits, such as easier screen protection and enhanced usability, especially with the built-in S-Pen stylus.
The decision to opt for a flat screen also improves visibility, thanks to increased brightness and a significant reduction in reflections. While the anti-reflective glass introduces a slight grain to the display, particularly noticeable on grey backgrounds, the trade-off for reduced reflections is well worth it for those who prioritise screen clarity.
Under the hood, the Galaxy S24 Ultra packs a Galaxy version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, offering a respectable performance boost over its predecessor. My review unit had 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Comparing benchmark results for 3D Mark, the S24 Ultra scored higher than the S23 Ultra overall but much lower in stability, meaning a more significant difference between the lowest and highest frame rates during the Wildlife Extreme Stress test. The S23 Ultra scored 82% stability, while the S24 Ultra scored 61%. During actual gameplay, this thermal throttling of the GPU wasn’t noticeable. However, if you’re an elite-level gamer, a dedicated gaming phone with active cooling is a better option. When I tested the RedMagic 9 Pro with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it achieved over 95% stability with slightly higher frame rates.
Using the phone for everyday tasks blazes through everything with silky smooth scrolling, snappy animations, lightning app loading times and multitasking.
One of the standout features of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is its integration of Galaxy AI, offering a range of AI-powered capabilities designed to enhance the user experience. From instant slo-mo to Circle to Search, the device leverages AI to streamline everyday tasks and deliver innovative features. While some may view AI features as gimmicky, Samsung has successfully integrated AI in practical and user-friendly ways.
However, Samsung will charge for some of these AI features in the future. In the meantime, the company have said its Galaxy AI features will remain free for customers until 2025.
Among the Galaxy AI features, Instant Slo-Mo is one of my favourites. This feature allows users to slow down video effortlessly to 120fps with a simple press-and-hold gesture. Whether capturing memories or adding dramatic effects to videos, Instant Slo-Mo offers a seamless and intuitive experience.
Another noteworthy AI feature is Circle to Search, which offers a more intuitive way to activate Google Lens' visual search. You can initiate visual search functionality by circling an object of interest, expanding the device's capabilities beyond traditional text-based searches. While Circle to Search may seem minor, its potential to increase Google Lens usage and enhance search functionality is significant. The feature isn’t exclusive to the S24 and has already begun rolling out to the Google Pixel 8.
The translation and interpreter features offer invaluable assistance for users who frequently interact with foreign languages. While the range of supported languages is currently limited, the accuracy and reliability of the translation capabilities could make them a valuable tool for communication. Whether travelling abroad or collaborating with international clients, the translation and interpreter features facilitate seamless communication across language barriers.
The generative AI photo editor represents a creative outlet for users seeking to enhance their photos. While similar to Magic Eraser on Google Pixels, the generative AI photo editor offers unique capabilities, such as object removal and realignment. While not essential for every user, the photo editor caters to those who enjoy fine-tuning their photos and exploring creative possibilities.
Battery life remains crucial for smartphone users, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra delivers impressive performance. The device balances performance and efficiency for an impressive all-day battery life that puts many flagships to shame. However, it would have been nice to see charging speeds improve, and of course, there’s no charger in the box.
One UI 6.1 introduces new features and enhancements, further refining the user experience. The software update offers a fresh perspective on device customisation and personalisation, from built-in wallpaper tools to improved always-on display functionality. While some features may seem familiar to iPhone users, Samsung has integrated them seamlessly into the Galaxy ecosystem.
The camera capabilities of the Galaxy S24 Ultra continue to impress, offering a versatile and comprehensive imaging experience. The Galaxy S24 series’ ProVisual Engine is a comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools that provides users creative freedom from setup to social sharing. The quad tele system, boasting a new 5x optical zoom lens, pairs seamlessly with its 50MP sensor. Thanks to the innovative Adaptive Pixel Sensor technology, it delivers optical-quality performance across zoom levels ranging from 2x to an astounding 10x magnification. While replacing the 10x optical lens with a 5x may raise eyebrows, the device delivers exceptional zoom performance and enhanced portrait capabilities.
Nightography receives a significant upgrade, ensuring that photos and videos captured with the S24 Ultra are nothing short of brilliant, regardless of lighting conditions or zoom levels. The larger pixel size, now at 1.4 um—a 60% increase over its predecessor—allows for the capture of more light, particularly in dim environments. Blur is minimised, courtesy of wider optical image stabiliser (OIS) angles and advanced hand-shake compensation technology.
I also think there’s a significant improvement in front and rear cameras, which are equipped with a dedicated ISP block for noise reduction during recording. The new camera tech can now intelligently analyse gyro information to distinguish between the user's movements and those of the subject, enabling more precise noise removal and ensuring clear, crisp videos even in low-light conditions and from considerable distances.
Overall, the performance of the new camera app is much improved, with less lag, less clutter, and, dare I say it, more Apple-like, in a good way. You get many features that don’t get in the way when you want to take a quick snap while still having all the fun and pro features at your fingertips.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers comprehensive features, performance, and innovation. From its refined design and display to its powerful performance and versatile camera system, the device is an evolution of Samsung's smartphone technology. With the integration of Galaxy AI and the latest software enhancements, including seven generations of updates, the Galaxy S24 Ultra delivers a truly immersive and intuitive user experience.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from €1,469 Samsung
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