Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review – The Ultimate Android Phone, Now With AI
Every year, people anticipate what innovation Samsung will bring with its latest S series, and now we finally have the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to see what’s in store for us. In this review, let’s find out what features have been added or changed for this year’s S24 Ultra.
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
| OS: | One UI 6.1, Android 14 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Display: | 6.8″ 120Hz Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X HDR10+ |
| Wireless Connections: | 5G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, dual-band, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| Memory: | 12GB+256GB 12GB+512GB 12GB+1TB |
| Connectors: | USB Type-C 2.0 , OTG |
| Cameras: | Rear Camera: (main) 200 MP, f/1.7 (ultrawide) 12 MP, f/2.2 (Telephoto) 10 MP, f/2.4 (Periscope Telephoto) 50 MP, f/3.4 Front Camera: 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Battery: | 5000mAh 45W wired |
| Price: | 12GB+256GB: 12GB+512GB: 12GB+1TB: |
The Design
Samsung has once again reused most of the design we saw in its predecessor and made slight tweaks. Now, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra features a flat display, ditching the curved screen. It has a blockier appearance and its frame is now made with titanium. The color variant we received is Titanium Violet but there are numerous other colors available including Titanium Yellow, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Black along with exclusive colors only available on the Samsung online website, such as Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, and Titanium Orange.
The back panel remains the same, as do the rear camera modules. However, the protection has been upgraded with the newest from Corning called Gorilla Armor, offering improved drop and scratch resistance. Additionally, it maintains its IP68 dust and water resistance rating, able to survive in water up to 1.5m deep for 30 minutes.
On the left side of the device, you can access the volume rocker and power button, while on the bottom, you’ll find the SIM tray slot, microphone hole, USB Type-C port, speaker area, and the S-pen slot.
The Display and Speaker
With a flat display now, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 6.8-inch 120Hz Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X screen has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9, up from 19.3:9 in the previous generation. It boasts a density of 505 ppi and a resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels.
The S24 Ultra’s peak brightness reaches 2600 nits, providing a better viewing experience in direct sunlight compared to its predecessor’s 1750 nits.
While HDR10+ support allows for enjoying HDR content from platforms like YouTube or Netflix, there is no Dolby Vision support. Nonetheless, the display quality doesn’t disappoint, ensuring a great viewing experience with the S24 Ultra.
Moving to its speakers, it features stereo speakers—one firing from the bottom and another from the top. The speakers deliver excellent loudness and sound quality, enhancing your enjoyment of music or immersion in shows alongside the impressive display.
The Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 For Galaxy, a customized version with slightly higher-clocked cores. It comes paired with 12GB of RAM across all storage variants, which include 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options using UFS 4.0 flash chips.
Here are the benchmark scores we obtained from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Upon booting up, we were greeted by the One UI 6.1 OS on top of Android 14. While it feels similar to its predecessor, this time it comes with numerous AI features aimed at making your life smarter and easier. Hopefully, these software features will trickle down to other Samsung phones.
Some of the added AI features are decent, while others seem gimmicky. For example, the live translation for phone calls can be helpful for those who frequently make international calls. Voice recording summaries and transcripts can aid in meetings or school lectures, and the circle-to-search feature, which I frequently use for research on my phone, is genuinely helpful in learning more about what I’m looking at.
Performance-wise, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 For Galaxy ensures smooth operation, effortlessly handling anything thrown at the device, including gaming. However, due to its powerful chipset and the temperature in the Philippines, there may be issues with hardware temperature.
In our 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test, we obtained a stability score of 34.1%, indicating a drop in performance after several minutes, with temperatures reaching up to 46°C resulting in the device feeling hot to the touch.
The Camera
The camera setup on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra remains almost unchanged. It still features a quad setup on the rear, comprising a 200-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 12-megapixel 3x telephoto lens, and a new 50-megapixel 5x telephoto lens. The front camera remains a 12-megapixel unit.
The 5x telephoto lens replaces the 10x telephoto from the previous generation. Samsung claims the image quality is similar, but in our tests, we noticed differences, especially when zooming in for events such as concerts, which is a key reason many opt for the Ultra model in the S series.
As expected from a smartphone of this caliber, the main camera delivers excellent results in various lighting conditions, providing vibrant colors and detailed images. Night mode reduces noise and enhances details when capturing images in low light.
The ultra-wide camera also produces impressive images with crisp details and consistent colors.
While the 3x telephoto lens is slightly inferior to the 5x telephoto, it still performs decently. However, we prefer the 5x telephoto lens for its superior quality.
Selfies taken with the front camera show no noticeable changes compared to its predecessor, capturing detailed images with true-to-life skin tones.
When it comes to video recording, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra can record up to 8K at 30 fps with both its main and 5x telephoto lenses. All cameras can record at 4K 60 fps, while the main camera supports up to 4K 120 fps in slow-motion mode. Video stabilization is available for all cameras, ensuring high-quality and stable footage.
The Battery
There are no changes to the battery department of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which retains its 5000mAh capacity. It can be charged via wired charging up to 45W or 15W wireless charging.
Despite no changes in battery capacity, the updated chipset delivers prolonged use. In our tests, the S24 Ultra lasted 14 hours and 44 minutes on the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test, with 50% brightness and starting the test at 80% battery. Users can rely on the phone to last throughout a busy workday.
Charging the battery from 0% to 100% using a 45W charger, which is not included in the box, takes over an hour.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Verdict
To be honest, there aren’t many improvements evident in this year’s Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. However, it remains a powerful smartphone suitable for various scenarios, whether gaming or capturing great images from portraits to distant subjects, all while offering long battery life to last through the day.
Unfortunately, the main feature highlighted in the event, the AI features, is a hit or miss for me. While they can enhance day-to-day life, they may not be compelling enough to warrant an upgrade, especially for users with relatively new phones like the S23 Ultra, which is still a great device.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is priced at Php 84,990 for the 12GB+256GB variant, Php 92,990 for the 12GB+512GB variant, and Php 106,990 for the 12GB+1TB variant.
