Samsung's Most Ambitious Phone Yet
The Galaxy S24 Ultra represents Samsung's most complete flagship smartphone to date. With a titanium frame, an integrated S Pen, a 200MP main camera, and Galaxy AI built into the software, it's a device that doesn't shy away from doing everything. But does doing everything mean excelling at everything? Let's find out.
Design and Build Quality
The S24 Ultra ditches the curved display edges of previous Ultra models in favor of a flat screen — a change that's largely welcomed. The titanium frame (similar to what Apple brought to the iPhone 15 Pro) makes the phone feel premium and more durable than aluminum alternatives.
- Dimensions: 162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6 mm
- Weight: 232g — heavy, but manageable for a phone this capable
- S Pen slot: Built in at the bottom, always with you
- Gorilla Glass Armor: Anti-reflective coating reduces glare significantly outdoors
Display: One of the Best Available
The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display runs at up to 120Hz with an adaptive refresh rate that drops to 1Hz when content is static. Peak brightness reaches 2,600 nits outdoors, which means the screen remains visible even in direct sunlight — a real-world advantage many displays fail to deliver.
Performance: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Samsung chose the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (rather than its own Exynos chip) for all global variants of the S24 Ultra — a decision that paid off. Benchmark scores are excellent, but more important is real-world smoothness: apps open instantly, multitasking between demanding apps is seamless, and gaming performance is among the best available on Android.
The phone comes with 12GB of RAM standard and storage options starting at 256GB, using fast UFS 4.0 storage.
Camera System: 200MP and Beyond
The headline camera is a 200MP primary sensor, but Samsung's real advantage is in its versatile telephoto system:
- 200MP main: Excellent detail, though you'll shoot at 12MP or 50MP most of the time
- 10MP 3x optical zoom
- 50MP 5x optical zoom
- 12MP ultrawide
The combination of a 3x and 5x telephoto gives you flexible zoom coverage. Samsung's "Space Zoom" can reach 100x digital zoom — it's a novelty more than a practical tool, but the 10x–30x range is genuinely useful for street and sports photography.
Galaxy AI: Useful or Gimmick?
Samsung shipped the S24 Ultra with a suite of AI features under the Galaxy AI umbrella. The most useful in day-to-day use:
- Live Translate: Real-time phone call translation — genuinely practical for travelers
- Circle to Search: Draw a circle around anything on screen to Google it instantly
- Generative Edit: Remove objects from photos and fill the background convincingly
- Note Assist: Summarizes and reformats handwritten notes from the S Pen
Battery Life
The 5,000mAh battery comfortably handles a full day of heavy use. Most users will end the day with battery to spare. Charging speeds are 45W wired and 15W wireless — respectable, though some Android competitors offer faster wired charging.
Final Verdict
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the most well-rounded Android flagship available. If you want the best camera versatility, built-in stylus support, and a premium Android experience with meaningful AI tools, it's the clear choice. Its main trade-offs are its size, weight, and premium price — but for what it offers, the value proposition is strong.
Who it's for: Power users, photographers, business professionals, S Pen fans.
Who should look elsewhere: Those wanting a compact phone or who prefer stock Android.