Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: it doesn't get any better than this
Samsung knows how to make a great smartphone - it’s been doing it for forty years - and its newest one, the Galaxy 24 Ultra, is no exception. Released earlier in the year but still making headlines, the Ultra is a phone that promises users better graphics, better performance and better photo capabilities than ever before. Everything you need, in other words, to run your life on the go.
How does it shape up to its predecessors? Here’s our lowdown.
Design and display
Goodbye curved edges: the S24 Ultra does away with smooth sides in favour of a flat screen and titanium sides, which do a little bit more to protect it from knocks than previous models. Even better, the screen has also been fitted with Gorilla Glass Armor, to make it even more durable, while the special new glass coating also reduces glare (which in turn makes it easy to use on sunny days).
All sharp edges and silver sides, it looks like what it is – a premium bit of technology – but be warned. At 16cm long, it’s also large: likely too large to fit into most pockets. And at 232g, it’s certainly heavier than many of its competitors.
How does the display shape up? Unfortunately, not always the best. The interface hasn’t changed all that much from Samsung’s earlier models, which means it’s still very confusing. Fiddly buttons clog up the home page, some of the phone’s flagship AI capabilities are buried in subfolders and there are push notifications galore. The end result feels more confusing than intuitive. Fortunately, the phone’s cutting-edge tech redeems it.
Features
Speaking of which: Samsung have thrown the kitchen sink and then some at this. First of all, there’s the Snapdragon chip, which makes the Ultra 20 per cent faster than older models. Opening and using apps takes barely any loading time, which is a delight. Watching Netflix has never looked so good – and unsurprisingly, with such great processing software, this makes it a wonderful gaming phone, perhaps one of the best on the market.
Next up, there’s the flashy S-pen stylus, which slots neatly into the bottom of the phone and is pretty intuitive to use, even for somebody who rarely uses pens to take notes these days. There’s some in-depth photo editing software, which brings the phone up to the standards of Google’s Magic Editor and lets you tweak images by hand or with AI. There’s even technology that transcribes audio recordings into text (invaluable!).
Best of all, there’s the Circle to Search (which is also available on the Pixel 8). This does what it says on the tin: circle a picture or bit of text, be that clothes or a celebrity, and Google will search for it. It’s an impressive bit of tech, and makes for a wonderfully intuitive search experience.
That said, the Ultra’s AI other capabilities also tend to be a bit of a hit and miss affair. Do we really need software that summarises webpages into bite-sized chunks of information (which aren’t necessarily a hundred per cent accurate)? Or indeed software that tidies up the Notes app (Note Assist)? Not all these additions have been properly thought through, which can make for a muddled overall experience.
Camera and video
The camera on the Ultra is one of the best we’ve seen on any smartphone. With a stonking five different lenses on the back (plus one on the front) the picture resolution is unparalleled, and zooming in hardly dented the image quality at all – the 200MP, 12MP and 10MP cameras all made their subjects look amazing, while the Portrait mode flattered everything from dogs (I checked) to humans.
There’s also a Nightography setting, which captures more light in dim conditions, which includes everything from gigs to nighttime vistas. Anything I shot on this looked stunning: it’s an eloquent argument for investing in one.
Performance and battery life
For a phone that is more powerful than most basic laptops, the battery life is actually pretty good. Lasting up to 60 hours in general use, it’s a refreshing change from the constant charging that many phones require.
As with all Samsung phones, this takes a USB-C charger, and enables fast charging – half an hour gets you to 60 per cent, and an hour takes it to full charge. Not bad at all, and what’s more, Samsung have announced that they’ll be delivering updates and security overhauls for the phone for the next seven years. That’s quite a commitment, and one that will hopefully pay off for users.
Specs
Main screen: 6.8in QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (500ppi) 120Hz
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Weight: 232g
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 256, 512GB or 1TB
Camera: 200MP + 12MP 0.6x + 10MP 3x + 50MP 5x; 12MP front-facing
Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins)
Dimensions: 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm
Verdict
Camera, memory, processing power: the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a phone that really does feel like it has it all. Despite the sometimes-clumsy AI and interface, there’s a lot to love here, and it really feels like one of the best Android devices on the market. Plus, there’s that amazing camera, which is almost worth the cost of the phone in itself.
Speaking of cost. At £1,249, this is by no means the cheap option – but if you’re looking for a phone packed to the brim with top of the range technology (or indeed one that doubles up as a gaming console), then this is a long-term investment that it’s well worth making.
Where to buy
At Curry’s here; Samsung here and at Carphone Warehouse here.
