Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra screen is acting a bit dull, and it's not a defect
Update (February 3, 9:42 pm ET): Samsung Spain says the company meant to tweak the Vivid profile on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
What you need to know
Reddit and Samsung forums light up with complaints that the Galaxy S24 Ultra's vivid color profile appears washed out compared to previous Galaxy models.
Samsung promises a fix, with the company's developer team actively working on a software update to address issue.
There's no date mentioned for the fix, but customers are advised to stay connected to Wi-Fi for the update.
Samsung has confirmed that there's a software-related issue with the Galaxy S24 Ultra's screen after several customers hit a snag with the display.
According to a number of users on Reddit and Samsung's forum page, the vivid color profile on the Galaxy S24 Ultra isn't as vivid as it should be. In fact, it looks washed out compared to earlier Samsung Galaxy phones.
The problem isn't isolated; multiple Redditors (1, 2) complained that the vivid color profile on the Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn't really stand out compared to the natural mode. On older models like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, vivid brings out way more color depth than the default natural setting.
Courtesy of Forbes, we now know that Samsung has acknowledged the issue with a screenshot of a conversation between a user and support personnel.
"Our Samsung developer team is currently working to fix this issue on your device," the Samsung representative said. "Rest assured that this coming software update will fix our problem on our Samsung S24."
That said, the support specialist did not mention a date for the fix release. Instead, customers are advised to stay connected to Wi-Fi to ensure the update drops when it's ready. At least the company is reassuring customers that this problem can be solved through a software update.
Some had previously speculated that the anti-reflective finish on the S24 Ultra's Gorilla Armor screen was the culprit. As it turns out, while this new glass protection is effective at blocking glare and acing durability tests, it's innocent when it comes to messing with screen light or colors.
If you want vibrant colors on your Galaxy S24 Ultra display and feel a bit stuck, there's not a lot you can do for now. But with Samsung brewing a firmware update to bring back that vivid color mode, you'll soon be squeezing the most juice out of your display.
Update
According to a statement to Teknofilo from Samsung Spain, the South Korean tech giant intentionally updated the Vivid profile changes on the Galaxy S24 Ultra for a more natural user experience. You can check out the full quote (machine-translated) below (via Android Police).
We have adjusted the colors and brightness of Galaxy S24 series products to provide more accurate and comfortable viewing during use. Some changes have been made to the display technology to provide a more natural viewing experience, so users may notice differences in color depth compared to older devices. This display behavior is an intentional color adjustment and is not a product defect, so it can be used safely. To offer our customers the best possible experience, we value your feedback and continually improve our software (UX) as the market and consumer interests evolve.
So, don't get too excited for that promised software fix from a Samsung rep—it might not happen anytime soon.
We've reached out to Samsung's global team for an official statement and will update this post once we hear back.
