Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review

Design

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, launched on January 24, 2024, features a robust design with dimensions of 162.3 mm in height, 79 mm in width, and 8.6 mm in depth. It weighs a substantial 232 grams. The device utilizes a titanium frame and is available in seven colors: Titanium Gray, Titanium Blue, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Green, and Titanium Orange. It is not a foldable phone. The device has a premium build quality with Corning Gorilla Glass Armor for added screen protection.

Display

The S24 Ultra sports a 6.8-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display. The screen boasts a resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 505 ppi. The display features a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and a peak brightness of 2600 nits. It offers a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1, DCI-P3 color gamut, and DC dimming. Additional display features include a hole-punch notch, a 24-120Hz variable refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and an always-on display. The inclusion of LTPO technology facilitates variable refresh rate management. The screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Armor and supports the S-Pen.

Performance

The phone is powered by the Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) chipset. The CPU is an octa-core configuration with a 1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 core, 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 cores, 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 cores, and 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520 cores. Graphics are handled by the Adreno 750 GPU, clocked at 1 GHz. The device comes with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB using UFS 4.0 storage technology. It scored 1,814,869 on the Antutu v10 benchmark. There is no SD card slot for expandable storage. Sensors include an under-display fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass, barometer, Hall and Geomagnetic sensors. There are stereo speakers and a noise cancellation microphone as part of its audio features. It does not have a notification LED or dedicated gaming buttons.

Camera

The rear camera system is a quad-camera setup. The primary 200MP camera utilizes a Samsung ISOCELL HP2 sensor (1/1.3", 1.00µm pixels) with an f/1.7 aperture and 2x2 pixel binning. A 12.2MP ultrawide lens uses a Sony IMX564 sensor (1/2.55", 1.40µm pixels) with an f/2.2 aperture. A 50MP telephoto (portrait) lens uses a Sony IMX854 sensor (1/1.56", 1.00µm pixels) with f/2.4 aperture and 2x2 pixel binning. The fourth 10MP telephoto lens uses a Sony IMX754 sensor (1/3.52", 1.12µm pixels) with an f/3.4 aperture. The camera system supports 3x and 5x optical zoom, and optical-quality 2x and 10x zoom. Digital zoom extends up to 100x. Both telephoto lenses have optical image stabilization (OIS). The front-facing selfie camera is a 12MP unit using a Samsung S5K3LU sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Video capabilities include 8K recording at 24 and 30fps with HDR, EIS, and stereo sound, and 4K recording at 30, 60, and 120fps with the same features. It also supports 1080p recording at 30, 60, and 240fps. Additional camera features include night mode 2.0, 4K video, 8K video, digital image stabilization, autofocus, touch focus, phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and RAW capture capabilities, along with various scene modes, HDR, and face detection. It also features a slow-motion video recording capability of 240 fps.

Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is equipped with a 5000 mAh Li-Ion battery. It supports 45W fast charging, along with 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Additional features include bypass charging. The battery is non-removable.

Software

The phone runs on Android 14 and is slated to receive updates up to Android 21.

Pricing

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra falls into the medium price range. Various storage configurations are offered at different price points. For the 12GB/512GB configuration, prices range from $729.95 to $1219.99. The 12GB/1TB configuration is priced between $898.94 and $1243.97. Exact pricing may vary by region and retailer.

Overall Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a flagship device offering a premium build, exceptional display, powerful performance, and versatile camera system. Its robust feature set, including fast charging, S-Pen support, and extensive connectivity options, makes it a top contender in the smartphone market. The titanium frame is a welcome addition, and the inclusion of a long-term software update schedule ensures longevity. The lack of a microSD slot for expandable storage may be a downside for some. The premium price point reflects its high-end capabilities and is targeted toward users seeking a comprehensive flagship experience.