Introduction
Writing a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review feels less like reviewing a phone and more like reviewing a supercomputer that fits in your pocket. I have been an iPhone user for the last five years. I was comfortable in the “Walled Garden.” But when Samsung announced the S24 Ultra with its flat screen, titanium frame, and the promise of “Galaxy AI,” I felt a pull I hadn’t felt in years. I decided to switch my SIM card and make the Ultra my daily driver for a month.
The price tag is eye-watering ($1,299). For that money, you could buy a decent used car. So, the question isn’t “Is it good?” (Of course it is). The question is, “Is it worth it?”
In this comprehensive 1200-word deep dive, I will move beyond the spec sheet. We will test if the Galaxy AI features are actually useful in daily life or just marketing fluff, analyze the anti-reflective screen technology that ruined other phones for me, and decide if the S24 Ultra is the true king of Android in 2025.
1. Design and Build: Titanium and the “Flat” Revolution
Samsung finally did it. After years of curved “Edge” screens that looked cool but were a nightmare for screen protectors and accidental touches, the S24 Ultra is flat. This might sound minor, but for S Pen users, it is everything. You can finally write on the edge of the screen without your pen sliding off.
The frame is now Titanium, following Apple’s lead.
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Does it feel lighter? Barely. It is still a massive, heavy brick of a phone.
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Does it feel premium? Absolutely. The satin finish resists fingerprints better than the old shiny aluminum.
It feels industrial, sharp, and serious. Holding it makes you feel like you should be closing business deals or launching satellites.
2. The Screen: Gorilla Armor is Black Magic
This is the feature nobody is talking about enough. The S24 Ultra uses Corning’s new Gorilla Armor glass. Samsung claims it reduces reflections by up to 75%. I thought this was marketing hype until I used it outside.
I stood under direct noon sunlight next to my iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone screen looked like a mirror; I could see my own face reflection clearly. The S24 Ultra screen looked… black. The anti-reflective coating is startlingly good. It makes the colors pop and the blacks look deeper because you aren’t fighting glare. Combined with 2,600 nits of brightness, this is objectively the best display on any smartphone today. Once you see it, you can’t unsee the glare on other phones.
3. Galaxy AI: Useful Tool or Party Trick?
The selling point of this phone is AI. But does it work? I tested the three main features for this Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review:
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Circle to Search: You hold the home button and circle anything on your screen (a pair of shoes on Instagram, a landmark in a YouTube video), and Google finds it instantly.
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Verdict: Game Changer. I use this 10 times a day. It is faster than typing.
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Live Translate: Real-time two-way translation for phone calls. I called a local restaurant in Tokyo (I don’t speak Japanese) to make a reservation. The phone spoke Japanese to them and English to me.
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Verdict: Magical but Laggy. There is a 2-second delay that makes conversation awkward, but it does work.
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Generative Edit: Moving objects in photos or filling in borders.
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Verdict: Slow. It takes 15-20 seconds to process. It’s fun, but I rarely use it for serious photos.
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4. The Cameras: The 5x Zoom Controversy
Samsung replaced the famous 10x optical zoom lens with a 5x optical zoom (50MP). Fans were angry. “Why downgrade from 10x to 5x?” Here is the truth: 5x is more useful.
10x zoom was often too zoomed-in for portraits or concerts. 5x is the sweet spot. Plus, because the sensor is 50MP, you can crop in to 10x and still get “optical quality” results. I took the phone to a concert. The zoom video stabilization is absurd. It looks like the camera is on a tripod even when I’m jumping around. If you are a parent sitting in the back row of a school play, this phone is the only camera you need.
5. Performance and Battery: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Samsung partnered with Qualcomm for a specialized “For Galaxy” version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.
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Gaming: I played Genshin Impact on max settings for an hour. The phone got warm, but not hot. The frame rate stayed locked at 60fps.
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Battery: This is a two-day phone.
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7:00 AM: Unplug.
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11:00 PM: I still had 35% left after 6 hours of screen-on time.
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The battery anxiety I felt with my older phones is gone. However, the charging speed (45W) is still slower than Chinese competitors like OnePlus (which offer 80W+). It takes about an hour to fill up completely.
6. The S Pen: Still Without Rival
No other mainstream phone has a built-in stylus. For 90% of people, the S Pen will stay inside the silo. But for the 10% who use it, there is no alternative. I used it to sign PDF contracts, edit Lightroom sliders with precision, and use it as a remote shutter for group photos. It’s a niche tool, but it justifies the “Ultra” name.
7. Seven Years of Updates
This is a massive shift. Samsung now promises 7 years of OS and security updates, matching Google’s Pixel promise. This means you could theoretically keep this phone until 2031. This changes the value proposition. Paying $1,300 for a phone that lasts 7 years ($185/year) is actually cheaper than buying a $700 mid-range phone every 2 years. It makes the S24 Ultra a long-term investment rather than a disposable gadget.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is the shutter lag fixed? A: Mostly, but not entirely. Samsung phones historically struggle with taking photos of moving kids or pets (motion blur). The S24 Ultra is faster than the S23, but the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro still freeze motion slightly better.
Q: Is it too big for small hands? A: Yes. The sharp corners dig into your palm. If you have small hands, you will absolutely need a case (like a PopSocket) to hold it comfortably. It is a two-handed device.
Q: Does AI work offline? A: Some of it. Live Translate works on-device (offline), which is great for travel. However, Circle to Search and Generative Edit require an internet connection to access Google’s cloud servers.
Q: Should I upgrade from the S23 Ultra? A: Probably not. The S23 Ultra is 90% of this phone. Unless you need the flat screen or the 7-year update promise, save your money.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review verdict is clear: This is the “everything phone.” It has the best screen, the most versatile cameras, and the longest software support in the Android world. While the AI features are a mix of hit-and-miss, the hardware foundation is flawless. If you can stomach the price and the size, it is the most future-proof smartphone you can buy in 2025.