Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review - 6 Months Later

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review - 6 Months Later

It's been 6 months since I bought a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the question I think anyone would ask after spending half a year with this phone is: why would you get anything else? This is one of the best phones I've ever used. Yes, there are some downsides, which I'll get to in a bit, but the first standout feature is its display.

Display

The big new thing with the S24 Ultra is the new Gorilla Glass Armor Samsung is using. It's four times more scratch-resistant than the previous generation and reduces the likelihood of micro scratches. It's also three times more drop-resistant. The most important improvement is the display's 75% reduction in glare compared to the previous glass on the S23 Ultra. Some users have complained that the new coating mutes the colors, but to me, the colors look plenty saturated and fine.

Another feature Samsung added is adaptive color tone, which adjusts the display's brightness and color temperature to better match the lighting environment around you. Samsung also increased the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) to 492 HZ, up from 240 HZ, which should help those who are sensitive to OLED dimming techniques.

Battery Life

Battery life is another major highlight. The S24 Ultra easily lasts all day and typically shows a battery percentage in the 70 to 60% range by night. This makes it the best smartphone battery I've tested in recent memory. On occasion, I've even used it for two full days without turning on any low power mode. The standby battery performance is much better than my Pixel 8 Pros, which die in about 3 days without charging, while the Samsung battery depletes more slowly.

Camera System

The camera system is probably the main reason people look at the S24 Ultra. Smartphone cameras are the most convenient cameras we carry around today. While this phone does have faults, it's overall very good. It produces vibrant shots with a nice color balance. Images look sharp, sometimes too sharp, but that's not a dealbreaker for me.

The 5x Optical camera, which replaced the 10x Optical on the S23 Ultra, has a larger and better sensor, still producing decent 10x shots, though slightly below the S23 Ultra's quality. Portrait photos generally look good, and the camera system does a great job at reproducing skin tones. Samsung offers some manual controls and a pro mode for those who want to adjust settings like saturation and white balance.

Performance and Software

After six months, the phone feels solid, with apps downloading quickly and everything feeling fast, stable, and fluid. You can thank One UI for that; it adds a bit of polish to the core Android experience. Features like sleep mode, multitasking, and customization options in the Goodlock app contribute to a better user experience. The setup experience was seamless, transferring 23 gigs of data between phones wirelessly in just 15 minutes.

Downsides

The main downside is its weight and bulkiness. I thought switching to a titanium finish would reduce weight, but it hasn't. I've also found a couple of quirks with One UI. For instance, the custom player for podcasts doesn’t show skip forward and back buttons like Google's stock Android widget does. Another issue is the removal of the vertical scroll in the app drawer, though it is reportedly coming back in a future update.

The Galaxy AI features, like note summarization and live call translation, aren’t all that useful to me, and I found Google's generative edit feature to be better than Samsung's Photo Assist.

Is the S Pen Worth It?

For me, not really. I use the S Pen mainly for navigation. I don't take handwritten notes, and I would prefer a lighter and less bulky phone even if it meant losing the S Pen.

Conclusion

So why consider anything but the S24 Ultra? It’s a solid phone with excellent battery life, a great camera system, and customizable software. However, it might not be for everyone. If you're a fan of smaller phones, don't need the S Pen, are a die-hard Apple or Pixel user, or already have an S22 or S23 Ultra, this may not be the upgrade for you.

Keywords

• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Display
• Battery life
• Camera system
• Performance
• One UI
• S Pen
• Customization
• Gorilla Glass Armor

FAQ

Q: How does the new Gorilla Glass Armor improve the S24 Ultra’s display? A: It is four times more scratch-resistant, three times more drop-resistant, and reduces glare by 75% compared to the previous generation.

Q: How long does the S24 Ultra's battery last? A: The battery can easily last all day, often with 70-60% remaining by night, and on occasions, it can stretch to two full days.

Q: What are the main improvements in the S24 Ultra's camera system? A: The S24 Ultra has a larger and better sensor for its 5x Optical camera and offers vibrant shots with good color balance and sharpness.

Q: Are there any software-related downsides to the S24 Ultra? A: Two odd quirks include the podcast player on the lock screen not showing skip buttons and the app drawer lacking vertical scroll, which is expected to return in a future update.

Q: Is the S Pen worth having with the S24 Ultra? A: For me, it's not crucial. I mainly use it for navigation, and I would trade it for a lighter and less bulky phone.