Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: Why Buy Anything Else?

Key Concepts

S24 Ultra, Android slab phone, flagship, screen quality, battery life, performance, S Pen, camera system (utility vs. aesthetics), AI features, software updates, iPhone competition, value proposition.

Screen

The S24 Ultra features a class-leading 6.8-inch quad HD AMOLED display. Key improvements include:

• Flat Design: The screen is completely flat, unlike previous curved models.
• Brightness: Max brightness of 2,600 nits, suitable for outdoor use, and excellent dimming at night without banding.
• Bezels: Thinnest bezels seen on a phone, bringing the display right to the corners.
• Anti-Reflective Coating: Gorilla Glass Armor with a noticeable anti-reflective coating.
• Fingerprint Reader: Crazy fast ultrasonic fingerprint reader.

Battery Life

• Maintains a 5,000mAh battery.
• 45W wired charging and 25W wireless charging.
• Achieved six hours+ screen on time with heavy use (1440p, 120Hz, high brightness).
• Capable of two full days of battery life with optimized usage.

Performance

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.
• 12GB of RAM.
• Excellent multitasking capabilities.
• Improved gaming performance with ray tracing.
• 90% larger vapor chamber for cooling.
• S Pen integration for note-taking, drawing, etc.

Cameras

The S24 Ultra has a versatile camera system with four rear cameras:

• Primary Camera: 200-megapixel sensor, consistent performance, great dynamic range, quick autofocus, 12-megapixel binned output (default).
• Ultra-Wide Camera: Wider field of view with some edge distortion, automatic macro mode (can be problematic).
• 3x Telephoto Camera: Smooth transitions, matches colors and exposure of the main camera.
• 5x Telephoto Camera: 50-megapixel (replaces 10-megapixel 10x), improved sharpness between 5x and 10x zoom, 100x "Space Zoom" available.

Utility vs. Aesthetics: The camera system excels in utility (specs, features), while aesthetic preferences (Samsung's processing style) are subjective.

HDR & Social Media Integration: Shoots HDR by default (Google's ultra HDR format). Native quality photo and video uploading pipelines for Instagram and Snapchat.

Software and AI Features

• AI-Powered Photo Editing:
  • Remaster: Enhances contrast and brightness.
  • Erase Reflections: Removes reflections from glass.
  • Add Background Blur: Creates portrait mode effect.
  • Magic Editor: Similar to Pixel's, allows moving subjects, removing objects, generative fill for tilted photos. Adds a watermark to edited photos.
• Advanced Intelligence Settings:
  • Live phone call translation.
  • Voice Recorder app with improved speaker labels, summaries, and transcriptions.
  • Samsung Browser summarizes webpages.
  • Circle to Search: Hold the home button/gesture bar and circle/tap to Google search anything on the screen. Faster than Google Lens.
• Software Updates: Seven years of security updates and seven generations of major software updates.

iPhone Competition

Samsung directly competes with the iPhone, incorporating similar features:

• Titanium Design: Titanium rails, similar to iPhone.
• Flat Design: Flattened screen and sides, boxier corners.
• 5x Telephoto Lens: Max 5x telephoto lens.
• Always-On Display: Shows the whole wallpaper.
• Object Selection: Long press to select and cut out objects in photos for stickers.
• Lock Screen Widgets: Similar to iPhone's.

Value Proposition

The S24 Ultra is presented as the "peak slab phone" with everything packed into one device. However, the high price ($1,300) is a significant factor. The S24 Plus and S24 offer similar experiences at lower prices.

Conclusion

The S24 Ultra is a top-tier Android phone that excels in screen quality, battery life, performance, camera capabilities, and AI features. It directly competes with the iPhone, incorporating similar design elements and functionalities. While the high price point may be a barrier for some, it offers a comprehensive and feature-rich experience for those willing to invest.