The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra follows right after the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and at first glance, they look pretty similar. But the S24 Ultra has some slick upgrades. For starters, Samsung has introduced a titanium alloy frame to this model, paired with the high-end Corning Gorilla Armor glass that was also on the previous model. Under the hood, it’s powered by the exclusive Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset. As for the camera, it features a new periscope zoom lens, although the other sensors haven’t seen any changes.

In terms of hardware and the phone’s performance, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is one heck of a phone, with the price tag to match. This year, Samsung’s latest flagship S-series, the S24 models, have fully jumped on the AI bandwagon with the introduction of what they’re calling “Galaxy AI.” It’s not just marketing fluff either; these new AI-driven features genuinely offer tangible benefits and significant improvements in quality. But as beneficial as these AI features may be, how likely are they to benefit you? That’s the question I found myself always asking my curious friends after I’ve done explaining the ‘Galaxy AI’ to them.

But before we go into that, let’s look at the spec sheet of the all-powerful S24 Ultra this year.

Full Spec Sheet

Design and Build

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra debuts a titanium alloy frame, a first for the series, and the new material has successfully reduced the weight of the phone by… *Drum rolls*… one gram. But it looks good, at least.

The titanium frame sports a matte finish and varies in colour depending on the choice. This year, Samsung introduced four mineral-based colours: Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow. Exclusively in its own online store, Samsung also offers Titanium Blue, Green, and Orange. I’m especially glad that the Stylus in this year’s Ultra has matching colours with the phone’s body, something that I wished Samsung had done in last year’s S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy smartphone maintains its IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, though water resistance is specified up to a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. The card slot, flush with the frame, accommodates up to two nano SIM cards.

The build quality is exceptional with tight, even gaps and the phone handles torsional stress well, emitting only a quiet creak under pressure. It feels robust and comfortable in hand despite its weight and exudes a high-quality feel both visually and to the touch. The Corning Gorilla Armor glass, used for both the front and the back, is notably more resistant than before, offering a firm sense of assurance.

Display and performance

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is fully equipped with Android 14 and One UI 6.1, powered by the cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Offering a variety of storage options—256GB, 512GB, and a generous 1TB—each configuration comes with 12GB of RAM. This thoughtful approach by Samsung underlines their commitment to providing long-term updates and support for their flagship devices for at least five years.

Additionally, the phone features a 6.8” Dynamic LPTO AMOLED 2X display, which delivers a QHD+ resolution (1,440 x 3,120 pixels). This screen provides vivid, detailed visuals, offering crisp images and beautiful colours for movies and games. But it’s worth noting that if it’s just the display perks you want, the more affordable S24+ model this year carries the same quality too, albeit in a smaller 6.7″ display.

The display also boasts an adaptive refresh rate that ranges from 1 to 120Hz and can reach a peak brightness of 2600 nits, setting a new standard for the brightest adaptive display in a Galaxy device. Thanks to the anti-glare coating on the screen, reflections are minimized, enhancing visibility even when the device is used under bright sunlight.

Performance-wise, the phone, equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12GB of RAM, delivers an outstanding performance that impressed me. However, my initial excitement took a bit of a hit when the device overheated quite significantly right after the first boot during app installations and tests. It got so hot so fast that I had to force a restart. Fortunately, a software update quickly fixed this issue, and it’s been smooth sailing since then, with just a few moments when it gets noticeably warm, especially when using the camera app.

On the gaming experience side of things – The phone is quite powerful, breezing through most games. Despite some games suggesting medium to low settings or a 30 FPS cap, I often ramped up to the highest settings. The S24 Ultra handled it all effortlessly, maintaining top performance. However, I eventually dialled back the settings, as pushing the phone to its limits wasn’t sustainable. It would heat up to an uncomfortable level after extended play, and the high performance took a toll on the battery life, making it less practical for longer gaming sessions.

I’ve run games like – Albion Online, Neverland, Tower of Fantasy, Diablo Immortal, COD Warzone, and Genshin Impact. The phone handled them well but the phone’s weight may be off-putting for some if they’re planning to game for long hours. Battery life drains differently depending on the game but opting for 60 FPS instead of 90 and going for lower graphic settings is a good way to get the phone go further.

All-in-all, running my day-to-day routine with the phone has been a real treat. The Stylus provides a good tool for note-taking as well as random doodling needs. Whether I’m responding to emails, scrolling through social media, enjoying some gaming, or catching up on my favourite Netflix series during lunch, the phone provides a top-notch experience. The S24 Ultra’s flagship-level performance and outstanding display quality make everyday tasks feel luxurious.

Camera

A significant new addition to the S24 Ultra is the 50MP 5x telephoto lens, which replaces the 10MP 10x telephoto lens from the previous model. This new lens not only offers 5x optical zoom but also supports an in-sensor zoom capability to reach up to 10x magnification. When comparing the 10x zoom photos side-by-side with those from the S23 Ultra, it’s remarkably difficult to spot any major differences, showcasing the effectiveness of the new setup.

Other than the new addition I mentioned earlier, the camera line-up of the S24 Ultra largely mirrors that of the S23 Ultra from last year. The phone comes with an array of four rear cameras alongside a sharp 12-megapixel front-facing selfie camera It includes a powerful 200MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens, all of which continue to deliver impressive photographic results even when taken on Auto Mode. For those of you who want more control over your camera lenses, there’s the Pro Mode to do that.

Low-light photography is still impressive, with the AI brightening the image in a way that doesn’t make the result look unnatural. The resulting image still looked sharp and presentable. Overall, the S24 Ultra presents the most advanced and flexible camera system available on a smartphone today, making it a standout choice for photography enthusiasts.

With the arrival of the new Galaxy AI there’s even more utility to the S24 Ultra cameras now. The camera AI on the phone isn’t just for enhancing colours or sharpening images—it also lets users get creative by removing or repositioning objects within their photos, though the results can be a mixed bag. For instance, I experimented with two of my figurines placed side by side. I used the AI to move the right figurine further to the right in the image. The process wasn’t flawless; traces of the figurine were still visible in its original spot, but the overall quality was decent.

I also attempted to completely remove the figurine from the photo to test the AI’s capabilities. The initial outcome was amusingly off-target; the AI replaced the figurine with something unrecognizable. However, it managed to correct the error on a second try, successfully removing the figurine without leaving any odd replacements. These tools add a fun and interactive layer to photo editing, even if they sometimes require a little patience and a sense of humour to achieve the desired results.

If you’re exploring a new area and come across something intriguing, whether it’s through photos you’ve taken or ones you’ve downloaded, the Galaxy AI can be a handy research assistant. The process is straightforward: just hold down the home button, draw a circle around any item in the image you’re curious about, and the AI will initiate a Google search for it.

For example, I recently used this feature to learn more about a Tanjiro figurine in one of my photos. The AI quickly provided relevant results, including places where I could purchase the figurine. This tool is particularly useful for comparing prices and finding better deals online when you spot something you might want to buy in a store. It simplifies the search process, making it easier to make informed purchasing decisions on the go.

Galaxy AI – What it can actually do

This year’s standout feature in the Galaxy S24 series is undoubtedly the Galaxy AI, which proves to be both practical and convenient. What’s remarkable about the Galaxy AI is that it operates natively, meaning you don’t need an internet connection to use it. This can be a lifesaver when you’re out of data range.

But does the Galaxy AI make the S24 a must-have? Here’s a breakdown of what it offers and how effective it is:

• Real-time call translation

  This feature allows for real-time translation during calls. The person on the other end speaks in their language, and you hear the translation on your side, while your words are translated for them. It’s important to note that the translations can sometimes be a bit off, so it’s good practice to mention that you’re using a translation tool. The phone supports up to 14 languages including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Thai, German, and French. More languages like Bahasa Malaysia could be added in the future. Each language pack is relatively small; the German pack, for instance, is just 400 MB.
  
  

• Real-time speech interpreter

  

  Using similar technology to the call translator, the S24 can function as a personal interpreter—ideal for tourists or those learning a new language.

• Samsung Keyboard – Translate anytime, anywhere.
  

  Once the language pack is downloaded, you can translate texts directly on the keyboard before sending them, which is particularly handy in apps like Telegram. However, translating messages received in another language can be cumbersome as it requires copying and pasting into the translation box. In contrast, WhatsApp translations are more seamless, with prompts for translation appearing automatically.

  

   

• Transcribing Audio – Voice Recorder App
  

  The Voice Recorder app uses AI to transcribe speech into text and summarize key points, which can be incredibly helpful for capturing meetings or interviews. While not perfect, the AI does a good job of distinguishing different voices and providing summaries, even though some errors and auto-fill guesses are present.

While the Galaxy AI is impressive and adds real value, I wouldn’t say it alone makes the S24 a must-have. Many of the functions it performs could potentially be replicated with third-party apps on other devices. However, having these features integrated into the S24 offers a level of convenience and security when you’re travelling overseas to somewhere without a reliable internet connection and need a handy translator at the ready.

Battery

The battery department this year is identical to last year. Both the S24 and S23 Ultra carry a 5,000mAh battery that supports 45W wired charging and 15W Wireless Qi charging. There’s no Qi2, however, so there’s some disappointment there.

Normally, I’d be okay if the battery capacity remains the same as the phone’s predecessor provided the device’s latest chipset does a better job in power management which would still mean it’s an upgrade. But that doesn’t seem to be the case in the S24 Ultra. Battery life degradation seems on par if not slightly worse than that of the S23 Ultra, so there’s that to consider if you’re a power user with limited access to a power outlet or power bank.

It’s kind of amusing, to be honest. Considering the S24+ model this year actually received an upgrade and is now equipped with a 4,900mAh battery compared to the 4,700mAh of its predecessor last year. This puts the top S24 Ultra model battery capacity only 100mAh ahead of her Plus-Model sister.

In terms of my day-to-day experience, I’d retire the day with 40% of the juice in the tank left. That’s after a full 12 active hour day of use including at least 4 hours of music in the background, 40 minutes of Netflix, various work and social stuff related, and 2 hours of GPS. That’s not bad. But when I do use the camera app for a shooting session that day, I’d need to recharge to avoid battery anxiety.

All in all

Here’s to conclude things.

What I Really Liked About The Galaxy S24 Ultra

• LPTO Display
• Admirable overall performance
• 12GB RAM on all models
• Galaxy AI is both helpful and useful
• Quality Nightmode photography
• A good looking phone overall
• New 50MP 5x telephoto lens
• Excellent for gaming

What I Wished Was Better

• Tends to warm up now and then
• The battery department needs an upgrade.
• Pricey

Verdict

The S24 Ultra is certainly not flawless, but its high-end hardware and components are enough to secure its status as one of the top flagship phones on the market. It’s built to last, likely serving you well for several years before an upgrade is necessary, and its camera will keep snapping excellent photos that you’ll be proud to add to your photo album. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset offers robust performance, it does demand a compromise with slightly less efficient battery life. Additionally, the Galaxy AI introduces substantial value, but this is particularly beneficial for users who will frequently utilize its capabilities.

However, the significant price increase at launch—from RM 5,699 for the S23 Ultra to RM 6,299 for the S24 Ultra—might be hard to justify, given the modest innovation this year, primarily limited to the introduction of Galaxy AI. Meanwhile, the S24+ model has seen notable improvements; it boasts an enhanced LPTO panel that brings its display quality up to par with the Ultra, and a battery upgrade of 200mAh over last year’s model, making it an enticing option for those considering an upgrade within the Galaxy lineup. For those already using the S23 Ultra, I’m not sure if the minor upgrades on the S24 Ultra this year are worth trading in for.