The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is blazing fast, impeccably designed with great cameras, and pricey.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Starting at $1,299.99The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is blazing fast, impeccably designed with great cameras, and pricey.Excellent performanceOLED screen is flat and beautifulTitanium frameIncluded S Pen stylusPowerful camera arrayAndroid 14 with seven years of updates is greatHigh starting priceSome AI features require an internet connectionLarge form factor may be too big for some
Ever since expanding the Galaxy S lineup to include an Ultra variant, Samsung has been refining and simplifying its flagship design. And the new Galaxy S24 Ultra we’ll be looking at today may have reached the ultimate conclusion of that effort. This phone lacks some of the more prominent features of the S24 and S24+, instead charting its own course with a simple, almost utilitarian design.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra packs the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, ample RAM and storage, a phenomenal flat OLED screen, a titanium frame, and the iconic S Pen stylus. It’s got almost everything you could want in a high-end Android device, but you will pay for the privilege of carrying this full form and featured phone. Samsung has boosted the starting price to $1,299.99, a $100 increase over last year’s version. It’s a lot of money, but still, it might be worth the asking price for the right customers. In fact, you may be hard-pressed to find a more powerful, future-proof smartphone for sale in 2024. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Features and SpecsProcessor PlatformSnapdragon 8 Gen 3Display 6.8-inch 1440p LPTO OLED @ 120Hz Memory 12GBStorage256GB, 512GB, 1TBRear-Facing
Cameras12MP ultrawide, 200MP primary, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x telephotoFront-Facing
Cameras12MPVideo
RecordingUp
to 8K @ 30 fpsBattery5000mAh; 45W wired, 15W wireless chargingOSAndroid 14, One UI 6.1Dimensions162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mmWeight233gConnectivityWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, LTE, 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave)ColorsGray, Black, Violet, Yellow, Green, Blue, and OrangeTitanium Green, Titanium Blue,and Titanium OrangeTitanium Green, Titanium Blue,
and Titanium OrangePricingStarting at $1,299.99
Samsung’s cheaper Galaxy S24 phones have adopted an iPhone-like flattened frame, but the S24 Ultra doesn’t go that far. Its new titanium frame still bows out slightly, which makes this very large device easier to hold. The display itself is now totally flat, which is great from a usability standpoint, as it gives you more room to comfortably use Samsung’s S Pen stylus, and you’re less likely to get accidental touches on the edge of the display. The S24 Ultra’s OLED display takes up almost the entire front of the phone, leaving just a slim, symmetrical bezel around the edge. It’s strikingly clean looking.
The titanium frame is a big step up from the aluminum chassis you get on the S24 and S24+. Titanium is heavier metal, but Samsung kept the device weight about the same—the S24 Ultra is actually a gram lighter than its predecessor. The frame feels dense and solid, as you’d expect from one of the strongest known metals. So far, we’re not seeing any of the discoloration Apple users have seen on the iPhone 15 Pro. The texture is also more grippy than the company’s aluminum frames. So, Samsung’s first titanium frame looks like an unqualified success.
The 6.8-inch 1440 x 3120 OLED screen is the centerpiece of the S24 Ultra. It’s perfectly sharp, even if you eyeball it really closely (505 pixels per inch). It supports a 120Hz refresh rate, which is slower than some devices from Motorola and Asus, but the difference between 120Hz and 144Hz, for example, is basically imperceptible. Higher refresh rates are also more taxing on battery life. Samsung also has its customary ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the display. Some past incarnations of this technology could be a bit sluggish, but now it’s among the fastest and most reliable ways to unlock your phone. Plus, there’s no bright flash of light every time you unlock, which you get with optical sensors on devices like the Pixel 8.
