Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: Specs, Features, and Performance

Samsung Galaxy S24 / S24+ / S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra are the 2024 flagship Android smartphones released globally on February 7, 2024 (pre-orders from January 18, 2024). Positioned as the first mainstream “AI-first” flagship series, they are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (all markets) or Exynos 2400 (EMEA, South Korea, India) chips, with the Ultra variant reviving the Galaxy Note’s S Pen and flat display while leading in camera zoom and premium titanium build. The series redefines mobile AI with Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search, Live Translate, and ProVisual camera enhancements, targeting premium users seeking cutting-edge performance, display quality, and AI integration.

1. Key Specifications (Global Variants)

Category	Galaxy S24	Galaxy S24+	Galaxy S24 Ultra
Display	6.2-inch flat Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 2340×1080 FHD+ (414 ppi); 120 Hz adaptive refresh; 2600 nits peak brightness; Gorilla Glass Armor; HDR10+; always-on display	6.7-inch flat Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 2340×1080 FHD+ (393 ppi); 120 Hz adaptive refresh; 2600 nits peak brightness; Gorilla Glass Armor; HDR10+; always-on display	6.8-inch flat Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 3120×1440 QHD+ (500 ppi); 120 Hz adaptive refresh; 2600 nits peak brightness; Gorilla Glass Armor; HDR10+; always-on displaySamsung Mobile Press
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4×3.39 GHz Cortex-X4 + 4×2.3 GHz Cortex-A720 + 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 750 GPU; 8 GB/12 GB LPDDR5X RAM	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy; Adreno 750 GPU; 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy; Adreno 750 GPU; 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM (all variants)Samsung Mobile Press
Storage	256 GB/512 GB UFS 4.0; no microSD expansion	256 GB/512 GB UFS 4.0; no microSD expansion	256 GB/512 GB/1 TB UFS 4.0; no microSD expansionSamsung Mobile Press
Rear Cameras	50 MP wide (f/1.7, OIS, PDAF); 12 MP ultra-wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV); 10 MP telephoto (3x optical zoom, f/2.4, OIS)Samsung	50 MP wide (f/1.7, OIS, PDAF); 12 MP ultra-wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV); 10 MP telephoto (3x optical zoom, f/2.4, OIS)Samsung	200 MP wide (f/1.7, OIS, Laser AF); 12 MP ultra-wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV); 10 MP telephoto (3x optical zoom, f/2.4, OIS); 50 MP periscope telephoto (5x optical zoom, f/3.4, OIS)Samsung
Front Camera	12 MP (f/2.2, FOV 80°); 4K video at 30 fpsSamsung	12 MP (f/2.2, FOV 80°); 4K video at 30 fpsSamsung	12 MP (f/2.2, FOV 80°); 4K video at 30 fpsSamsung Mobile Press
Battery	4,000 mAh non-removable; 25 W wired fast charging; 15 W wireless charging; Wireless PowerShare	4,900 mAh non-removable; 45 W wired fast charging; 15 W wireless charging; Wireless PowerShare	5,000 mAh non-removable; 45 W wired fast charging; 15 W wireless charging; Wireless PowerShareSamsung Mobile Press
OS & UI	Android 14 + One UI 6.1; upgradable to Android 17 (4 years OS, 5 years security)	Android 14 + One UI 6.1; upgradable to Android 17	Android 14 + One UI 6.1; upgradable to Android 17
Connectivity	5G Sub-6/mmWave; Wi-Fi 7; Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo; USB-C 3.2 Gen 1; ultrasonic in-display fingerprint; IP68 water/dust resistanceSamsung Mobile Press	Same as S24, plus UWB (Ultra-Wideband)	Same as S24+, plus S Pen support; UWBSamsung Mobile Press
Design & Weight	Titanium frame; 147.0 × 70.0 × 7.6 mm; 175 g; colors: Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow	Titanium frame; 157.0 × 75.0 × 7.7 mm; 196 g; same color options as S24	Titanium frame; 162.3 × 79.0 × 8.6 mm; 232 g (Sub-6)/233 g (mmWave); same color options plus Titanium GraySamsung Mobile Press
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer, ambient light, ultrasonic fingerprint	Same as S24	Same as S24, plus S Pen digitizer sensors

2. Core Galaxy AI Features

The S24 series is defined by Galaxy AI, a suite of on-device and cloud-based tools for productivity, creativity, and communication:

Circle to Search with Google: Circle, highlight, or scribble on any screen content to search without app switching—works on social media, videos, and web pages.
Live Translate: Real-time translation for calls, texts, and chat apps (supports 13 languages for voice calls, 104 for text).
Chat Assist: Tone suggestions, grammar fixes, and rephrasing for messages/social posts (casual, formal, witty, etc.).
Photo Assist: AI-powered edits (object removal, reflection reduction, lighting adjustment) and ProVisual Engine for enhanced color/noise reduction.
Note Assist: Transcribes meetings with speaker labels; converts handwriting to text; summarizes notes.
ProVisual Camera Enhancements: AI scene detection, Nightography Zoom (brighter low-light zoom shots), and 100x Space Zoom (Ultra-only) with improved stability.

3. Key Differentiators

3.1 S24 Ultra: The Note Legacy Revived

Built-in S Pen: Supports 21 ms latency, Air Actions, and handwriting-to-text conversion—no need for a separate slot (stored internally).
Quad-Camera Zoom System: 3x (10 MP) + 5x (50 MP periscope) optical zoom; 10x “optical quality” hybrid zoom; 100x Space Zoom with AI stabilizationSamsung Mobile Press.
200 MP Wide Camera: OIS, Laser AF, and ProVisual Engine for sharp, low-noise photos in all lighting.
Larger Battery & UWB: 5,000 mAh battery and UWB for precise device tracking and smart home integrationSamsung Mobile Press.

3.2 S24 vs. S24+

The S24+ offers a larger 6.7-inch display, 4,900 mAh battery (vs. 4,000 mAh), 45 W wired charging (vs. 25 W), and UWB—all in a slightly bigger form factor.
Both S24 and S24+ share the same triple-camera system (50 MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, 10 MP 3x telephoto)Samsung.

4. Market Position & Reception

Target Audience: Premium users choosing between compact (S24), large-screen (S24+), and productivity-focused (S24 Ultra) flagships—competes with iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Critical Reception: Praised for Galaxy AI innovation, titanium build, bright displays, and S24 Ultra’s S Pen/zoom camera; criticized for no microSD expansion, 25 W charging on S24, and high starting prices.
Sales Performance: Strong demand driven by AI hype; the S24 Ultra became the top-selling Android flagship in Q1 2024, with the series helping Samsung maintain leadership in premium smartphone market share.