Editor’s Observe
• Unique assessment date: February, 2024
• Small worth drops and have updates
• Launch worth: $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
• Lowest worth on Amazon: $699.99 / £665 / AU$1,185
Replace: April 2024. The Galaxy S24 hasn’t gotten as many updates since launch because the Galaxy S24 Extremely, however possibly it did not want as many. Whereas Samsung continues to push fixes for the Extremely digital camera, the Galaxy S24 has principally gotten safety updates and small characteristic enhancements. We have seen a small, however welcome worth drop on a brand new telephone at Amazon, and we do not anticipate vital worth cuts down the road, even when Samsung’s subsequent Galaxy Z foldable household exhibits up later within the 12 months. This telephone remains to be our favourite compact Android smartphone.
Philip BerneSenior Editor, Telephone Opinions and Shopping for Guides
Samsung Galaxy S24: One-minute assessment
In case you assume the Samsung Galaxy S24 is primary in comparison with the mighty Galaxy S24 Extremely, assume once more. The smaller Galaxy S24 is a super-powered marvel, with all of the processing energy of Samsung’s greatest telephone, packed right into a a lot smaller design that’s simpler to suit into a trendy pocket.
What are you able to do with this a lot energy in such a small telephone? You should use the brand new AI instruments from Samsung and Google, together with the cool Circle to Search that simply solutions the query “hey, what’s that?!” whether or not you’re taking a look at an internet web page, a YouTube video, or perhaps a photograph you simply took. You additionally get the Samsung Galaxy AI translation that work like magic, altering your phrases right into a international tongue and letting you perceive any person throughout the language barrier.
You may as well play video games, clearly, and the Galaxy S24 is a gaming powerhouse, made higher by its take-anywhere measurement. This telephone simply beats the iPhone 15 in side-by-side gaming exams, and it approaches Professional energy when it comes to processing and productiveness. It might even run Samsung DeX, the desktop setting that makes your telephone work like an actual laptop whenever you plug in a keyboard, monitor, and mouse.
Whereas Apple scrimps on the CPU in its iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, giving these telephones a last-generation processor, Samsung endows each Galaxy S24 telephone with the identical Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, no less than within the US. Elsewhere, this telephone and the Galaxy S24 Plus may use the Samsung Semiconductor Exynos 2400 chipset, and we’ll be testing that mannequin shortly, however we anticipate efficiency will likely be related regardless of the place you purchase the S24 and S24 Plus.
The result’s a telephone that not solely runs quick, but additionally runs a very long time, as we’ve seen nice battery efficiency from telephones with the newest Snapdragon on board. In battery life, the Galaxy S24 simply beats opponents at this measurement and worth, lasting hours longer than the iPhone 15 or Pixel 8.
The Galaxy S24 has a show that may crank out terrific brightness, although it isn’t the brightest or the sharpest show you’ll discover. I had no complaints, though I have to put on my studying glasses to learn positive print on the highest decision setting on the Galaxy S24. The show appears to be like good, regardless of how vibrant or dim it was set.
For cameras, the Galaxy S24 can’t compete with the Galaxy S24 Extremely, a telephone that prices $500 extra within the US, however it has the specs and options to tackle the newest Pixel, and iPhone 15 followers ought to be jealous of the true 3X zoom lens that the Galaxy affords. There’s no optical zoom on the iPhone 15, and as soon as once more Samsung wins with versatility, if not pure picture high quality.
It’s not all excellent news, although. Samsung’s software program lags far behind. It’s a lustrous backyard grown wild. Options by no means appear to die, they only snarl the house display screen and make the Settings menu a thicket of thorns.
Samsung must prune its options and simplify, particularly if it needs to win over iPhone followers some day. The iPhone 15 doesn’t make you dig by three layers of Settings to search out the best new options. It simply works. Samsung wants to simply work much more on its software program, as a result of the Galaxy will get tougher to make use of yearly. Quickly, it will likely be too far gone.
If you need extra battery life, extra versatility, and a few critically highly effective productiveness options, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is the fitting alternative. In case you don’t care about all of the extras and simply desire a telephone that nails the fundamentals, there are easier and extra elegant choices accessible from Apple and Google, however Samsung provides you a way of the chances which might be coming sooner or later. You simply have to tug the telephone out of the previous to search out it.
Galaxy S24 assessment: Worth and availability
- Begins at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, and Aussies get extra storage to start out
- No one pays full worth for a Samsung telephone
- It’s value spending extra for the 256GB of storage (no less than)
The Galaxy S24 is priced as anticipated, and it’s a bit inexpensive within the UK than the Galaxy S23 was. You continue to get the identical 128GB of storage, besides in Australia the place Samsung begins this telephone at 256GB and affords a higher-capacity 512GB mannequin. The additional storage is value shopping for, for the reason that cameras on the S24 are ok that you could possibly fill it up with images and movies.
Samsung at all times appears to have offers accessible for Galaxy S telephones, whether or not that’s doubling the storage at no cost or providing a bonus in your commerce. Within the US, Samsung will provide you with no less than $100 for any telephone you commerce, which successfully knocks the value to $699 for nearly all people. At that worth, the Galaxy S24 is a bit cheaper than Apple’s iPhone 15 (and Apple is NOT beneficiant with commerce in values), and nearer to the Google Pixel 8 or OnePlus 12, with an identical commerce supply.
Except you’re a severe digital camera hound, otherwise you desire a a lot larger show, there’s no motive to spring for the Galaxy S24 Extremely as an alternative. It’s a large worth soar that doesn’t equate to an enormous efficiency increase. Certain, the Extremely is an even bigger telephone with an even bigger battery inside, so it lasts a bit longer, however in any other case efficiency may be very related when you’re taking part in video games or working intense apps, like Adobe Lightroom for photograph modifying.
The Galaxy S24 is a good worth in comparison with the competitors at this worth. It’s way more highly effective than the Google Pixel 8, and although each telephones include a promise of seven years of Android updates, it’s simpler to ascertain the Galaxy S24 lasting till 2031, whereas I can’t think about a Pixel 8 that’s able to something in seven years.
In comparison with the iPhone 15, you actually get much more with the Galaxy S24, together with an actual zoom lens and a a lot larger battery, however the expertise is solely totally different. Apple telephones work greatest when extra individuals with Apple telephones, so if your whole buddies are on iPhone, it could be value getting a telephone with iOS 17 so you may NameDrop and blue-bubble all you want. Apple telephones additionally have a tendency to carry their worth higher than Android telephones, although that hole is closing yearly.
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| Storage | US worth | UK worth | AU worth |
| 128GB | $799 | £799 | N/A |
| 256GB | $859 | £859 | AU $1,399 |
| 512GB | N/A | N/A | AU $1,599 |
- Worth rating: 4 / 5
Galaxy S24 assessment: Specs
The Galaxy S24 often is the ‘base mannequin’ of the household, however it’s no slouch when it comes to specs. It has the identical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor that makes the Galaxy S24 Extremely blazing quick, and it has extra digital camera choices and an even bigger battery than a comparable iPhone 15. The show can also be higher than different telephones this measurement — it’s brighter than even the Pixel 8, with higher colour accuracy as effectively.
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| Dimensions: | 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm |
| Weight: | 167g |
| Display: | 6.1-inch OLED; 2,600 nit peak brightness |
| Decision: | 1080 x 2340 pixels |
| Refresh fee: | 120Hz |
| Chipset: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage: | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (AU solely) |
| OS: | Android 14; One UI 6.1 |
| Rear Cameras: | 50MP broad; 12MP extremely broad; 10MP 3X zoom |
| Entrance Digicam: | 12MP |
| Battery: | 4,000 mAh |
| Charging: | 25W |
| Colours: | Jade Inexperienced, Sapphire Blue, Sandstone Orange, Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow |
Galaxy S24 assessment: Design
- Appears lots like an iPhone 15
- A number of distinctive colour choices at launch
- No titanium or Gorilla Armor, that’s Extremely-only
The Samsung pendulum sways backwards and forwards between copying Apple and putting out by itself. The most recent Galaxy, the Galaxy S24, is far nearer to the iPhone 15 design than it has been in a few years, whereas the S24 Extremely appears to be like only a bit extra distinctive. It’s the curve on the corners of the show that actually deliver dwelling the similarity. The Galaxy S24, like an iPhone, is well-rounded on the corners, whereas the S24 Extremely is all proper angles.
This isn’t a horrible factor, it simply isn’t very distinctive. A minimum of Samsung has some good colours for this mannequin. My assessment unit got here within the Cobalt Violet colour, which may be very fairly however a bit of unhappy, just like the stormy purple Apple as soon as used on its iPhone. Extra vibrant are the Sandstone Orange and Amber Yellow choices. I want they had been a bit extra saturated and prime, however they do look pure, with a pleasant matte end and texture to the again glass.
The glass is sadly Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which was the very best of the very best in 2023, however now we’ve seen Gorilla Armor on the Galaxy S24 Extremely and it’s arduous to accept much less. My Galaxy S24 assessment unit already has a scratch on the again glass, and I don’t have a case for this telephone but. Gorilla Armor is extra scratch resistant, and Samsung has executed a terrific job lowering reflections and glare, however solely on the Extremely mannequin.
Samsung nonetheless does a terrific job protecting its telephones skinny and light-weight. That is no Extremely, and if you would like a telephone you should use with one hand, the Galaxy S24 is a good choice. It’s thinner than the iPhone or Google Pixel, and it’s additionally the lightest of the bunch. Normally a lighter telephone means much less battery inside, however the Galaxy S24 beats all opponents for battery life, so it’s not a priority.
- Design rating: 4 / 5
Galaxy S24 assessment: Show
- Glorious show is colourful and vibrant
- Not as sharp as some opponents, however nonetheless appears to be like nice
- Possibly too small for all of the options Samsung crams in
Samsung is a perennial favourite in terms of smartphone shows, and the Galaxy S24 isn’t any disappointment, however it additionally isn’t the clear winner in any facet. I loved studying internet pages, taking part in video games, and modifying images on the smaller display screen, and even small textual content was legible and sharp (with correct eyewear). The display screen was additionally lots vibrant, even in out of doors daylight taking images with the digital camera.
Samsung isn’t giving us the sharpest show with the Galaxy S24, and it’s odd for the corporate to fall behind a bit. The Google Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 each have the next pixel density, making them technically sharper, although you may not discover the distinction. The Galaxy S24 can get brighter than each of these telephones, however OnePlus is pulling some 4,500 nit magic out of its hat with the similarly-priced OnePlus 12, so Samsung isn’t the resounding brightness winner.
General I had no complaints concerning the show until I’m actually nitpicking. In our Future Labs exams, the Galaxy S24 had a wider colour gamut than any competitor. Samsung remains to be sticky about Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR assist, which is what Netflix favors, however HDR10+ content material appears to be like nice, and you could find that on each different main streamer.
Whereas I like carrying a smaller telephone, the six-inch show on the Galaxy S24 isn’t fairly large enough to carry all of Samsung’s options. The Edge Panel is turned on by default, and it takes up a lot room on the facet of the telephone that it was straightforward to swipe it open by chance once I simply wished to make use of a again swipe gesture.
The Fast Panel additionally turned extra advanced, and this makes it tougher to learn and use on the smaller Galaxy S24 show than it was on bigger Samsung screens. General, extra software program simplicity would assist showcase that display screen, as an alternative of bogging it down with icons and menu muddle.
- Show rating: 4 / 5
Galaxy S24 assessment: Software program
- Wants quite a lot of work to simplify and enhance
- Too many options are buried in Settings menu
- Too many options, interval
The excellent news about software program on the Galaxy S24 is that it could actually do nearly all the things the Galaxy S24 Extremely can do, in need of utilizing the S Pen. The dangerous information is that it could actually do all the things the Galaxy S24 Extremely can do, and no much less. Each little bit of complexity, usually designed for the most important smartphone show potential, remains to be current within the Galaxy S24. It’s a large number.
The Galaxy S24 is super-powered, there isn’t any doubt. There are huge software program options, like Samsung DeX, which provides you a Chromebook-like interface whenever you plug your telephone into an exterior monitor. There are additionally positive, granular controls over all the things, from battery and energy administration to Wi-Fi and networking to display screen response and menus to … effectively, all the things. There isn’t any finish to what you are able to do with the Galaxy S24, and it’s straightforward to get very misplaced.
Samsung must simplify. There are too many options which might be unattainable to search out, like wi-fi energy sharing, which ought to let me cost my earbuds by setting the case on high of my Galaxy S24. Sadly, I can’t discover the button to make this occur, not with out a treasure map and a pickaxe (it’s underneath Battery, that’s my solely trace to you).
The software program issues are beginning to really feel like laziness. In establishing my Galaxy S24, I used to be excited when my older Samsung telephone discovered the brand new S24 shortly and supplied to switch all of my stuff. This course of shortly failed with out warning, and I needed to repeat it. After it failed the second time, I used to be requested on one other display screen to make use of Samsung Sensible Swap, which in some way labored. Why not simply begin there?
The primary time I turned on the Galaxy S24, I wanted to replace a ton of apps within the Google Play Retailer, and the updates failed, then disappeared. I opened the Galaxy App Retailer and located a slew of updates there, as effectively, though there was no notification. My Galaxy was immediately downloading unusual Samsung software program, together with a blockchain supervisor? I don’t use something blockchain in any respect.Then there are all of the apps. There are too many apps from Samsung, too many apps from Google, and in some way even Microsoft will get its personal folder?! On a Samsung telephone, working a Google working system? Good job, Microsoft. I hope it bought what it paid for.
All of this simply feels lazy, or cynical, or each. It doesn’t really feel like Samsung has my greatest curiosity at coronary heart, from the second I begin utilizing the Galaxy S24. It feels just like the software program is pushing me to do extra, to purchase extra, and use extra. I simply need simplicity. I simply need it to work.
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All of the apps preloaded on the Galaxy S24
All of the apps preloaded on the Galaxy S24
All of the apps preloaded on the Galaxy S24
Then there are all of the apps. There are too many apps from Samsung, too many apps from Google, and in some way even Microsoft will get its personal folder?! On a Samsung telephone, working a Google working system? Good job, Microsoft. I hope it bought what it paid for.
All of this simply feels lazy, or cynical, or each. It doesn’t really feel like Samsung has my greatest curiosity at coronary heart, from the second I begin utilizing the Galaxy S24. It feels just like the software program is pushing me to do extra, to purchase extra, and use extra. I simply need simplicity. I simply need it to work.
- Software program rating: 2 / 5
Galaxy S24 assessment: Cameras
- Most versatile cameras on a telephone this worth
- Nice picture high quality with higher colour and dynamic vary
- Cool new AI photograph modifying instruments are enjoyable to strive
Certain, the Galaxy S24 Extremely is our high digital camera telephone, however that doesn’t imply the Galaxy S24 is a slouch. Many of the nice work Samsung has executed enhancing its picture processing carries by right here. Pictures I shot with the Galaxy S24 look higher, extra pure, than images taken with both the Galaxy S23 or my iPhone 15.
You additionally get an actual zoom lens with the Galaxy S24, and it helps a terrific deal. Having an actual 3X zoom brings you nearer to the sphere, or the stage, even when the zoom lens is paired to a woefully small sensor that produces photographs with extra noise and blur than I’d like. Regardless of, neither the Pixel 8 nor the iPhone 15 has optical zoom round again, and actual zoom is at all times higher than digital zoom, all issues being equal.
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You may sometimes get higher photographs from the principle digital camera on the iPhone 15, and the Google Pixel 8 does a greater job with low mild photographs, however the Galaxy S24 is way more versatile. I truly discover Samsung’s totally different digital camera modes, just like the Meals mode or the dual-camera video recording mode, to be enjoyable and helpful. My baked items look delectable once I shoot them with the Galaxy, and the dual-camera video is nice for response photographs with my kiddo.
Samsung additionally brings a bunch of AI methods into the digital camera, each within the Digicam app and Samsung’s picture Gallery. I want there weren’t two photograph apps, together with Google Pictures, however right here we’re. Not like the Pixel, which provides you AI modifying in Google Pictures, Samsung retains its Magic Editor software program within the Gallery.
With Magic Editor, you may resize an object in your photograph and transfer it round. You possibly can erase the background solely and exchange it with one thing new. The telephone will use AI to determine what’s taking place within the foreground and match the brand new background appropriately. There’s additionally a device that provides extra background to a picture when you rotate it and find yourself with clean house.
In follow, these are surprisingly helpful. I like erasing spectators in the best way once I’m attempting to see my child on the sphere. The generative AI did a pleasant job with out a heavy hand, and the outcomes often regarded pure sufficient. I hope Samsung doesn’t go an excessive amount of additional into creating pretend imagery, however the Galaxy S24 will affix a watermark to pictures which were edited utilizing AI.
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