Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely evaluate: taken to the acute

Editor’s Notice

• Unique evaluate date: January 2024
• Digicam updates proceed to roll out
• Launch worth: $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199
• Lowest worth on Amazon: $1,149.99 / £1,040 / AU$2,199

Replace: April 2024. The Galaxy S24 Extremely isn’t solely our decide for one of the best smartphone general, it is also our favourite digital camera telephone, on the prime of our greatest digital camera telephone record. That signifies that all eyes are on the S24 Extremely and the pictures it produces. Maybe that is why Samsung retains releasing digital camera updates to enhance the picture high quality and stability of the digital camera system. We’re on our third replace for the reason that telephone launched, and picture high quality was all the time good, however Samsung goes to maintain tweaking this telephone, in all probability till we have now a Galaxy S25 Extremely to play with. 

Philip BerneSenior Editor, Cellphone Evaluations and Shopping for Guides

Galaxy S24 Extremely: Two-minute evaluate

For those who made a listing of every part you’d need on the greatest telephone you should purchase, your record would level to at least one telephone: the Galaxy S24 Extremely. Samsung is clearly working from the identical record, and the S24 Extremely will please followers and tech fans alike. In some ways, together with some I didn’t anticipate, the Galaxy S24 Extremely proves itself one of the best telephone you should purchase at any worth. 

Would you like one of the best battery life? The Galaxy S24 Extremely outlasts the greatest iPhones and each earlier Galaxy telephone; it lasts greater than a day with intense use. 

Would you like the greatest cameras round? The Galaxy S24 Extremely takes higher pictures than its predecessor, it doesn’t matter what the spec sheet says. It stays probably the most versatile digital camera telephone for every type of images. Your inventive buddies might favor the iPhone 15 Professional, however you’ll take higher pictures of every part in case you have a Galaxy S24 Extremely. 

What else do you want? For those who play video games, the Galaxy S24 Extremely is without doubt one of the greatest gaming telephones ever. It outperforms one of the best Android gaming telephones, and it might probably even beat the blazing-fast iPhone 15 Professional Max. 

For those who use your telephone for work, the S24 Extremely has skilled options that even the Professional iPhone can’t prime, like Samsung DeX software program that turns your telephone right into a veritable laptop computer, full with home windows and an utility dock. 

Samsung is relentless. In its pursuit to push the Galaxy S24 Extremely additional than any telephone that got here earlier than, it has principally succeeded. And but, greater than ever, it’s obvious what’s lacking: class and ease. 

The Galaxy S24 Extremely is one of the best telephone you should purchase in the entire ways in which ought to matter. It’s additionally the end result of Samsung’s worst instincts. And whereas followers gained’t thoughts struggling for Samsung’s developments, this telephone gained’t be successful any switchers from the competitors. 

Samsung’s software program is a large number. It’s a morass of settings, hidden options, and ineffective choices that litter the interface. It’s a jumble of options that had been outdated 5 years in the past, however which haven’t been both up to date or deserted since. 

For each new function Samsung provides to excite patrons, it takes two steps again, hiding these options beneath additional settings menus and layers of choices. For those who had been anticipating to seek out new AI options on the Galaxy S24 Extremely you gained’t be disenchanted, so long as you’re keen to look three layers deep within the Settings app.

Samsung additionally might have squandered its temporary efficiency lead on fanciful AI options that don’t work very nicely, or aren’t helpful in any respect. Even in the event you discover the language translation function magical, you’ll additionally discover a ineffective AI button that can reformat your Samsung Notes (who makes use of these?), or provide an inaccurate summarization of the online web page you’re studying (gee, thanks). 

Worst of all, these AI options add a delay. When you’re dashing across the new Galaxy on the quickest clip ever, these new AI options are velocity bumps on the freeway, and the outcomes are simply as welcome. I’m hopeful that helpful AI developments are coming, however proper now we’re struggling via a variety of proofs of idea, and it’s solely slowing down this in any other case lightning-fast telephone. 

The underside line for the Galaxy S24 Extremely continues to be very excessive within the sky. This telephone is one of the best you should purchase, and all of the software program frustration and ineffective AI options gained’t maintain me from appreciating the weekend-long battery life, the unfailing cameras, and the endlessly-useful S Pen.

That is the telephone I take advantage of as a substitute of my laptop computer or my pill, as a result of it’s extra highly effective and handy after I have to get work performed. That is the telephone I exhibit after I need individuals to see what know-how is coming within the close to future. That is the telephone I carry after I wish to carry subsequent to nothing, however nonetheless do every part. 

I want the Galaxy S24 Extremely was a lot simpler to make use of, and perhaps AI can resolve Samsung’s usability issues sooner or later. I feel Samsung wants a reckoning earlier than that occurs. The iPhone 15 Professional with iOS 17 is not only easier, it’s extra enjoyable and sociable, with cool options like Identify Drop and Examine In that make iPhone customers proud to share amongst iPhone buddies. 

Samsung doesn’t appear to care about that, nevertheless it ought to. The software program issues have gotten dangerous sufficient that I gained’t stick round for much longer. The {hardware} is already nice, and it someway retains getting higher. Now it’s time for Samsung to deal with utilizing the telephones, as a substitute of simply constructing them.

Galaxy S24 Extremely: Worth and worth

• Prices greater than final yr’s Galaxy S23 Extremely
• Seven years of OS updates may enhance worth
• Commerce in offers and launch gives aren’t nearly as good as final yr

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely is costlier at launch than final yr’s Extremely, and the distinction goes to harm extra. The Galaxy S23 Extremely was already full of options, and there is nothing so massive and new within the Galaxy S24 Extremely. It simply acquired just a little bit higher in a variety of methods. 

The true worth may come down the highway, due to Samsung’s promise to ship seven years of main Android and safety updates. That size of long-term help was exceptional solely final yr, however now we have now seven years of help for one of the best Android telephones, with Apple lagging behind providing solely 5 years of help. 

Samsung can promise breathlessly, however till we get to yr seven, we can’t know if it can really ship. Apple has actually delivered on this long-term promise a dozen occasions already throughout a variety of iPhones. Google and Samsung – not as soon as.

There’s already motive to be skeptical. Buried in Samsung’s newest phrases of service is a discover that the present slate of AI options might solely stay free for a restricted time. Frankly, we don’t know what which means and it is too early to take a position. However it’s bizarre, in a means that looks like Samsung is constructing authorized backdoors to weasel out of expectations. Apple does not try this. Solely time will inform if Samsung holds up.

I purchased a Galaxy S23 Extremely final yr, buying and selling a Galaxy S21 Extremely for it, and I’m unhappy to report that commerce in offers and reductions at launch should not as attractive as they had been a yr in the past.

In case you are buying and selling up from final yr’s mannequin, anticipate to pay tons of over your commerce worth. I might nonetheless say it is value making the leap, simply this as soon as. Older telephones are going to be ignored of the latest AI options an increasing number of with each replace. Meaning values may plummet the primary time Samsung delivers dangerous information and drops the options guillotine on the Galaxy S22 Extremely, or one thing even newer. 

Within the months since I initially printed this evaluate, we have now seen some offers on the Galaxy S24 Extremely on Amazon, successfully reducing the worth by round $150 / £200 or so. That is nonetheless one of the costly telephones you should purchase, and we do not see Samsung dropping the worth rather more, even when the subsequent technology of Galaxy Z foldable telephones exhibits up later this yr. 

Is that this telephone value such a excessive worth? For those who’re asking that query, you’re studying the incorrect evaluate. You need the Galaxy S24 Plus, which might be value it. That is the Extremely. That is the acute telephone; the one which does what no different telephone can do. You may’t put a standard price ticket on Extremely. It does not match.

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• Worth Rating: 3 / 5

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