Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Ultra-refined

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra packs in the best that the brand has to offer in 2024, but with a price hike, does it do enough to be worth the lofty asking price?

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra phone in front of purple lights
(Image: © Luke Baker / Digital Camera World)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might be the most well-rounded Android flagship available today. It’s got great looks, a luxurious feel, ultra-fast performance, and takes consistently good photos and videos. With the added benefit of AI smarts, it’s excellent for productivity and plenty of fun, too. The only real downside is that it’s quite similar to its predecessor, so existing users might not feel the need to upgrade, especially when it costs as much as it does.

Pros

  • +

    Impressive new telephoto camera

  • +

    Up to 8K30 / 4K120 video recording

  • +

    Powerful AI image editing software

  • +

    Flat display with anti-reflective coating

Cons

  • -

    Most camera hardware is the same as the previous generation

  • -

    200MP mode isn’t very useful

  • -

    Costs $100 more than its predecessor

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The Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung’s top-tier flagship phone for 2024 and a hot contender for the title of best camera phone. It may look a lot like its predecessor, but there are tweaks and improvements made to every aspect of this device, so there’s plenty to explore here.

Compared to the S23 Ultra, the new model gets an upgrade to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a new titanium frame, a flat display with an exclusive anti-reflective Gorilla Glass coating, and a new telephoto camera.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Rear cameras200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto (3x zoom), 50MP periscope (5x zoom)
Front camera12MP f2.2 with autofocus
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
Screen Size6.8in AMOLED QHD+ 120Hz
Storage256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Battery 5000mAh
Colour optionsTitanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow
Dimensions162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6 mm
Weight232g
Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google Pixel 8 Pro – The Google Pixel 8 Pro is another Android-based AI powerhouse that comes with tonnes of image editing tools to play with. It may not be quite as powerful, but it takes some very impressive photos and does so at a significantly lower price.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 15 Pro Max – There are a lot of similarities between the S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max, including the large size, titanium frame, and speedy performance. You’ll have to be ok with Apple’s ecosystem to consider it, but it has its benefits, particularly in video shooting, so long as you don’t need 8K.

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