Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Source

Marques Brownlee (MKBHD)

Key Takeaways

• Aggressively sharp, razor-pointed 90-degree corners dig painfully into palms and wear through trouser pockets quickly.
• Launch firmware suffered from a notorious washed-out color bug where the Vivid profile looked flat, triggering widespread returns.
• Still capped at a sluggish 45W charging curve that drops down to 15W when warm, taking over 70 minutes to charge.
• Integrated S-Pen stylus emitted an unpleasantly pungent burnt-plastic chemical smell when pulled from the silo.

✅ Pros

• Corning Gorilla Armor anti-reflective glass cuts surface glare magically
• Flat display allows painless tempered glass screen protectors
• Helpful Galaxy AI suite features like Circle to Search

❌ Cons

• Painfully sharp boxy corners destroy pockets
• Launch display color bug caused dull washed-out visuals
• Slow 45W charging throttles quickly under heat
• Funky burnt-plastic chemical smell on S-Pen

📝 Verdict

"S24 Ultra has unmatched anti-glare glass let down by pocket-stabbing sharp corners, slow 45W charging, and launch bugs."

Source

• Video: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review - 6 Months Later
• Channel: 6 Months Later | Type: Long-term review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• Self-bought and used for 6 months; Gorilla Armor resists scratches and cuts reflections by 75%, and the PWM dimming frequency is raised to 492Hz
• Battery life is the best of any phone he's tested recently; he often has 60–70% left at bedtime, and standby drain is lower than the Pixel 8 Pro's
• Camera colors are vivid, but some photos and videos are oversharpened, with heavier processing than the S23 Ultra
• After the 5x telephoto replaced the 10x, 10x image quality dropped slightly but is still usable
• He rarely uses most Galaxy AI features; the only ones he uses often are Circle to Search and Photo Assist; the S Pen is unnecessary for him
• The downsides are that it's heavy and large, titanium didn't reduce the weight, and the battery isn't easy to replace yourself

✅ Pros

• Excellent battery life, low standby drain
• Anti-reflective screen
• Smooth performance, deeply customizable One UI
• Fast data transfer when switching phones

❌ Cons

• Photos sometimes oversharpened
• Heavy and large
• Some Galaxy AI features of limited use
• Battery not easy to replace

📝 Verdict

The S24 Ultra is one of the most usable phones around, but S22/S23 Ultra owners don't need to upgrade.

Source

• Video: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra full review
• Channel: GSMArena Official | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• Now with a flat screen, a titanium frame and a matte back; nothing new for the S Pen; IP68
• 6.8-inch QHD 120Hz, measured at about 750 nits in manual mode and nearly 1,450 nits in auto mode; graininess is visible at minimum brightness
• All global versions use a customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, clearly faster than its predecessor, but throttling in stress tests is noticeable (gradual)
• The 5,000mAh battery earned an Active Use Score of 13 hours 49 minutes; 45W charging reaches 69% in 30 minutes and full in 65 minutes
• The new 50MP 5x telephoto has good detail; at 10x, detail is slightly behind the S23 Ultra but with less noise, and 9.9x is actually better
• Supports 8K30 recording (main and 5x cameras), with excellent stabilization

✅ Pros

• Flat and brighter screen
• Strong new 5x telephoto
• Overall improved camera processing
• 7 years of software support

❌ Cons

• Screen graininess at minimum brightness
• Oddities with 10x zoom
• Noticeable throttling in stress tests

📝 Verdict

A top-tier Samsung flagship all around; its minor flaws aren't obstacles to buying, and it's worth a full recommendation.

Source

• Video: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: Why Buy Anything Else?
• Channel: Marques Brownlee | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• It looks similar to its predecessor, but the 6.8-inch QHD AMOLED is now completely flat with up to 2,600 nits of brightness, plus new anti-reflective Gorilla Armor glass—one of the best phone screens he's seen
• 5,000mAh battery: long days with 6+ hours of screen time are no problem, and light use can stretch to two days; 45W wired and 25W wireless charging
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 12GB RAM and a 90% larger vapor chamber, earning an A+ for gaming and everyday performance
• The cameras replace the 10MP 10x with a 50MP 5x, making 5–10x sharper; images still lean toward Samsung's high-contrast, high-saturation style
• Galaxy AI: generative edit, reflection removal, Circle to Search and other features are useful; 7 years of security and 7 OS updates promised
• The biggest drawback is the price; the S24+ offers most of the experience for US$300 less

✅ Pros

• Top-tier flat screen and anti-reflective glass
• Strong battery life
• Excellent performance and thermals
• 7 years of software updates
• Useful AI features you can choose not to use

❌ Cons

• US$1,300 price
• Photo processing still heavy-handed
• Poor automatic macro from the ultrawide
• Lacks the Pixel's Call Screen and Now Playing

📝 Verdict

The S24 Ultra is the "peak slab phone," and if you're spending this much on the very best Android, this is it.