AI - Organizer - Page 13

Apple releases AI image generation tool called MGIE

5:31 pm | February 8, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Apple's image editing AI model has arrived albeit it's far from a finished product. MGIE, short for multimodal large language models-guided image editing, is currently available on GitHub and there's a PDF project paper with instructions. The model uses text instructions to change and edit images. It can do simple image editing tasks like increasing contrast or brightness and changing the white balance. But it can also try and interpret more complex prompts - like making this pizza healthier - by adding vegetable toppings. The model can also crop and resize, autofill image borders,...

Apple is reportedly preparing to buy an AI startup to anonymize private data in images

1:00 am | February 4, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

You know how both Google and Apple blur faces and license plates and other potentially personal info from their maps imagery? It’s an important step to protect user privacy, which is well appreciated. In the modern AI-driven age, it comes as no surprise that there might be a better and more elegant solution. Enter German AI startup Brighter AI. Its Deep Natural Anonymization 2.0 technology promises to achieve facial and data anonymity through AI modification of images rather than blurring. This results in a way more natural look for the final images and downright makes blurring seem like a...

Apple hints generative AI is coming on iPhone 16

1:21 pm | February 2, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Samsung and Google made AI features a big part of their latest smartphone announcements, and now it is time for Apple to jump the bandwagon. Tim Cook said in the earnings call, following the company's financial report that he will talk about generative AI “later this year”. The reasonable assumption is the features will be introduced at WWDC in the summer, before arriving in September in the iPhone 16 lineup. This is what Tim Cook had exactly to say about generative AI: In terms of generative AI, which, I’d guess, is your focus, we have a lot of work going on internally as I’ve...

OnePlus 12 review: the coolest phone you can buy, if you dare

8:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Android Computers Gadgets Phones | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

OnePlus 12: Two-minute review

The OnePlus 12 is cool, there is no doubt about it. It looks gorgeous, and OnePlus has somehow managed to set itself apart from the slew of slabs that clutter store shelves with one of the sweetest color options I’ve ever seen on a phone, along with a design that is uncompromising and polished.

Just like the coolest people, the OnePlus 12 is fun and flashy and hides its weaknesses where you can’t see them. It’s the best player in a scoring position, but it can’t play every role on the field.

The OnePlus 12 tries to play the smartphone game as the so-called ‘flagship killer,’ which is a phone that costs much less than the best Samsung Galaxy or best Apple iPhone, but still gives you the best features of those more popular handsets.

In many respects, it’s victorious, especially when you compare the OnePlus 12 to competitor phones that actually cost the same. If the OnePlus 12 is almost good enough to take on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it’s more than enough to challenge the Galaxy S24, which is a bit more expensive. If the Pixel 8 Pro has a tough new competitor, the Pixel 8, at the same price, is no competition at all for the OnePlus 12.

OnePlus 12 showing TechRadar.com on web browser — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The OnePlus 12 has amazing performance, good enough to go toe-to-toe with the latest iPhone 15 Pro in games and some productivity tasks. It has cameras that produce excellent images; in some cases these photos are more compelling than the Galaxy S24 Ultra and our other best camera phones.

In other words, if you go for the OnePlus 12 instead of that other phone you were considering, you won’t feel like you’re missing out. You get top-level performance, amazing photography, and battery life that lasts for days. You also get some cool features you can’t find elsewhere, like super-fast charging, and even an IR blaster that can change the channel on your TV.

For the price, the OnePlus 12 is a stellar phone that exceeds expectations. If that makes you a little suspicious, you’re right to raise an eyebrow. What’s missing are some of the same aspects OnePlus has omitted before, but now these features may be more important than ever.

For one thing, the OnePlus 12 isn’t as durable as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or the iPhone 15 Pro, not even close. Between the iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium frame and the new Gorilla Armor glass on the Galaxy Ultra, OnePlus won’t stand up to abuse like its rivals.

OnePlus 12 up close showing camera lenses and color — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

What’s worse, OnePlus has once again skipped IP68 certification, which would ensure its phones could be submerged underwater. OnePlus says you can use the phone in the rain, and it even built the screen to account for water droplets. It just didn’t go as far as making the phone truly water resistant, which is a shame considering every iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy S phone can take a dip. It’s hard to recommend any smartphone that doesn’t have this bare minimum level of durability.

The biggest OnePlus omission compared to its rivals won’t be felt for years, but it may be the most important in the long run. Samsung and Google have promised to support the latest Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 families, respectively, for seven years of Android OS and security updates. OnePlus has no advertised promise, and in the past, it has delivered three years or less, which is now far behind the best Android phones.

Then there are more esoteric questions about OnePlus ownership. How will you afford this phone if you can’t pay for it monthly with your carrier contract? OnePlus has great deals and financing, but that may not be enough for some buyers.

Where will you get it fixed when it breaks? You can call OnePlus, but with an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone, you can just walk into a store and get your phone fixed on the same day. Hopefully, that never matters, but when it happens to you, you’re going to be unhappy.

I’m happy to root for an underdog, and there’s a lot to love in the new OnePlus 12. If you like these OnePlus priorities, I have no problem recommending this phone to you, but I can’t recommend it to everybody. For that, I’d trade performance for more durability, and maybe get the phone through testing at one US carrier, at least. But OnePlus isn’t trying to go mainstream, and that’s another thing that makes it the coolest smartphone you can buy.

OnePlus 12 review: Price and availability

Costs $799.99 / £849 (around AU$1,215) but nobody will pay that much
OnePlus will offer $100 minimum for any trade for the life of the phone
Not available with any major carrier for a contract deal

The OnePlus 12 will list for $799.99 / £849 (around AU$1,215), but just like it does for the OnePlus Open (my favorite foldable tablet phone), OnePlus will offer a deal for the life of the OnePlus 12 promising at least $100 for any trade-in of any phone. You can trade a broken rotary phone, they don’t care, they just want to knock $100 or more off the price without advertising it that low. It’s weird but take the discount.

In other words, the OnePlus 12 is effectively a $699 phone in the US, which puts it in the same price range as the Pixel 8, the Galaxy S24 (with a similar trade-in offer), and $100 less than the base model iPhone 15.

Comparing the OnePlus 12 to those phones is almost laughable. The OnePlus 12 has a display that is as large as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, except the OnePlus is more sharp and can reach a brighter peak in outdoor light. It has a larger battery than the expensive iPhone 15 Pro Max, a full 35% larger than the Galaxy S24.

OnePlus 12 from the side — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Of course, even those cheaper phones all have IP68 water resistance certification, as well as five years (iPhone 15) or seven years (Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24) of software updates, which could make those devices more valuable in two years when you want to sell them and upgrade.

Compared to the big, mighty flagship phones, here in the US, the OnePlus 12 is $600 less than the Galaxy S24 Ultra and $500 less than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Even compared to the top-of-the-line, you still get a bigger, sharper, and brighter display on the OnePlus 12, as well as a larger battery than any competitor. That battery charges much faster, too.

Is it worth saving money and buying a OnePlus 12 instead? Absolutely, if you promise to be very, very careful with your new phone. There won’t be as many cases available as there are for Galaxy and iPhone, but you might want a case anyway, so you don’t crack that silky, smooth finish.

Value score: 5 / 5

OnePlus 12 review: Specs

OnePlus 12 from bottom showing curves and USB C port — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The OnePlus 12 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, just like the Samsung Galaxy S24, but it isn’t overclocked like the Samsung “for Galaxy” option. In testing, including benchmark apps, the OnePlus 12 performed very well against the Galaxy phones and the latest iPhone 15 Pro models, even beating the iPhone on some tests. The results were always very close, which means the OnePlus may not be the top-performing phone you can buy, but the differences are more slight than ever before.

Where the OnePlus wins in specs is in charging and battery size. It packs a 5,400 mAh cell, which is actually two 2,700 mAh cells, thanks to OnePlus / Oppo SuperVOOC charging. That means you can charge at an effective 80W (max in the US), or up to 50W wireless with a AirVOOC charger.

OnePlus 12 review: Design

OnePlus 12 from 3/4 angle in green — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Unique green color with cool stripes and satin finish
Even the black has a unique, sparkly look
Seriously, maybe the coolest smartphone design ever

At a time when Apple and Samsung seem to be trying to undo smartphone design, OnePlus boldly embraces curves, swoops, and outstanding color options with the OnePlus 12. My review unit is thankfully the Flowy Emerald color I adored at the preview I saw last year, but even the Silky Black has a unique, glittery finish that makes it sparkle unlike any other staid black option I’ve seen on the market.

The Galaxy S24 is a slab of a phone, no matter which you choose. The Samsung Galaxy has lost all of its curves and lines. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, is gently curved on every edge. The lines are inviting, not just unobtrusive. The camera hump flows gracefully into the edge of the phone, and the touches of color and polished glass are playful and clever.

The OnePlus 12 retains the mute switch, and OnePlus fans would revolt if they lost it. I still find the switch more useful than I find the Action Button on my iPhone 15 Pro Max, but what I really want is a camera shutter button. Especially on a phone with true Hasselblad branding, how about it, OnePlus? Maybe for the lucky number OnePlus 13?

OnePlus 12 logo up close macro shot

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The OnePlus 12 is a chonky beast and I’m not gonna complain about it. It’s thicker than any current iPhone 15 or Galaxy S24 phone, even the big ones, but it packs a much larger battery inside, and that pays off with longer battery life. I’ve been begging for years for phone makers to just add some thickness so the phone can last longer. OnePlus listened. Thank you! It turns out we were both right, and it’s worth the trade.

With its larger display, the OnePlus 12 is actually less dense than the competition, so it’s lighter than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is close in size. It still feels substantial and thick, though the curved edges make it comfortable to hold.

I still can’t forgive the lack of IP68 support, and to put this into proper context, Samsung has made water resistance a standard feature on every Galaxy S phone (but one) since the Galaxy S5, and we’re up to the Galaxy S24 this year. Shipping a phone without IP68 certification is like selling a car without a backup camera. Maybe you can drive safely without that feature but would you want to? Similarly, most people prefer the peace of mind of knowing that if you drop your phone in the toilet, you haven’t ruined your baby.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

OnePlus 12 review: Display

OnePlus 12 home screen in emerald green — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Incredibly bright display can reach dangerous levels
More sharp than the iPhone 15 Pro Max
Bigger than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but curved so it looks smaller

I’m not sure what OnePlus did to reach peak brightness levels up to 4,500 nits on the OnePlus 12, but maybe it should stop? OnePlus reps told us that levels over 3,000 nits can be harmful to your eyes over a long period, and the OnePlus 12 can’t actually blast you with that much light all at once for a long period. It’s more likely to simply light up small portions of the screen that need the boost. Still, when we cross the threshold for potential eye damage, maybe we’ve gone too far.

In practice, I couldn’t actually hurt myself with the OnePlus 12, and not for lack of trying. It’s simply been cold and cloudy since I picked up my review unit almost a month ago. Blame Connecticut’s terrible winter weather. In any case, I’ve been very impressed with the speed and responsiveness of the display, especially playing games. This screen is totally lag-free in every way.

The OnePlus 12 display is apparently fractionally larger than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it is technically sharper, but the curve at the edges makes it seem a bit smaller. I prefer the look of the OnePlus 12 curves, but I can’t argue that the amazing new Gorilla Armor glass on the Ultra makes it much better at reflecting glare from my studio lights or bright sun. The OnePlus can push more brightness, but the Ultra doesn’t need to get so bright. It’s a fair trade.

Display score: 5 / 5

OnePlus 12 review: Software

OnePlus 12 showing multi window with maps and TechRadar.com on the browser — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

A light hand with Android, and good organization tools
No junky AI features that nobody asked for
Oxygen OS is still Android, but not as complex as Samsung’s woeful One UI

OnePlus uses Oxygen OS from parent Oppo with Android 14, and it keeps a light touch with Android, as opposed to Samsung’s Galaxy S24, which is loaded with extra features and apps. The OnePlus 12 is still an Android phone, but it keeps some of the great home screen organization tools that Google abandoned a few years back, so it’s a bit easier to use and organize than even a so-called ‘vanilla’ Android Pixel 8.

That doesn’t mean the OnePlus 12 doesn’t fall victim to familiar Android traps. There are multiple “Photo” apps on this phone, including the OnePlus photo gallery and Google Photos. It’s confusing, but you don’t get two web browsers or two App Stores. OnePlus has a OnePlus Store, but it only tried to sell me some new earbuds, not the phone I was already holding in my hand (hi, Samsung).

The big problem with Oxygen OS and OnePlus developing its own system comes down the road when it’s time for an Android update. OnePlus has delivered three years of updates for its best phones, but Samsung and Google are now promising seven years of updates, while Apple has always given its iPhone models five years of new software.

OnePlus 12 settings quick panel — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I don’t see a specific software promise on the OnePlus online store, but even three years won’t be enough anymore. I doubt OnePlus can sustain its own OS development on older models. That takes serious developer commitment that only the biggest companies like Google, Samsung, and Apple can offer. This will remain an ongoing problem for OnePlus, I believe.

The OnePlus 12 conspicuously skips new AI features that are plaguing other Android phones. The Galaxy S24 launched with a mixed bag of AI on board, including very useful translation tools and somewhat useless writing style adaptation tools. New AI features for editing images fall in between. On the OnePlus 12, you’ll find none of these, for better and for worse.

I suspect that Google will bring more AI to Android in general, which will include OnePlus, but it won’t port everything. Samsung got some features that were previously Pixel-exclusive, like Magic Editor in the Samsung Gallery app. The OnePlus 12 did not benefit from Google’s largesse.

For now, it’s almost a relief that the OnePlus 12 is unburdened with AI features that nobody requested. Apple isn’t stuffing AI into the iPhone 15 yet, so it doesn’t feel like OnePlus is behind. That could change quickly, especially if Samsung makes some quick advances with AI and Bixby and gives its phones an entirely AI interface.

Software score: 3 / 5

Google Pixel 8 Pro review: Cameras

OnePlus 12 cameras — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Quirky camera system takes some practice but delivers results
Excellent selfies and solid portraits
Unique color tuning works when it works

If you want a camera that creates really cool-looking photos, especially photos of people, the OnePlus 12 was made for you. If you’re looking for extreme accuracy in color and detail, look elsewhere. The partnership between OnePlus and Hasselblad continues into its fourth generation, and once again the cameras produce images that are certainly unique, though perhaps not what most people expect or desire from a smartphone camera.

OnePlus says that Hasselblad has tuned its camera processing (ie. it hasn’t helped create the lenses) to imitate classic Hasselblad portrait lenses. I’ve never shot with a Hasselblad camera, but in my shootout against the best camera phones you can buy, including the latest Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the OnePlus held its own, and in selfie photos and portraits, the results were often better from OnePlus.

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Macro shot of the camera lenses on the OnePlus 12 — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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This is not a versatile camera setup. The zoom lens works great to add bokeh and dramatic blur to portraits, but this phone cannot shoot long distance like the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It also had more trouble focusing close up, which made for macros that looked blurry and some food shots that needed to be retaken.

If you love street photography or candid snapshots, the OnePlus 12 will be totally satisfying, and it has plenty of shooting modes, Pro settings, and filter options to create great images. This isn’t the top camera on our list, but it deserves respect for a unique look that is often cooler than the laboratory-accurate photos you’ll get from the iPhone and Galaxy.

OnePlus 12 camera app — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

OnePlus 12 camera samples

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OnePlus 12 camera image samples — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Camera score: 3 / 5

OnePlus 12 review: Performance

OnePlus 12 showing Alito's Odyssey and gaming controls panel — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Excellent performance in gaming and productivity
No AI features to bog down the latest Snapdragon

The OnePlus 12 offered superb performance for every task I threw its way. With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset on board, it almost matches the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which itself beat Apple’s latest iPhone 15 Pro in performance tests. The Galaxy is overclocked slightly, so the OnePlus 12 is technically a bit slower, but you won’t notice the difference unless you only care about benchmark scores. In real-world gaming, photo editing, and navigating the interface, the OnePlus 12 moves as swiftly as I could hope.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra squanders its performance on AI features that lag, because they require more processing or need to talk to a cloud server. Using an S24 Ultra actually feels a bit slower because you’re constantly waiting for the phone to do its new thing. The OnePlus 12 skips those new things. There’s no Circle to Search, or Magic Editor in the Photos app. I don’t miss those features, not yet, so I appreciate the performance benefit.

OnePlus brags a lot about its cooling prowess and its Oxygen OS ability to keep your CPU, your RAM, and your storage running smoothly over a longer period. Frankly, I’m skeptical of any claims from a company that doesn’t know the difference between ROM and storage, as indicated on the OnePlus 12 website. I had no performance issue, but I’m taking OnePlus claims with a hefty grain of salt.

Performance score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 12 review: Battery life

OnePlus 12 USB C port — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

A larger battery means longer battery life, who knew?
Better battery than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, even
Super fast charging, wired or wireless

The OnePlus 12 has more battery inside than the Galaxy S24 Ultra or the iPhone 15 Pro Max, so it’s no surprise that it also offers more battery life. I had no trouble using the OnePlus 12 for two days of normal usage, without too much camera time. Even with intense use, playing games, and shooting tons of photos, the OnePlus lasted all day and into the night.

There’s technically 5,400 mAh of battery in the OnePlus 12, but that’s divided into two battery cells. This technology lets OnePlus charge both batteries simultaneously, which doubles the charging speed. With the included 80W charger, you can easily charge the OnePlus to 100% full in just under 30 minutes. A Galaxy S24 Ultra can only charge to 70% in that time, and an iPhone 15 Pro Max will top 40% in half an hour of charging.

OnePlus sent me a special 50W wireless charger that works with the OnePlus 12. In only 15 minutes my phone was 27% charged, which is more juice than the iPhone 15 Pro Max can sip on a wired charger in the same time. Wireless charging for the OnePlus 12 is faster than most other wired competitors.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra charges at 45W on a wired charger, but wired charging is more efficient than wireless charging, so it still charges faster when plugged in than the OnePlus 12 charges wirelessly.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the OnePlus 12

OnePlus 12 from angle showing glittery finish — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Buy it if...

You want the coolest phone around
The OnePlus 12 has what no other flagship smartphone has – coolness. It looks cool, it runs cool, and it isn’t bogged down with uncool software and AI features.

Battery life and fast charging are important
The OnePlus 12 charges faster than any iPhone or Galaxy, whether you use the included (yay!) charger or OnePlus’s fast wireless option. The battery life also beats all competition.

You’ve only got a few bucks and want the most bang
The OnePlus 12 competes with the most expensive phones, so compared to any phone in its price range, it's easily the best phone you can buy.

Don't buy it if...

You want a phone that does everything
The OnePlus 12 does a lot of things right, but it skips a lot of features, like new AI tools from Google and the desktop environment, DeX, that Samsung gives you on most Galaxy S phones.

You want a phone that will last a long time
The OnePlus 12 isn’t as durable as the competition, and it isn’t IP68 water resistant. Even worse, OnePlus doesn’t offer as many years of Android updates and security patches.

You need versatile cameras for every situation
The OnePlus 12 takes great portrait shots, but if you need a zoom lens to catch your kid on the field or the stage, or you want to take macro close-ups, this camera doesn’t do everything right.

OnePlus 12 review: Also consider

The OnePlus 12 is an amazing phone for the price, but other phones in the same price range might be a better option, depending on what you do with your phone.

Samsung Galaxy S24
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is smaller than the OnePlus 12, with a smaller battery, but it’s even more powerful, with tons more features thanks to Samsung’s One UI and Google AI.

Apple iPhone 15
The iPhone 15 doesn’t have the most powerful iPhone cameras or performance, but it offers Apple’s elegant and fun iOS 17 in a sleek device that will stay up to date for five years to come.

How I tested the OnePlus 12

I tested the OnePlus 12 as my primary device for work and personal use, loading numerous apps and services including my email accounts, Slack and Google Meet accounts, and more. I took photos, played games, and used the OnePlus 12 for navigation and music playback in the car.

I used the OnePlus 12 with a variety of accessories, including Bluetooth earbuds like the Google Pixel Buds Pro and OnePlus Buds Pro 2, as well as the Ray Ban Meta smart glasses. I used the OnePlus 12 with my car stereo, and with an Xbox controller while playing games.

I tested the splash resistance of the OnePlus 12 by spraying it with water from my kitchen sink, but I did not submerge the phone.

For battery and benchmark testing, I worked with Future Labs to coordinate testing. I also tested the device’s charging on my own using a wireless AirVOOC charger supplied by OnePlus.

DJI Mic 2: Two-minute review

The DJI Mic 2 is a portable wireless mic system that delivers high-quality sound – especially clear vocals – without the fuss that often comes with complicated pro-level audio gear.

Succeeding the DJI Mic, which is a TechRadar favorite for those creating video content on the go, this second-gen model is a big upgrade in a familiar package and boasts smart pro-level features, namely 32-bit float audio and AI-powered ‘intelligent noise reduction’.

With reliable magnetic mounts for quick mic setup with your subjects, and instant sync between mic and receiver, plus optional lav mics available, you can start recording audio in the DJI Mic 2's auto mode, even in complex environments, without worrying about clipping, or unpredictable distracting noise around you.

I'd definitely opt for the complete kit, which includes two transmitters (mics, with windshields) for dual-channel audio, and one receiver that attaches to your camera of choice. Two transmitters can cover two subjects, or a single subject with stereo sound, whatever your camera. These components come in a charging case that auto syncs what's inside, plus the necessary connectors, and it all squeezes into a tiny carry case.

You can buy a single transmitter with receiver, or any of the individual components, but at $349 / £309 for the complete kit (about AU$530 – pricing for Australia is TBC), the DJI Mic 2 is a dream bit of gear for solo content creators and small video productions lacking a dedicated audio specialist on set.

Competition-wise, the DJI Mic 2 most directly goes up against the Rode Wireless Pro; and thanks to its smart noise reduction feature and lower price, DJI's offering might just have the edge.

DJI Mic 2: Price and release date

Available as a complete kit with charging case for $349 / £309
Can be bought as one transmitter and receiver for $219 / £189

The DJI Mic 2 is available now, with the complete kit comprising two transmitters (in Black or Pearl White), one receiver, a charging case, Lightning and USB-C receiver connectors, two windshields, a lav mic, plus carry case, and costs $349 / £309 (about AU$530). If you only need a single receiver and no charging case, then it's $219 / £189 (about AU$330), while you can buy some of the items separately, like the transmitters for $99 / £89 (about AU$150).

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DJI Mic 2 complete kit in charging case with lid open — (Image credit: Future)

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DJI Mic 2 charging case, closed — (Image credit: Future)

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DJI Mic 2 complete kit in its carry case — (Image credit: Future)

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Flat lay of the complete DJI Mic 2 kit on white table — (Image credit: Future)

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DJI Mic 2 transmitter in the hand with wind shield attached — (Image credit: Future)

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DJI Mic 2 receiver in the hand — (Image credit: Future)

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DJI Mic 2 recevier in the hand — (Image credit: Future)

DJI Mic 2: features

Let's unpack the headline feature: 32-bit float. This is all the rage in the video production world, and rightly so, as it affords great flexibility for small crews that need a mic that simply captures sound clearly, even when the volume gets super-loud all of a sudden, or if your main subject is painfully quiet.

In technical speak, 32-bit has a dynamic range of 192db, but it's not a fixed frequency point, and can encode wider values with a potential range that covers up to 1,528dB. That's the flexibility I was just talking about.

If your interviewee shouts into the mic, the audio won't clip; if they speak very quietly, you can raise the volume without introducing audio noise. Put simply, vocals should remain clear in any situation. Speaking from experience working on high-stress shoots with low resources, 32-bit float has been a lifesaver.

By contrast, the highly capable first-gen DJI Mic 2 records 24-bit audio with a range up to 144.5dB, while mics that record in 16-bit only cover 96.3dB. If you set audio gain correctly from the start, 24-bit should sufficiently capture the required range of audio frequencies. However, the reality for many video productions is that audio simply cannot be monitored easily on set, where anything can happen, including sudden high-frequency incidents (loud noises).

You can see the difference between using the DJI Mic 2 and a phone's built-in mic below…

@techradar
♬ just outside, you can see the northern lights - Daniel G. Harmann

Digital photography is a loose analogy, but it's a bit like the difference between shooting raw instead of JPEG. If you nail the exposure and color correctly at the point of capture, then JPEG is sufficient; if you don't – say your photo is too bright and detail in the sky is washed out – then that detail is lost.

If you shoot in raw instead, you can recover way more high-quality detail that would otherwise be lost with JPEGs when the exposure is too bright or dark, and more easily correct color temperature when it’s off. So, even if you get it wrong at capture, you can still produce a decent final image.

While shooting raw isn't quite the same as using 32-bit float, you get the picture. When things go wrong – which they often do on set and on location, no matter your skill level – then 32-bit float gives you the flexibility you need to handle the unexpected.

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Dji Mic 2 receiver mounted to a mirrorless camera — (Image credit: Future)

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DJI Mic 2 receiver attached to a mirrorless camera — (Image credit: Future)

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DJI Mic 2 receiver attached to a shirt pocket using its magnet — (Image credit: Future)

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DJI Mic 2 receiver atttached to the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 — (Image credit: Future)

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While 32-bit float gives a wider dynamic range for complete sound and the flexibility to avoid clipping, it still needs a decent-quality mic, and to that degree DJI's omnidirectional mics have been lavished with AI noise reduction that effectively reduces environmental noise.

Now you might want environmental noise in your audio for a richer viewer experience; however, if it overpowers vocals then you need to keep a lid on it. With the DJI Mic 2, you get to choose – the new AI noise reduction can be turned on and off in an instant with a simple tap of the icon on the 1.1-inch touchscreen.

DJI Mic 2: performance

I've used the mic on a windy countryside walk, and in a noisy conference hall – though I haven't travel-vlogged from a bustling city street yet – and the new feature works really well. There's certainly a marked difference in quality between the DJI Mic 2 and the built-in mic of your smartphone or camera.

I can tell that the smart noise reduction feature will be able to deal with the hum of road traffic or an air conditioner fan near an interviewee, ensuring maximum possible vocal clarity, and making this is a great kit for small teams that do lots of interview content.

You can now also bypass the Mic 2's receiver altogether, using a direct Bluetooth connection between camera and transmitter – after all, there are times when you'd rather not plug the receiver into the underside of your phone (or your DJI Omso Pocket 3 / Osmo Action 4). You lose the ability to record in 32-bit float with this connection method, but it could be worth the compromise.

You can also opt for Safety Track, which simultaneously records a backup second track at -6dB into the transmitter, which has 8BG of built-in storage that's sufficient for thousands of hours of audio content. It's a handy feature should there be severe audio spikes.

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DJI Mic 2 charging case from above with lid open and receiver removed — (Image credit: Future)

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Profile of the DJI Mic 2 receiver in the hand

(Image credit: Future)

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Despite its pro-level features, you don’t need to be an audio expert to get started with the DJI Mic 2 – quite the opposite in fact. As I said before, the complete kit has everything you need: it includes a charging case, in which you can store and charge the two transmitters (mics) and one receiver, and in which all three devices are automatically paired, so they’re ready to go in an instant.

It’s super-quick to set up the transmitters, using the strong magnets that securely fix them in place on clothing, or a clip if you'd rather not use the magnets. If the transmitters are a little bulky for your taste, an optional lav mic can be attached instead.

You can use the Mic 2 transmitter as a standalone omnidirectional mic with noise reduction and record onto its 8GB built-in memory, but most people will use the mics with the receiver connected to a camera that has USB-C, Lightning, or a 3.5mm jack connectivity, with audio added directly to the video files. That camera could be your phone, one of the best vlogging cameras, like the DJI Pocket 3, or many mirrorless and DSLR cameras.

Battery life has been upped from the first-gen model, too, from 15 hours to 18 hours, making this is an excellent bit of kit for extended time out in the field.

If you want to produce engaging video content, great quality sound is vital, but achieving that is easier said than done. For vloggers and small video production outfits often working on high-pressure shoots with limited resources, the powerful, smart and no-fuss DJI Mic 2 is a superb option.

DJI Mic 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You're a solo or small video production team
If you don't have someone constantly monitoring sound, you need a versatile mic that you can rely on whatever happens during the take, and the DJI Mic 2 is just that.

You need clear vocals
Whether you're a small crew filming interviews or a solo vlogger out and about, the DJI Mic 2 delviers crips vocals.

You want easy-to-use pro audio features
I can't reiterate enough just how easy it is to get started, connected, and recording high-quality audio, whatever your skill level.

Don't buy it if...

You don't record vocals regularly
The DJI Mic 2 is all about clear vocals, wherever you are. So if you shoot video that doesn't feature a lot of talking, then you probably don't need it.

You don't want to fiddle with 32-bit float in post production
The industry-standard video output is 24-bit, so you'll need to convert those 32-bit files in post. That said, you can just record in 24-bit instead.

DJI Mic 2: How I tested

I had the DJI Mic 2 for several weeks
Used with a smartphone, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, and a mirrorless camera
I used it with and without 32-bit float and AI noise reduction

I used the DJI Mic 2 complete kit for several weeks, testing how easy it was to set up and connect to devices, as well as testing the quality of its audio recordings.

I've used its 32-bit float audio capture and other settings, and I've used it with the AI noise reduction turned on and off to make comparisons. I've used the mic outside on windy countryside walks, and in echoey interiors, and I also used it to record videos for TechRadar's TikTok channels.

First reviewed January 2024

GPU security flaw exposes AI data of millions of iPhones, MacBooks

9:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI, GPU | Comments: Off

A report of a GPU security flaw appeared online, reported by Trail of Bits. According to the researchers, millions of Apple iPhones and MacBooks, along with devices with AMD or Qualcomm chips, are affected. The issue, neatly called LeftoverLocals, is with GPU memory that stores AI data, which uses the graphics unit rather than the SoC. The vulnerability allows hackers to extract personal information that is easily accessible on the local memory of the GPU. Apple confirmed it is aware of the problem and has already patched some devices with the M3 or A17 Bionic chip, but older iPhone 12...

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review – finally, the Plus has a reason to exist

9:00 pm | January 17, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: AI, Android Auto, OS, US | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Two-minute preview

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus was rumored to be the last Plus-branded entry in Samsung’s long-running flagship Galaxy S series, and had a successor – the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus – not been unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2024, it would’ve been easy to forgive the company for calling time on its awkwardly-positioned middle-child devices.

Despite offering Galaxy Ultra sizing at a more accessible price, Samsung’s Galaxy Plus phones have seldom, if ever, proven better value for money than its all-singing, all-dancing Ultra devices. This year, though, the Galaxy S24 Plus is a much more enticing proposition: its display is objectively better than the one you'll find on the standard-sized Samsung Galaxy S24, and it doesn’t lose out on the impressive AI features that Samsung is touting as the key selling point of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Specifically, the Galaxy S24 Plus benefits from QHD+ display technology – a feature previously reserved for the Galaxy S23 Ultra – and a bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset (or Samsung’s own Exynos 2400, depending on your region) that places AI at the forefront of the mobile experience. The former upgrade is far from game-changing – it essentially means the Plus’s 6.7-inch screen is sharper and more detailed than the S24’s FHD+ equivalent – but it’s enough to better differentiate the Plus from its cheaper sibling. The latter, by contrast, brings a parity to the Galaxy S24 range that we haven’t seen, well, ever.

Galaxy AI is the umbrella term for Samsung’s suite of AI-powered features, which range from real-time text and call translation to generative photo editing. I tried out several of these features during my brief hands-on time with the Galaxy S24 Plus, and while their level of real-world utility remains to be seen, their seamless integration into Samsung’s One UI is seriously impressive.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus hands on front handheld angled home screen — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

On the physical upgrade front, the Galaxy S24 Plus sports marginally narrower bezels and a slightly flatter design than its predecessor, though its (supposedly stronger) Armor Aluminum frame is the most noticeable change. The phone’s 4,900mAh battery is a touch larger, too, though this is unlikely to equate to much (if any) real-world battery life improvement.

If you’re after the best camera phone around, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the way to go, but the new Plus model boasts some decent photography hardware nonetheless. The phone retains its predecessor’s 50MP wide lens (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto lens (f/2.4, 3x optical zoom), and 12MP selfie camera (f/2.2), though the aforementioned addition of Galaxy AI has thrown some neat new AI-powered editing capabilities into the mix.

I haven’t spent enough time with the Galaxy S24 Plus to deliver a full verdict on its value-for-money offering yet, but after some brief hands-on time with the device at Galaxy Unpacked 2024, I can safely say that Samsung’s latest second-tier flagship is an objectively better phone than last year’s S23 Plus – and one that might finally make buyers think twice.

If you're interested in our thoughts on the other new Galaxy phones, check out our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 review and our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review.

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Price and availability

Starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699
Preorders are open now
Shipping from January 31

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus was announced at Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event on January 17, 2024. Samsung Galaxy S24 preorders are live now, and all three new devices will begin shipping on January 31.

Pricing for the Galaxy S24 Plus starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 for the base configuration (8GB RAM / 256GB storage), and rises to £1,099 / AU$1,899 for the model with 8GB RAM / 512GB storage. I’ll be updating this article with US pricing for the latter configuration as soon as I have it.

For comparison, the Galaxy S23 Plus started at $999.99 / £1,049 / $1,649 for the model with 8GB RAM / 256GB storage, so £999 marks a welcome £50 decrease (in the UK, at least).

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Specs

Here's a look at the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus' specs and how it compares to its stablemates.

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Design

Slightly flatter edges and narrower bezels
New Armor Aluminum frame

Samsung Galaxy S24 S24 Plus S24 Ultra hands on back straight — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

For the second year running, Samsung’s newest Galaxy Plus model places emphasis on meaningful internal upgrades over a dramatic aesthetic redesign. But that’s not to say the Galaxy S24 Plus looks identical to its predecessor.

Measuring 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm and weighing 196g, this year’s Plus phone has slightly narrower bezels, slightly flatter edges (think the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy Z Fold 5) and a more durable Armor Aluminum frame versus the Galaxy S23 Plus.

Personally, I’m all for the changes – the S23 Plus’s mirrored frame was a garish fingerprint magnet – although you’d be hard pressed to distinguish the Galaxy S24 Plus from its predecessor when viewing the two phones at a glance.

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Display

QHD+ display for the first time in a Plus model
Enhanced outdoor visibility
New 2,600-nit peak brightness

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus hands on front handheld straight lock screen — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

For the first time, the display on Samsung’s latest Galaxy Plus model is objectively superior to the display used by its standard sibling. Specifically, the Galaxy S24 Plus uses a 6.65-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X display, with QHD+ technology that delivers improved sharpness and detail compared to the screen on the smaller Galaxy S24. Previously, QHD+ displays have been reserved for Samsung’s Ultra phones, and although the differences here aren’t all that noticeable, it’s good to see Samsung giving the Galaxy S24 Plus the best screen possible.

The other display upgrades are shared between the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus. Both phones get a new peak brightness of 2,600 nits, as well as improved outdoor visibility thanks to Samsung’s Vision Booster feature. Their refresh rates have also been improved – you’ll now get 1-120Hz instead of 48-120Hz.

All of these features combine to deliver the biggest, boldest and brightest Galaxy S Plus display yet, and although I’ll need to conduct further testing, I was able to use the phone under the bright lights of Samsung’s hands-on testing space without issue.

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Cameras

Same triple-lens setup as the Galaxy S23 Plus
Up to 8K video at 30fps
AI features are impressive but potentially problematic

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus hands on camera closeup — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

If there’s one big disappointment with the Galaxy S24 Plus, it’s the lack of changes in the camera hardware department. The phone retains its predecessor’s 50MP wide lens (f/1.8), 12MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto lens (f/2.4, 3x optical zoom), and 12MP selfie camera (f/2.2). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – I was impressed with the all-round photography capabilities of the Galaxy S23 Plus – but an S23 Ultra-style 200MP main sensor wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Samsung has instead turned to AI for this year’s camera-related Galaxy upgrades, with a suite of new editing tools on hand to help you re-compose and remaster photos. Edit Suggestion, for instance, uses Galaxy AI to suggest suitable photo tweaks, while Generative Edit can fill in parts of an image background with generative AI. Instant Slow-mo can generate additional frames to add more detail (or the illusion of more detail) to videos, while Super HDR reveals lifelike previews before the shutter is ever pressed.

I’ll need to further test these features before passing judgment on their utility, but the demos given by Samsung staff for each were supremely impressive. Generative AI looks particularly mind-blowing, although it does raise some awkward questions about authenticity, beauty standards, and the value of photography in 2024.

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Performance

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset in the US, Exynos 2400 elsewhere
Larger vapor chamber and ray tracing support

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus hands on back table angled — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Much to the chagrin of Samsung fans the world over, Samsung has again split the chipset offering for its latest Galaxy phones – though rumors suggest that the situation isn’t as bad as it was for the Galaxy S22 line, where the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 outperformed the Exynos 2200 by some margin).

Specifically, the chipset powering your Galaxy S24 Plus depends on the region in which you buy the phone. Those in the US get a bespoke version of Qualcomm’s newly released Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, while those in Europe and other regions get Samsung’s new Exynos 2400 chipset. Luckily, however, early benchmark results promise similar real-world performance from both chipsets, so I don’t expect the differences to be significant this year, although the Snapdragon may prove slightly more efficient than the Exynos in the long run.

In my brief time with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Galaxy S24 Plus, the phone was able to juggle gaming, heavy-duty video recording, and multiple apps with ease.

Speaking of gaming, the Galaxy S24 Plus benefits from a vapor chamber that’s 1.9x larger than its predecessor, which Samsung says will deliver improved heat dissipation. All three Galaxy S24 phones offer ray tracing support, too, so the Galaxy S24 Plus might prove to be one of the best gaming phones of 2024.

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Software

Galaxy AI enables several experience-enhancing features
Seven years of OS updates and seven years of security updates

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus hands on on-device AI only mode — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The ace(s) in the hole for the Galaxy S24 Plus are its new AI capabilities, which Samsung says are “aimed at enhancing every part of life.” Here’s how the company describes the key features of Galaxy AI:

When you need to communicate defying language barriers, Galaxy S24 makes it easier than ever. Chat with a student or colleague from abroad. Book a reservation while on vacation in another country. It’s all possible with Live Translate, two-way, real-time voice and text translations of phone calls within the native app. No third-party apps are required, and on-device AI keeps conversations completely private.
With Interpreter, live conversations can be instantly translated on a split-screen view so people standing opposite each other can read a text transcription of what the other person has said. It even works without cellular data or Wi-Fi.
For messages and other apps, Chat Assist can help perfect conversational tones to ensure communication sounds as it was intended: like a polite message to a co-worker or a short and catchy phrase for a social media caption.
In the car meanwhile, Android Auto will automatically summarize incoming messages and suggest relevant replies and actions, like sending someone your ETA, so you can stay connected while staying focused on the road.
Organisation also gets a big boost with Note Assist in Samsung Notes, featuring AI-generated summaries, template creation that streamlines notes with pre-made formats, and cover creation to make notes easy to spot with a brief preview.
For voice recordings, even when there are multiple speakers, Transcript Assist uses AI and Speech-to-Text technology to transcribe, summarize and even translate recordings.
Communication isn’t the only way Galaxy S24 takes the fundamental benefits of the phone into the future. Online search has transformed nearly every aspect of life. Galaxy S24 marks a milestone in the history of search as the first phone to debut intuitive, gesture-driven Circle to Search with Google. With a long press on the home button, you can circle, highlight, scribble on, or tap anything on Galaxy S24’s screen to see helpful, high-quality search results.

Naturally, I’ll be taking these AI-powered features for a proper spin as I test the Galaxy S24 Plus for my full review, but the early signs are promising. Circle to Search with Google worked perfectly when I tried to identify a plant, two different watches and even my battered backpack during my hands-on session, while Live Translate worked well, too (though it remains to be seen how effective this feature will be when it comes to interpreting colloquialisms and muffled phrases).

Also on the software front, Samsung is committing to seven years of OS updates and seven years of security updates for the Galaxy S24 Plus and its siblings, which is a welcome improvement on the five years we’ve come to expect from the company (and brings the S24 range in line with the Google Pixel 8 and Apple’s latest iPhones). In other words, you’ll be able to use the Galaxy S24 Plus without fear of being left behind until at least 2031. Yikes.

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Battery

4,900mAh battery is a slight upgrade

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus hands on bottom handheld angled — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The Galaxy S24 Plus has a 4,900mAh battery, which is a 200mAh increase over the S23 Plus’s 4,700mAh power pack. That said, I’m not expecting the new phone to offer significantly better real-world battery life than its predecessor. I found that the Galaxy S23 Plus could comfortably last for almost two days when testing that phone, so I’m anticipating something similar from the Galaxy S24 Plus. I’ll confirm as much in my upcoming review of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 review – the Galaxy’s pocket powerhouse

9:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: AI, Google Pixel | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy S24: One-minute review

If you think the Samsung Galaxy S24 is basic compared to the mighty Galaxy S24 Ultra, think again. The smaller Galaxy S24 is a super-powered marvel, with all the processing power of Samsung’s best phone, packed into a much smaller design that is easier to fit into a fashionable pocket.

What can you do with this much power in such a small phone? You can use the new AI tools from Samsung and Google, including the cool Circle to Search that easily answers the question “hey, what’s that?!” whether you’re looking at a web page, a YouTube video, or even a photo you just took. You also get the Samsung Galaxy AI translation that work like magic, changing your words into a foreign tongue and letting you understand somebody across the language barrier.

You can also play games, obviously, and the Galaxy S24 is a gaming powerhouse, made better by its take-anywhere size. This phone easily beats the iPhone 15 in side-by-side gaming tests, and it approaches Pro power in terms of processing and productivity. It can even run Samsung DeX, the desktop environment that makes your phone work like a real computer when you plug in a keyboard, monitor, and mouse.

While Apple scrimps on the CPU in its iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, giving those phones last year’s processor, Samsung endows every Galaxy S24 phone with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, at least in the US. Elsewhere, this phone and the Galaxy S24 Plus might use the Samsung Semiconductor Exynos 2400 chipset, and we’ll be testing that model shortly, but we expect performance will be similar no matter where you buy the S24 and S24 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S24 battery settings — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The result is a phone that not only runs fast, but also runs a long time, as we’ve seen great battery performance from phones with the latest Snapdragon on board. In battery life, the Galaxy S24 easily beats competitors at this size and price, lasting hours longer than the iPhone 15 or Pixel 8.

The Galaxy S24 has a display that can crank out terrific brightness, though it isn’t the brightest or the sharpest display you’ll find. I had no complaints, even though I need to wear my reading glasses to read fine print at the highest resolution setting on the Galaxy S24. The display looks brilliant, no matter how bright or dim it was set.

For cameras, the Galaxy S24 can’t compete with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, a phone that costs $500 more in the US, but it has the specs and features to take on the latest Pixel, and iPhone 15 fans should be jealous of the real 3X zoom lens that the Galaxy offers. There’s no optical zoom on the iPhone 15, and once again Samsung wins with versatility, if not pure image quality.

It’s not all good news, though. Samsung’s software lags far behind. It’s a lustrous garden grown wild. Features never seem to die, they just snarl the home screen and make the Settings menu a thicket of thorns.

Samsung Galaxy S24 from the side showing camera lenses and back violet color — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung needs to prune its features and simplify, especially if it wants to win over iPhone fans some day. The iPhone 15 doesn’t make you dig through three layers of Settings to find the coolest new features. It just works. Samsung needs to just work a lot more on its software, because the Galaxy gets harder to use every year. Soon, it will be too far gone.

If you want more battery life, more versatility, and some seriously powerful productivity features, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is the right choice. If you don’t care about all the extras and just want a phone that nails the basics, there are simpler and more elegant options available from Apple and Google, but Samsung gives you a sense of the possibilities that are coming in the future. You just have to drag the phone out of the past to find it.

Galaxy S24 review: Price and availability

Samsung Galaxy S24 in violet from back — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, and Aussies get more storage to start
Nobody pays full price for a Samsung phone
It’s worth spending more for the 256GB of storage (at least)

The Galaxy S24 is priced as expected, and it’s a bit less expensive in the UK than last year’s phone. You still get the same 128GB of storage, except in Australia where Samsung starts this phone at 256GB and offers a higher-capacity 512GB model. The extra storage is worth buying, since the cameras on the S24 are good enough that you could fill it up with photos and videos.

Samsung always seems to have deals available for Galaxy S phones, whether that’s doubling the storage for free or offering a bonus on your trade. In the US, Samsung will give you at least $100 for any phone you trade, which effectively knocks the price to $699 for almost everybody. At that price, the Galaxy S24 is a bit cheaper than Apple’s iPhone 15 (and Apple is NOT generous with trade in values), and closer to the Google Pixel 8 or OnePlus 12, with a similar trade offer.

Unless you are a serious camera hound, or you want a much bigger display, there’s no reason to spring for the Galaxy S24 Ultra instead. It’s a massive price jump that doesn’t equate to a big performance boost. Sure, the Ultra is a bigger phone with a bigger battery inside, so it lasts a bit longer, but otherwise performance is very similar when you are playing games or running intense apps, like Adobe Lightroom for photo editing.

The Galaxy S24 is a great value compared to the competition at this price. It’s far more powerful than the Google Pixel 8, and though both phones come with a promise of seven years of Android updates, it’s easier to envision the Galaxy S24 lasting until 2031, while I can’t imagine a Pixel 8 that’s capable of anything in seven years.

Compared to the iPhone 15, you certainly get a lot more with the Galaxy S24, including a real zoom lens and a much bigger battery, but the experience is entirely different. Apple phones work best when you know more people with Apple phones, so if all of your friends are on iPhone, it may be worth getting a phone with iOS 17 so you can NameDrop and blue-bubble all you like. Apple phones also tend to hold their value better than Android phones, though that gap is closing every year.

Value score: 4 / 5

Galaxy S24 review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy S24 home screen — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S24 may be the ‘base model’ of the family, but it’s no slouch in terms of specs. It has the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor that makes the Galaxy S24 Ultra blazing fast, and it has more camera options and a bigger battery than a comparable iPhone 15. The display is also better than other phones this size — it’s brighter than even the Pixel 8, with better color accuracy as well.

Galaxy S24 review: Design

Samsung Galaxy S24 violet from the side — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Looks a lot like an iPhone 15
Lots of unique color options at launch
No titanium or Gorilla Armor, that’s Ultra-only

The Samsung pendulum sways back and forth between copying Apple and striking out on its own. This year the Galaxy S24 is much closer to the iPhone 15 design than it has been in many years, while the S24 Ultra looks just a bit more unique. It’s the curve at the corners of the display that really bring home the similarity. The Galaxy S24, like an iPhone, is well-rounded at the corners, while the S24 Ultra is all right angles.

This isn’t a terrible thing, it just isn’t very unique. At least Samsung has some nice colors this year. My review unit came in the Cobalt Violet color, which is very pretty but a little sad, like the stormy purple Apple once used on its iPhone. More vibrant are the Sandstone Orange and Amber Yellow options. I wish they were a bit more saturated and prime, but they do look natural, with a nice matte finish and texture to the back glass.

The glass is unfortunately Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which was the best of the best last year, but now we’ve seen Gorilla Armor on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and it’s hard to settle for less. My Galaxy S24 review unit already has a scratch on the back glass, and I don’t have a case for this phone yet. Gorilla Armor is more scratch resistant, and Samsung has done a great job reducing reflections and glare, but only on the Ultra model.

Samsung still does a great job keeping its phones thin and light. This is no Ultra, and if you want a phone you can use with one hand, the Galaxy S24 is a great option. It’s thinner than the iPhone or Google Pixel, and it’s also the lightest of the bunch. Usually a lighter phone means less battery inside, but the Galaxy S24 beats all competitors for battery life, so it’s not a concern.

Design score: 4 / 5

Galaxy S24 review: Display

Samsung Galaxy S24 generative AI home screen wallpaper — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Excellent display is colorful and bright
Not as sharp as some competitors, but still looks great
Maybe too small for all the features Samsung crams in

Samsung is a perennial favorite when it comes to smartphone displays, and the Galaxy S24 is no disappointment, but it also isn’t the clear winner in any aspect. I enjoyed reading web pages, playing games, and editing photos on the smaller screen, and even small text was legible and sharp (with proper eyewear). The screen was also plenty bright, even in outdoor sunlight taking photos with the camera.

Samsung isn’t giving us the sharpest display with the Galaxy S24, and it’s odd for the company to fall behind a bit. The Google Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 both have a higher pixel density, making them technically sharper, though you might not notice the difference. The Galaxy S24 can get brighter than both of those phones, but 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.

Overall I had no complaints about the display unless I’m truly nitpicking. In our Future Labs tests, the Galaxy S24 had a wider color gamut than any competitor. Samsung is still sticky about Dolby Vision HDR support, which is what Netflix favors, but HDR10+ content looks great, and you can find that on every other major streamer.

While I like carrying a smaller phone, the six-inch display on the Galaxy S24 isn’t quite big enough to hold all of Samsung’s features. The Edge Panel is turned on by default, and it takes up so much room on the side of the phone that it was easy to swipe it open accidentally when I just wanted to use a back swipe gesture.

The Quick Panel also became more complex, and this makes it harder to read and use on the smaller Galaxy S24 display than it was on larger Samsung screens. Overall, more software simplicity would help show off that screen, instead of bogging it down with icons and menu clutter.

Display score: 4 / 5

Galaxy S24 review: Software

Samsung Galaxy S24 showing edge panels and home screen clutter — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Needs a lot of work to simplify and improve
Too many features are buried in Settings menu
Too many features, period

The good news about software on the Galaxy S24 is that it can do just about everything the Galaxy S24 Ultra can do, short of using the S Pen. The bad news is that it can do everything the Galaxy S24 Ultra can do, and no less. Every bit of complexity, often designed for the largest smartphone display possible, is still present in the Galaxy S24. It’s a mess.

The Galaxy S24 is super-powered, there is no doubt. There are big software features, like Samsung DeX, which gives you a Chromebook-like interface when you plug your phone into an external monitor. There are also fine, granular controls over everything, from battery and power management to Wi-Fi and networking to screen response and menus to … well, everything. There is no end to what you can do with the Galaxy S24, and it is easy to get very lost.

Samsung needs to simplify. There are too many features that are impossible to find, like wireless power sharing, which should let me charge my earbuds by setting the case on top of my Galaxy S24. Unfortunately, I can’t find the button to make this happen, not without a treasure map and a pickaxe (it’s under Battery, that’s my only hint to you).

The software problems are starting to feel like laziness. In setting up my Galaxy S24, I was excited when my older Samsung phone found the new S24 quickly and offered to transfer all of my stuff. This process quickly failed without warning, and I had to repeat it. After it failed the second time, I was asked on another screen to use Samsung Smart Switch, which somehow worked. Why not just start there?

The first time I turned on the Galaxy S24, I needed to update a ton of apps in the Google Play Store, and the updates failed, then disappeared. I opened the Galaxy App Store and found a slew of updates there, as well, even though there was no notification. My Galaxy was suddenly downloading strange Samsung software, including a blockchain manager? I don’t use anything blockchain at all.Then there are all the apps. There are too many apps from Samsung, too many apps from Google, and somehow even Microsoft gets its own folder?! On a Samsung phone, running a Google operating system? Good job, Microsoft. I hope it got what it paid for.

All of this just feels lazy, or cynical, or both. It doesn’t feel like Samsung has my best interest at heart, from the moment I start using the Galaxy S24. It feels like the software is pushing me to do more, to buy more, and use more. I just want simplicity. I just want it to work.

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Samsung Galaxy S24 apps screen showing all preloaded apps from Samsung, Google, and Microsoft — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

All the apps preloaded on the Galaxy S24

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All the apps preloaded on the Galaxy S24

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All the apps preloaded on the Galaxy S24

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All the apps preloaded on the Galaxy S24

Then there are all the apps. There are too many apps from Samsung, too many apps from Google, and somehow even Microsoft gets its own folder?! On a Samsung phone, running a Google operating system? Good job, Microsoft. I hope it got what it paid for.

Software score: 2 / 5

Galaxy S24 review: Cameras

Samsung Galaxy S24 camera app with my dog Beesly — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Most versatile cameras on a phone this price
Great image quality with better color and dynamic range
Cool new AI photo editing tools are fun to try

Sure, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is our top camera phone, but that doesn’t mean the Galaxy S24 is a slouch. Most of the great work Samsung has done improving its image processing carries through here. Photos I shot with the Galaxy S24 look better, more natural, than photos taken with either the Galaxy S23 or my iPhone 15.

You also get a real zoom lens with the Galaxy S24, and it helps a great deal. Having a real 3X zoom brings you closer to the field, or the stage, even if the zoom lens is paired to a woefully small sensor that produces images with more noise and blur than I’d like. No matter, neither the Pixel 8 nor the iPhone 15 has optical zoom around back, and real zoom is always better than digital zoom, all things being equal.

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Samsung Galaxy S24 camera lenses up close macro photos — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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You might occasionally get better shots from the main camera on the iPhone 15, and the Google Pixel 8 does a better job with low light images, but the Galaxy S24 is much more versatile. I actually find Samsung’s different camera modes, like the Food mode or the dual-camera video recording mode, to be fun and useful. My baked goods look delectable when I shoot them with the Galaxy, and the dual-camera video is great for reaction shots with my kiddo.

Samsung also brings a bunch of AI tricks into the camera, both in the Camera app and Samsung’s image Gallery. I wish there weren’t two photo apps, including Google Photos, but here we are. Unlike the Pixel, which gives you AI editing in Google Photos, Samsung keeps its Magic Editor software in the Gallery.

With Magic Editor, you can resize an object in your photo and move it around. You can erase the background entirely and replace it with something new. The phone will use AI to figure out what’s happening in the foreground and match the new background appropriately. There is also a tool that adds more background to an image if you rotate it and end up with blank space.

In practice, these are surprisingly useful. I like erasing spectators in the way when I’m trying to see my kid on the field. The generative AI did a nice job without a heavy hand, and the results usually looked natural enough. I hope Samsung doesn’t go too much further into creating fake imagery, but the Galaxy S24 will affix a watermark to images that have been edited using AI.

Galaxy S24 camera samples

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Samsung Galaxy S24 image samples from cameras — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Camera score: 4 / 5

Galaxy S24 review: Performance

Samsung Galaxy S24 quick settings panel — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Excellent performance, close to the Galaxy S24 Ultra
More RAM would help, but isn’t necessary
Only hiccups were new AI features

Don’t let the smaller size of the Galaxy S24 fool you, Samsung has given this phone the same powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor found in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It’s even overclocked a bit compared to the same processor in competitors' phones, like the OnePlus 12, so it will outperform any other Android you’ll find, and any iPhone 15 that isn’t a Pro model.

What can you do with that performance? You can play games like Call of Duty Mobile at the highest settings and still hit 60fps. You can run Adobe Lightroom and watch your photo edits happen in real-time as you move the sliders. You can run Samsung DeX and open multiple windows on your monitor simultaneously. There’s a ton of power packed into this phone.

The only time I saw a real delay was when I used the new Google and Galaxy AI features. Holding down the home button to activate Google’s circle to search took a few moments. In fact, I wasn’t sure the feature was actually working at first because I wasn’t patient enough waiting for it to start.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Advanced Intelligence settings — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Using Samsung’s Galaxy AI features caused a similar delay. When I asked the keyboard to rewrite my text messages, there was a long pause. When I recorded a speech using the Voice Recorder, it could not transcribe on the fly, like my Pixel 8 can, and there was a longer delay when I asked for a summary.

It’s too bad that Samsung has a performance leader that can beat a comparable iPhone, but the new AI features are the only thing that slows it down. It’s unclear if this will get any faster with software updates, as the AI features are a mix of cloud services and on-device processing. There are bottlenecks with both.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra technically outperformed the Galaxy S24, likely due to the extra RAM on board. The Galaxy S24 only ships with 8GB of RAM installed, while the S24 Ultra comes with 12GB. In practice, it was hard to see a difference unless I held the phones side-by-side, and then I noticed the S24 Ultra finishing some tasks just a bit faster. The Galaxy S24 was still able to open multiple apps at once and handle gaming at the highest graphics levels, so I had no complaints about its performance.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Galaxy S24 review: Battery life

Samsung Galaxy S24 USB C charging port — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Excellent battery life, even though the battery didn’t grow much
Charging speeds could be faster
Plenty of power management, hidden under software menus

The Galaxy S24 has a battery that is only slightly larger than last year’s Galaxy S23, but battery life has seen a significant improvement, giving me hours more active screen time and lasting a full day with little trouble. On a normal day of use, the Galaxy S24 lasted until bed time with no trouble. On a day of heavy gaming and photography, I still lasted into the evening with a quick top up while I was making dinner.

I wish the Galaxy S24 would charge faster, as things haven’t improved since last year. I was able to get the battery to just over 50% in 30 minutes, just like with my iPhone 15. The Pixel 8 charges a bit faster, but cool phones like the OnePlus 12 (which costs the same) can charge at extreme speeds and fill the battery completely in a half hour.

There are plenty of adaptive modes to help you save battery life, but good luck finding them in Samsung’s terrible Settings menu. You can just trust that the phone will do a good job, like I did, and occasionally turn on Power Saving from the Quick Settings panel, which will work nicely.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S24?

Samsung Galaxy S24 home screen options — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Buy it if...

You want a pocketable powerhouse phone
The Galaxy S24 is the most powerful phone you’ll find at this size and this price. Samsung didn’t skimp on its smaller model’s power like Apple does.

You use your phone for work a lot
Many of Samsung’s best Galaxy S24 features are made for work users, like Samsung DeX, which lets you run your phone as a full desktop computer to get real work done.

You want zoom without spending a fortune
Other phones in this price range don’t give you the camera versatility of the Galaxy S24, which includes a real 3X optical zoom that outmatches the Pixel 8 and iPhone 15.

Don't buy it if...

You want a phone that is simple to use
The Galaxy S24 is powerful and capable, but there is nothing simple about this phone. It is packed with features and many are turned on by default, so there is a steep learning curve.

All your friends have an iPhone
There are a lot of sharing features between iPhone users that make Apple’s phone great, and it’s worth considering if you don’t want to be left out of the next NameDrop.

You want the best cameras, battery and performance
If you’re considering the S24 instead of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, let’s be clear that the Ultra is the clear winner for cameras, battery life, and the performance, and that’s before we take out the S Pen.

Galaxy S24 review: Also consider

The Galaxy S24 is a great pick for the price, but there are still reasons to look elsewhere. If you're not sold on Samsung's smaller Galaxy, check out these other options from Apple, Google, and OnePlus.

Apple iPhone 15
The iPhone 15 is simple, elegant, and loaded with features that work with other iPhone users, like Apple’s new NameDrop and safety Check In. If you’re in an iPhone crowd, it’s worth considering.

Google Pixel 8
The Pixel 8 isn’t as powerful as the Galaxy S24, but Google still adds exclusive AI features and Pixel feature drops that make its phones special. Plus, Google promises seven years of Android updates, just like Samsung.

OnePlus 12
The OnePlus 12 isn’t as durable as the Galaxy S24, it isn’t totally water resistant, but it might be the one competitor that can beat the Galaxy for battery life, camera capabilities, and even performance. You just don’t get everything in the Galaxy with a OnePlus.

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S24

I tested the Galaxy S24 for one week of intense use, immediately after testing the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which uses the same software version and features. I used the Galaxy S24 to its limits, testing every new feature, especially AI. I used AI for messaging, searching, and note-taking, in addition to testing the translation features with my son, who is taking Chinese in school, and local restaurants. I also tested DeX for work, Bixby for interface control, and many other Samsung features.

I played games with the Galaxy S24, mostly Call of Duty Mobile and Marvel Snap, in addition to trying others, like the new Warcraft Rumble game that just launched. I play games at the maximum settings, with Bluetooth headphones and a Bluetooth joystick attached where appropriate.

I also tested the Galaxy S24 with accessories and external devices, including Ray Ban Meta smart glasses, and a variety of wireless earbuds, including Galaxy Buds FE, Pixel Buds Pro, and Nothing Stick 2 earbuds. I used a Dell monitor, Razer Blackwidow keyboard, and Logitech Master MX 2 mouse for DeX.

The Galaxy S24 was benchmarked in Future Labs by our resident benchmarking expert, and results were shared and discussed with review editors. Benchmarks do not affect review scores in any way, and are helpful for comparison but not for real-world review purposes.

I tested the Galaxy S24 camera in a shootout against the OnePlus 12 and Galaxy S24 Ultra. I took hundreds of photographs under the same lighting conditions for each, with similar settings enabled. Then, I compared the photographs when viewed on a professional Dell monitor at full resolution.

Editor's Note

• Original review date: January 2024
• Camera updates continue to roll out
• Launch price: $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199
• Lowest price on Amazon: $1,149.99 / £1,040 / AU$2,199

Update: April 2024. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is not only our pick for the best smartphone overall, it's also our favorite camera phone, at the top of our best camera phone list. That means that all eyes are on the S24 Ultra and the images it produces. Perhaps that's why Samsung keeps releasing camera updates to improve the image quality and stability of the camera system. We're on our third update since the phone launched, and image quality was always good, but Samsung is going to keep tweaking this phone, probably until we have a Galaxy S25 Ultra to play with.

Galaxy S24 Ultra: Two-minute review

If you made a list of everything you’d want on the best phone you can buy, your list would point to one phone: the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung is clearly working from the same list, and the S24 Ultra will please fans and tech enthusiasts alike. In many ways, including some I didn’t expect, the Galaxy S24 Ultra proves itself the best phone you can buy at any price.

Do you want the best battery life? The Galaxy S24 Ultra outlasts the best iPhones and every previous Galaxy phone; it lasts more than a day with intense use.

Do you want the best cameras around? The Galaxy S24 Ultra takes better photos than its predecessor, no matter what the spec sheet says. It remains the most versatile camera phone for all types of photographs. Your artistic friends may prefer the iPhone 15 Pro, but you’ll take better shots of everything if you have a Galaxy S24 Ultra.

What else do you need? If you play games, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the best gaming phones ever. It outperforms the best Android gaming phones, and it can even beat the blazing-fast iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lock screen — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

If you use your phone for work, the S24 Ultra has professional features that even the Pro iPhone can’t top, like Samsung DeX software that turns your phone into a veritable laptop, complete with windows and an application dock.

Samsung is relentless. In its pursuit to push the Galaxy S24 Ultra further than any phone that came before, it has mostly succeeded. And yet, more than ever, it’s apparent what is missing: elegance and simplicity.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best phone you can buy in all of the ways that should matter. It’s also the culmination of Samsung’s worst instincts. And while fans won’t mind suffering for Samsung’s advancements, this phone won’t be winning any switchers from the competition.

Samsung’s software is a mess. It’s a morass of settings, hidden features, and useless options that clutter the interface. It’s a jumble of features that were old five years ago, but which haven’t been either updated or abandoned since.

For every new feature Samsung adds to excite buyers, it takes two steps back, hiding those features beneath further settings menus and layers of options. If you were expecting to find new AI features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra you won’t be disappointed, as long as you’re willing to look three layers deep in the Settings app.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra showing tiktok — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung also may have squandered its brief performance lead on fanciful AI features that don’t work very well, or aren’t useful at all. Even if you find the language translation feature magical, you’ll also find a useless AI button that will reformat your Samsung Notes (who uses those?), or offer an inaccurate summarization of the web page you’re reading (gee, thanks).

Worst of all, these AI features add a delay. While you’re speeding around the new Galaxy at the fastest clip ever, these new AI features are speed bumps on the highway, and the results are just as welcome. I’m hopeful that useful AI advancements are coming, but right now we’re suffering through a lot of proofs of concept, and it’s only slowing down this otherwise lightning-fast phone.

The bottom line for the Galaxy S24 Ultra is still very high in the sky. This phone is the best you can buy, and all the software frustration and useless AI features won’t keep me from appreciating the weekend-long battery life, the unfailing cameras, and the endlessly-useful S Pen.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from the back with S Pen mostly withdrawn — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

This is the phone I use instead of my laptop or my tablet, because it’s more powerful and convenient when I need to get work done. This is the phone I show off when I want people to see what technology is coming in the near future. This is the phone I carry when I want to carry next to nothing, but still do everything.

I wish the Galaxy S24 Ultra was much easier to use, and maybe AI can solve Samsung’s usability problems in the future. I think Samsung needs a reckoning before that happens. The iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 17 is not just simpler, it’s more fun and sociable, with cool features like Name Drop and Check In that make iPhone users proud to share among iPhone friends.

Samsung doesn’t seem to care about that, but it should. The software problems have gotten bad enough that I won’t stick around much longer. The hardware is already great, and it somehow keeps getting better. Now it’s time for Samsung to focus on using the phones, instead of just building them.

Galaxy S24 Ultra: Price and value

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from the back in titanium grey — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Costs more than last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra
Seven years of OS updates could improve value
Trade in deals and launch offers aren’t as good as last year

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is more expensive at launch than last year's Ultra, and the difference is going to hurt more. The Galaxy S23 Ultra was already packed with features, and there's nothing so big and new in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It just got a little bit better in a lot of ways.

The real value could come down the road, thanks to Samsung's promise to deliver seven years of major Android and security updates. That length of long-term support was unheard of only last year, but now we have seven years of support for the best Android phones, with Apple lagging behind offering only five years of support.

Samsung can promise breathlessly, but until we get to year seven, we won't know if it will truly deliver. Apple has literally delivered on this long-term promise a dozen times already across a wide range of iPhones. Google and Samsung – not once.

There's already reason to be skeptical. Buried in Samsung's latest terms of service is a notice that the current slate of AI features may only remain free for a limited time. Frankly, we have no idea what that means and it's too early to speculate. But it's weird, in a way that seems like Samsung is building legal backdoors to weasel out of expectations. Apple doesn't do that. Only time will tell if Samsung holds up.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in front of Galaxy S23 Ultra — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I bought a Galaxy S23 Ultra last year, trading a Galaxy S21 Ultra for it, and I am sad to report that trade in deals and discounts at launch are not as enticing as they were a year ago.

If you are trading up from last year's model, expect to pay hundreds over your trade value. I'd still say it's worth making the leap, just this once. Older phones are going to be left out of the newest AI features more and more with every update. That means values could plummet the first time Samsung delivers bad news and drops the features guillotine on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, or something even newer.

In the months since I originally published this review, we have seen some deals on the Galaxy S24 Ultra on Amazon, effectively lowering the price by around $150 / £200 or so. This is still one of the most expensive phones you can buy, and we don't see Samsung dropping the price much more, even when the next generation of Galaxy Z foldable phones shows up later this year.

Is this phone worth such a high price? If you're asking that question, you are reading the wrong review. You want the Galaxy S24 Plus, which is probably worth it. This is the Ultra. This is the extreme phone; the one that does what no other phone can do. You can't put a normal price tag on Ultra. It doesn't fit.

Value Score: 3 / 5

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Specs and benchmarks

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra showing writing on lock screen — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

In our Future Labs benchmark tests of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, an astonishing thing happened. It beat the best-performing iPhone: the iPhone 15 Pro. In almost every single benchmark test we ran, the Galaxy S24 Ultra scored higher. In multi-core tests, graphics rendering tests, battery rundown tests, and many others, the Galaxy S24 Ultra beat the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Last year's Galaxy S23 Ultra was not able to top the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, and it has been quite some time since an Android device scored a resounding win in cross-platform benchmark testing.

That said, I don't use benchmark scores in my final review score, and I only mention scores out of objective curiosity, not because benchmarks should be a part of a buying decision.

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Design

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from side showing buttons — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

A big ol’ slab of smartphone
Titanium hasn’t made it lighter
Polished and classy, but unchanged

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is indistinguishable from the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which doesn't mean there are no differences, but rather the changes are inconsequential. The speaker grills are different, the microphones moved a bit, but mostly the new phone looks like the old phone. That's too bad, because while Samsung's Ultra phone oozes a certain refinement, it isn't very interesting at a glance.

A deeper inspection is rewarding. The back glass is layers upon layers of metallic paint, which gives the phone an eerie depth, especially in the ghostly, natural grey titanium finish. The violet finish is my favorite, with a great contrast against the polished metal.

Samsung pays great attention to detail when it comes to color, materials and finish. Each color has a subtly hued frame that complements the new Gorilla Glass Armor back. The titanium black is all black, while other color options edge into warmer frame tones.

Apple fans like to point out the symmetry of their phone as a pinnacle of its design. Frankly, Samsung is more smart than symmetrical. I prefer having Power and Volume buttons on the same side. It means I don't fill my photo gallery with accidental screenshots every time I grab my phone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra beneath an iPhone 15 Pro Max — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Like Apple, Samsung has opted for titanium on the frame this year, but it doesn’t make as much difference as it does on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Pro Max managed to shed considerable weight this year versus last year, about half an ounce. The Galaxy Ultra? It’s a single gram lighter, at most.

If you’ve never played with an Ultra, you really need to pick one up and pop the pen. Did you know the S Pen clicks? There's no reason for it. It could just pop out, spring-loaded, but instead the S Pen has a clicky top that is extremely satisfying. Oh, the S Pen is also a motion-sensing stylus with a Bluetooth camera remote button, but Samsung hasn't neglected the clicky top.

Of course, that S Pen isn’t just built for fun, it’s one of the most surprisingly capable accessories ever. It’s as precise as a professional drawing tool, not like a big, clumsy, rubber-tipped stylus that you can buy for an iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra held from the side — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

It also has Bluetooth built in so the side button can act as a remote control for other features on your phone, especially the camera. That’s right, the Galaxy S24 Ultra ships with a remote camera shutter release, which is an accessory I actually bought to go with my Nikon DSLR.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is flat this year, ending a run of screen curvature that began with the double-black-diamond slope of the Galaxy Note Edge, and subtly resolved itself into a signature Samsung look that reduced the effect of the bezel around the edges. On the front and back, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has gently-rounded curves that make the phone feel much nicer to hold. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is more sharp, and though it isn't uncomfortable, it feels conspicuously big.

Design score: 4 / 5

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Display

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra showing generative AI wallpaper castle — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Fantastic display in bright light or a very dim room
Huge and sharp, among the best you’ll find
Lack of Dolby Vision support still stings

The display on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is excellent, as good as you'd hope to find on a premiere smartphone. It’s huge, bright and colorful, especially using the Vivid color tone option.

There are plenty of adaptations for this display, including adaptive brightness and color tones that measure ambient lighting and adjust the display to look its best. In bright, outdoor light, the display can boost to a stunning 2,600 nits, which isn't quite the brightest you can find, but you won't need any brighter.

Even more interesting might be the Extra Dim option. The Galaxy S24 Ultra can maintain good color fidelity even down at one nit of brightness. That's dim enough that you could almost check your messages in a movie theater, but then you’d be an extra dim Ultra jerk. But you could.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra playing a TikTok video — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

There is an always-on display mode, but Samsung also still makes its unique S-View cases, which provide a small window for time, weather, and notifications, peeping through a wallet cover case. It's a very cool case feature that Samsung never abandoned, even if we haven't checked them out for a while.

Could the Galaxy S24 Ultra display be any better? Absolutely. There are phone displays that can reach 144Hz refresh rate, though that may be faster than a human eye can actually see.

It would be nice for Samsung to give up the fight against Dolby Vision on its phone displays and TV sets. If you watch a lot of Netflix, shows look better when you compare a display with Dolby Vision against a display without. It seems like a silly omission for Samsung not to support Dolby's HDR video standard, when it supports Dolby Audio.

Display score: 5 / 5

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Software

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra showing Advanced Intelligence settings menu — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Terrible software hides all new features under ‘Settings’
New AI features are occasionally magical, but mostly useless
Seven year update promise already has an asterisk

It has become abundantly clear that Samsung is focused entirely on hardware and has no interest in improving its software. The software on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is terrible, and One UI is becoming unusable. Even the simplest features are bogged down with options and menus, and Samsung can’t seem to make a single decision about what’s best for its users.

I'm going to give Samsung a year to fix its software problems, though I suspect it will take two years or more to dig out of the current mess. Everything that was wrong with Samsung software has gotten worse, and the problems infect every new addition, like a disease.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is loaded with features, but where do you find them? Where do you find the new AI translation tools, or set up the AI feature that rewrites your text messages? Where do you turn on AI to edit photos, or AI to summarize a web page? All in the same place, sadly.

All of the new Samsung Galaxy AI features are buried in Settings, and they are not at the surface. There are 22 different options in the Settings menu. Option 16 of 22 is Advanced Features. Tap on this and you'll find “Advanced Intelligence,” which isn't actually what AI stands for… is it? In any case, that’s where Samsung has hidden all of the cool new features for its flagship smartphone: under the 16th Setting option, three layers down.

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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra showing — Using Google's new Circle to Search (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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I’ve talked to Samsung about this, and they recognize that it’s a problem. Features are hidden. Everything gets buried in Settings, as if that is a place we expect to find features as disparate as wireless power sharing, parental controls for children, and always-on display widgets.

In a feeble attempt to inform users about everything the phone can do, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will occasionally bubble up messages and suggestions for things to try. Sadly, Samsung phones are overloaded with messages and suggestions. Galaxy phones will infamously serve you an advertisement, on your brand new Galaxy phone, imploring you to buy that brand new Galaxy phone.

That’s not how you educate people. Take it from me, a former high school teacher, if you simply tell your users about a new feature once, you haven’t taught them to use it. Samsung needs to take a big step back and figure out how to encourage users to try features they will enjoy. Samsung also needs to remove the features that aren’t being used, and hide the ones that don’t need to be visible.

As for the new AI features, they are a mixed bag of amazing magic and useless doggerel. If you get a chance to use the AI translation on a phone call, it’s like science fiction. It feels like you’ve stuck a Babel fish into your ear and you’re living in a fantasy future. Samsung could write ‘Don’t Panic’ on the phone and ship it with a towel.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra showing AI writing style tools — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Other AI features are useful, but only to a point. The AI writing style feature can adapt your text messages to a variety of different styles, including a professional tone and more playful messages, replete with emojis and hashtags. In practice, the differences were not very useful, and I mostly just stuck with what I’d written. Samsung also over-promised on this feature. I distinctly remember reps saying the phone would convert my words to Shakespeare, but I’ve seen nothing like this on my S24 Ultra.

These writing style and translation features are built into the Samsung Keyboard, so they work across multiple apps. Unfortunately, Samsung has utterly broken its software keyboard. During my test period, I had some of the worst trouble with autocorrect and an onscreen keyboard that I’ve ever had.

The keyboard would often capitalize words in the middle of a sentence for no reason. Even worse, it would autocorrect partial words and automatically insert some nonsensical phrase or string of characters into my typing. While typing contractions, most keyboards are smart enough to insert the apostrophe, but on the Samsung Keyboard the autocorrect tried to insert whole new words after my contraction. It was making up content out of context, and it was completely wrong.

When I went back to change the error, the keyboard was quite unfriendly. While the Apple iPhone keyboard assumes that a backspace after autocorrect means the autocorrection was bad, the Samsung keyboard sticks to its guns and makes changing errors incredibly tedious.

I suspect that if I am diligent with the Samsung Keyboard and I keep correcting all of its elementary errors, I will eventually teach it to write properly. I don’t have time for this. I’m not sure how Samsung broke its keyboard so badly, but it’s terrible and needs an immediate update.

Some of the AI features that carried over from the Google Pixel 8 family have turned out to be a disappointment, as well. Samsung promised that its Voice Recorder app would offer transcripts and summaries, just like the Recorder app on the Google Pixel. In practice, Samsung’s app is not as advanced or useful as the Pixel version. It’s slower, less accurate, and does not provide a live transcription of the conversation as it happens.

The image editing features are also less impressive on the Galaxy S24 Ultra than they are on the Pixel 8 Pro. The Galaxy gets Samsung’s take on the Magic Editor tool, dubbed Generative Edit, which lets you select objects in your photo to move, resize, or erase them. When you erase an object or a whole background, the phone can use AI to replace that part of the image.

What the Samsung phone lacks are the best editing tools available on the Pixel, namely the Photo Unblur tool that sharpens even old photos you didn’t take with your smartphone, and the Best Take option that combines multiple photos to get rid of closed eyes and ugly expressions.

Yet, as much as I complain about Samsung’s software, there are simply things you can do with a Galaxy phone, especially the Galaxy S24 Ultra, that you can’t do with anything else. I love Samsung’s DeX, which turns your phone into something that acts more like a Chromebook, when you plug it into a monitor with a keyboard and mouse. You get a new home screen with windows and a dock, and everything runs smoothly.

Why is this useful? I have a computer at home, but my corporate IT guys don’t like me using it for work stuff. Instead, I use my phone, which is already set up with work and personal accounts. If I need to get work done at home, or even while I’m traveling, I don’t need to bring my work laptop. I can just plug my Galaxy S24 Ultra into a USB hub and now I have all of my work and personal stuff in one place.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra connected to a monitor and keyboard using DeX — Using the Galaxy S24 Ultra (left) with DeX on my home monitor (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I can respond to important emails using a real keyboard, or edit documents in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. I can do just about everything I need, short of running Chrome web browser extensions. I never need to add my protected work account to my own personal computer. I can just use DeX and have the best of both worlds on my Galaxy S24 Ultra.

As mentioned, Samsung promises that the entire Galaxy S24 family will get software updates and security patches for the next seven years. With brand new AI features on the phone, I wonder how Samsung will be able to pull this off, especially since AI seems to be advancing exponentially. How can a seven-year-old phone possibly survive in the year 2031?

One clue may lie in Samsung’s terms of service. Hidden deep you’ll find the following language concerning AI features: “Samsung may, at any time, change some or all of its advanced intelligence features to subscription-based features, in which case Samsung will provide prior notice. Samsung reserves the right to rate limit you to prevent quality decay or interruptions to the advanced intelligence features.”

This could be completely innocuous, or it could be a sinister sign that Samsung is looking for a loophole to get out of its seven year promise. It may offer future Android updates in regular and “Premium” flavors. It could also exclude certain models from any future premium feature and just offer the most basic, barebones OS to the Galaxy S24 Ultra by the time, say, Android 18 is launched, presumably in four years.

In any case, there is now an asterisk on Samsung’s promise of seven years of updates, until this is clarified. I want and expect Samsung to behave like Apple. Any features that aren’t entirely hardware dependent should come to every eligible phone. The five-year old iPhone XR obviously can’t get a new Dynamic Island, but the latest update brought NameDrop, which is a brand new iOS 17 feature. We expect the same when the Galaxy S24 Ultra is updated to Android 21 in 2031.

Software score: 3 / 5

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Cameras

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Better image quality, even if the specs are suspicious
Less detail from the zoom lens, but better color and range
Still needs help with low light and noise reduction

The Galaxy S23 Ultra was our overall best camera phone of last year, so rumors that Samsung would be dropping the optical zoom from 10x to 5x set off a flurry of concern. The 10x zoom was the standout feature on the Galaxy S23 Ultra … aside from the 200MP sensor, the two zoom lenses, the 100x digital astrophotography, the AI image enhancements, and everything else the phone could do. Still, it’s odd for Samsung to take a step backwards, especially where specs are concerned.

Let’s start with the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 5x zoom lens. Samsung has not taken a step backwards, more a step sideways. The Galaxy S24 Ultra still has the best zoom camera you can find on a smartphone. It’s better than the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10x zoom, and it’s much better than the 5x zoom you’ll find on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Most of the time, like when you are really using the zoom to its full extent.

When you zoom in to 10x or even 100X, the Galaxy S24 Ultra produces images with better color and much better dynamic range than the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Where the older camera made images look flat, you’ll see more depth and shadow with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. What you won’t see is plenty of detail. Samsung has sacrificed the fine details in images for better overall quality.

It’s a good trade. Those 10x and 100x zoom images from the S23 UItra look terrible. Sure, you could make out some details, but they are mixed with noise and blur like a virtual chopped salad. On the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you won’t see as much, but you’ll be happier sharing those photos because they actually look like good pictures, rather than police evidence.

In a straight comparison between the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 5x zoom, the iPhone produces better images. Once you start applying digital zoom, the Galaxy does a better job. At 5x zoom, I got a nice landscape shot of a lighthouse from both cameras. When I zoomed into 25x, the Galaxy kept more detail and even better color than the iPhone. The iPhone couldn’t zoom any farther, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra could grab enough detail from the Peck Ledge lighthouse, which sits a mile off the Connecticut coast, to count the stairs leading up from the dock.

Samsung has been criticized in the past for unnatural color in photos, and it’s clear the company took this to heart and tried to hew closer to the iPhone’s processing techniques. Colors look much more natural all around, often even cooler than the over-warm iPhone pics that cast a yellowish tint on some images. Digital sharpening problems have been reigned in, so the Galaxy S24 Ultra produces images with a nice amount of detail, without the blurriness you’ll find on some iPhone pics.

That doesn’t mean the camera isn’t without problems. Low light is still an issue, and other phones handle various night situations better. The Google Pixel 8 Pro is better at landscape and city photos at night, and even the OnePlus 12 could handle some mixed-light shots, like taking photos of food in a dark restaurant, better than Samsung’s best.

Overall, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best camera phone I’ve used in the past year. It may not dominate in every area, but it performs consistently better than every other phone, whether you’re using an iPhone, a Pixel, or even a newer OnePlus phone with fancy Hasselblad processing.

Where Samsung really excels is in the interesting shots. If you need a good macro photo up close, or an appetizing pic of the pizza you made, the Galaxy has you covered. Selfies and portraits look great, with accurate skin tones and enough detail that you won’t look like a poseur. The phone had no trouble framing my adorable dog and cropping her fuzzy ears nicely in a portrait shot.

For photo editing, Samsung has made some advances, but you’re better off relying on third-party software, and maybe even some obscure Samsung apps. In the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Gallery app, you can now apply the Generative Edit AI features, which can resize and move objects in your image, or completely change the background depending on the context of the shot. It’s a nice trick, but I’m not sure it counts as photography as much as mixed-media collage. If you do apply any AI tricks, though, Samsung will add a small watermark to your photo to let viewers know.

The Samsung Gallery app will suggest photo edits, like removing reflections (above). You can see the results below:

If you miss the Photo Unblur feature from the Google Pixel 8 (and it is quite desirable), you can head to the Galaxy App Store and download Samsung’s Galaxy Enhance-X photo editor. This little-known app gives you a ton of advanced photo editing tools, many of which rely on AI and machine learning. These tools aren’t as effective as edits in Google Photos on a Google Pixel 8 Pro, but it’s cool to peek into Samsung’s software skunkworks to see what the company can create.

You can also run more advanced photo editing software, like Adobe Lightroom and SnapSeed. These apps run very smoothly on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it was easier to edit photos with the S Pen than with my finger.

I have not been able to test the AI moon photography features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra because it’s been cloudy since I received my review unit, but rest assured I will be shooting for the moon as soon as possible. Samsung says that the AI on board will recognize objects, then try to identify the subject to shoot the best photo. We’ll see if the new phone can keep up with the dazzling astrophotography of last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Image samples

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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra camera samples — (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

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Samsung has clearly made significant improvements with image processing on the Galaxy S24 Ultra compared to last year's Galaxy S23 Ultra. This photo looks much more natural with better color and dynamic range, and without as much digital sharpening:

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Selfie taken with the Galaxy S24 Ultra — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Camera score: 5 / 5

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Performance

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra playing Call of Duty Mobile — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

First Android in memory to beat the iPhone in benchmarks
Only delay comes with new AI features
Tops in gaming and productivity

Ever since Apple started making its own Bionic chipset for the iPhone, we haven’t seen an Android phone that could beat Apple’s best iPhone in raw performance. That ends with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Ultra is just as fast as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and in many ways it’s even faster. You may never notice the performance gains, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Qualcomm and Samsung have managed to top Apple’s silicon for the first time in years.

What does that mean in the real world? Everything that you could do on your smartphone you can now do faster. If you play games like Call of Duty Mobile or Genshin Impact, you can play at the highest settings and experience fluid framerates and stutter-free gaming.

Pair your game with an Xbox or Playstation controller via Bluetooth and you will be destroying noobs on pathetic Pixels and cheap Motorola phones in your multiplayer arena of choice. Seriously, having a phone that responds so quickly to your commands and movements is a huge win for multiplayer games.

Is the Galaxy S24 Ultra a gaming phone, then? You’d better believe it. I tested the S24 Ultra against the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro, a phone that is truly made for gaming. The S24 Ultra had no problem beating the ROG Phone 8 in every metric, even producing a higher framerate on the newest games.

If gaming isn’t your thing, you can still feel the performance benefits. I edit photos in Adobe Lightroom, and on my Galaxy S24 Ultra I can move the adjustment sliders freely and watch my photo change in real time. In side-by-side tests using the new Adobe intelligent masking features, the Galaxy S24 Ultra was able to find and select my foreground subject in seconds faster than my older Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The only features that cause a delay on the Galaxy S24 Ultra are the new AI features, and that’s ironic. For the first time in years, Samsung commands a lead over its rival Apple, but it loaded the Galaxy S24 Ultra with AI features that Apple has skipped, so far. Instead of feeling like everything moves faster on my Galaxy, I have to wait while the AI composes new text messages, or makes edits in the photo gallery.

Those features aren’t worth the wait. If there was no waiting, if writing suggestions appeared in real time the way Adobe Lightroom changes my photos, I’d be amazed by the AI tools and I’d use them more often. Instead, every time I see the AI stars logo appear, I see a Stop sign.

Performance score: 5 / 5

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Battery life

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra battery settings menu — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Excellent battery life, among the best you’ll find
Fast charging, but could be faster
Plenty of power management options

You won’t find a phone with longer battery life than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

In our lab testing, which involves continuously browsing the web on 5G until the battery runs out, the Galaxy S24 Ultra in its default Adaptive display mode lasted a huge 16 hours and 45 minutes. That beats the impressive 14 hours and 2 minutes the iPhone 15 Pro Max managed in our testing. It also outlasts the Galaxy S23 Ultra by more than two hours, as beats many other Android phones too.

You’d have to buy a hardcore gaming phone with a massive battery inside, like the Red Magic 9 Pro with its 6,500mAh cell, to get any more battery life from your phone.

Samsung didn’t increase the size of the battery over last year’s Ultra, it just improved power management on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, so it saves more juice. The adaptive screen settings can be aggressive, but you can turn them off if you need a bright display all the time. You can also adjust settings like screen resolution and processor performance to save more power.

There are even more extreme options. Samsung used to have an ultra power saving mode, but now that’s just another setting under the Power Saving features, letting you limit the apps available, turn off edge panels, dim the display, and generally shut down everything you don’t need to conserve every watt.

There should be a more intelligent power management option that reads your habits and adapts the power savings to the way you use the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Oh, wait, there is such a mode and it’s called “Adaptive power saving.” But you’ll never find it.

Adaptive power saving is buried under the Settings menu, then under ‘Device care.’ Then you have to tap the Battery graph, which is a button that doesn’t actually look like a button, but trust me it’s a button.

Then tap ‘Power saving,’ which also looks like plain text and not a button. Again, it’s a button. Hooray, you’re almost there! Just find the three little dots in the upper-right corner, which is a Samsung way to hide even more menus, and then you’ll finally be able to open the ‘Adaptive power saving’ settings.

Why, Samsung? Why? Why does it have to be this way? Why can’t my Galaxy S24 Ultra come with adaptive power saving turned on by default? If this feature is so useful, why is it hidden beneath FIVE LAYERS of menus? Beneath buttons that don’t look like buttons, and submenus that are just cryptic dots? Enough is enough. Fix the software, or this is my last Galaxy Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from the bottom showing USB C port — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S24 Ultra charges at 45W, which is a respectable charging speed, fast enough to get you well past 50% if you only have a half hour to charge your phone. In fifteen minutes, my Galaxy S24 Ultra was just under 40% charged, and it took around 45 minutes to charge the phone completely. That’s even faster than Samsung promises.

There are phones that charge faster, like the OnePlus 12 that comes with an 80W charger. That phone can reach 100% charge in about half an hour, and OnePlus even has a superfast (ie. SuperVOOC technology) wireless charger that is capable of 50W charging. The S24 Ultra can handle up to 15W wireless charging, including the latest Qi2 charging standard.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra can also charge other devices wirelessly, and if you can find wireless power sharing in the Settings menu, I will personally send you a prize. Instead, just add a Wireless power sharing button to the Quick settings menu if that’s a feature you use often.

Unlike the OnePlus 12, the Galaxy S24 Ultra does not come with a charger in the box, and if you want the fastest charging speed you’ll need to pay attention to the charger you buy. You can spend a lot of money and get a big wall wart from Samsung, or you can do the right thing and get this Anker 713 Nano Charger from Amazon for around half the price.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Score card

Buy it if...

You want to do a lot more with your phone
If you want a phone that does more than a phone should be capable of doing, you want a Galaxy S24 Ultra. This isn’t just a phone, it’s a laptop, a drawing tablet, a game console, and an entire camera bag in your pocket.

You want to see what the future feels like in your hand
Samsung tries new features before any other phone company, and if you want to make a phone call with a Star Trek universal translator, or have an AI rewrite your text messages for you, you need a Galaxy S24 Ultra.

You want the best phone overall, no matter how hard it is to use
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is admittedly complicated, but that’s because there is so much that you can do with it. If you want uncompromising technology with every option available, get the Ultra.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t need all that
If you have ever started a sentence with “I don’t need,” then the Galaxy S24 Ultra is not for you. It has everything you need and everything you don’t, and you can’t ask for less. It only comes with everything.

You want a phone you can use with one hand
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is titanium, but it isn’t lighter than last year’s phone, and the Ultra is a big beast to behold. If you need something more manageable, try a different device.

You prefer an elegant experience over tech wizardry
While the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a phone like no other, it isn’t easy to use, nor is the software elegant. If you want to appreciate intuitive design and features that feel natural, check out what Apple is doing with iOS 17 on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Also consider

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
If you want the absolute best phone but the Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn’t strike the right cord, there’s only one other phone to consider and that’s Apple biggest and best iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
If cameras aren’t so important, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 gives you everything you’ll find on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with a tablet folded away inside. It’s a whole new class of device.

Google Pixel 8 Pro
You can save a lot of money by considering the Pixel 8 Pro, which is not only simple to use with a great camera, it also gets the same seven years of Android updates that Samsung has promised. Plus, AI directly from Google with no Samsung in between.

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

One week testing period
Used AI features extensively, plus Samsung exclusive software
Benchmark testing for comparison, not scoring purposes

I had the Galaxy S24 Ultra for a week before this review posted, but I have more experience with Samsung Galaxy Ultra phones than any other phone model, and perhaps more than any other reviewer. I worked for Samsung as an internal reviewer when the first Galaxy Note was launched, and I have used every Samsung S Pen-enabled smartphone ever produced, including the one that nobody else used because it exploded.

While Samsung provides review units for me to borrow, I have purchased my past two Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra devices with my own cash, and this phone is calling my name.

I used the Galaxy S24 Ultra to its utmost, testing every single new feature that Samsung has marketed, and retesting all of my favorite old features. I used AI for messaging, summaries, and transcription, in addition to testing the translation features with foreign language teachers and students. I also tested DeX for work, Bixby for interface control, and all of the other Samsung features.

I played games with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, mostly Call of Duty Mobile and Marvel Snap, in addition to trying others, like the new Warcraft Rumble game that just launched late in 2023. I play games at the maximum settings, with Bluetooth headphones and a Bluetooth joystick attached where appropriate.

I also tested the Galaxy S24 Ultra with accessories and external devices, including a Dell monitor, Razer Blackwidow keyboard, and Logitech Master MX 2 mouse for DeX. I used a variety of wireless earbuds, including Galaxy Buds FE, Pixel Buds Pro and Nothing Stick 2 earbuds, as well as Ray Ban Meta smart glasses.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra was benchmarked in Future Labs by our resident benchmarking expert, and results were shared and discussed with review editors. Benchmarks do not affect review scores in any way, and are helpful for comparison but not for real-world review purposes.

I tested the Galaxy S24 Ultra camera in a shootout against the current best cameras available, including the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the OnePlus 12, and the Google Pixel 8 Pro. I took hundreds of photographs under the same lighting conditions for each, with similar settings enabled. Then, I compared the photographs when viewed on a professional Dell monitor at full resolution.

OnePlus 12: Two-minute review

OnePlus 12 review: Price and availability

OnePlus 12 review: Specs

OnePlus 12 review: Design

OnePlus 12 review: Display

OnePlus 12 review: Software

Google Pixel 8 Pro review: Cameras

OnePlus 12 camera samples

OnePlus 12 review: Performance

OnePlus 12 review: Battery life

Should you buy the OnePlus 12

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

OnePlus 12 review: Also consider

How I tested the OnePlus 12

DJI Mic 2: Two-minute review

DJI Mic 2: Price and release date

DJI Mic 2: features

DJI Mic 2: performance

DJI Mic 2: Should I buy?

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Don't buy it if...

DJI Mic 2: How I tested

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: Two-minute preview

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Price and availability

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Specs

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Design

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Display

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Cameras

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Performance

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Software

Hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Battery

Samsung Galaxy S24: One-minute review

Galaxy S24 review: Price and availability

Galaxy S24 review: Specs

Galaxy S24 review: Design

Galaxy S24 review: Display

Galaxy S24 review: Software

Galaxy S24 review: Cameras

Galaxy S24 camera samples

Galaxy S24 review: Performance

Galaxy S24 review: Battery life

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S24?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Galaxy S24 review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S24

Editor's Note

Galaxy S24 Ultra: Two-minute review

Galaxy S24 Ultra: Price and value

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Specs and benchmarks

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Design

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Display

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Software

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Cameras

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Image samples

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Performance

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Battery life

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Score card

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Galaxy S24 Ultra review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

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