The Galaxy S24 Plus and S24 borrow a number of the greatest concepts from Apple and Google, taking a working bounce with them into the AI period.
The flat-edge design is undeniably iPhone, and the AI tech is essentially Google. The software program, for higher and worse, is all Samsung. However I wouldn’t name both telephone one of the best of all worlds. And though it’s tempting to name them higher Google telephones than the Pixel, I don’t assume that’s all the best way true.
The usual Galaxy S24 nonetheless begins at $799 and the Galaxy S24 Plus begins at $999 — it’s solely the Extremely that went up in value this 12 months, to $1,299. Apart from display measurement, the non-Extremely fashions share many of the similar options, so I’ll check with them interchangeably all through this overview except in any other case specified.
The hole between the common fashions and the Extremely is wider than earlier than, however the advantages of stepping as much as the Extremely don’t really feel extra compelling. Certain, you get a much bigger, higher display, extra zoom, and an S Pen, such as you at all times do. However loads of what makes the Extremely good are options it shares with the cheaper fashions.
That features the entire extremely touted Galaxy AI options, like generative picture modifying, stay language translation on telephone calls, and computerized recording summaries. Like most issues AI proper now, they’re sometimes nice and generally bizarre. However on the entire, they do extra good than hurt, and it’s form of cool realizing my telephone can translate a name with somebody talking Spanish if I want it to. For all of the quirks in Samsung’s software program, that’s one thing that the Pixel 8 Professional — or some other telephone, for that matter — can’t do proper now.
Shows and design
Samsung managed to cram some additional display into the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus with out making the telephones meaningfully greater — the S24 Plus went from a 6.6-inch to six.7-inch panel, and the S24 has a 6.2-inch versus a 6.1-inch display. How did Samsung handle this? Each telephones are barely taller now, and the bezels are only a hair slimmer on the brand new fashions.
Additionally they get just a bit brighter in direct daylight, as much as 2600 nits. It’s not a large distinction and also you don’t get the superb glare-reduction on the S24 Extremely’s panel, which actually does make a distinction, nevertheless it’s one thing. Oh, and the S24 Plus’ panel is now 1440p, and it’s about time Samsung upgraded it from 1080p.
There’s one year-over-year design distinction that I’m notably grateful for: the slight curve on the perimeters is gone rather than gloriously flat sides. It’s very a lot giving iPhone vibes, and I believe that’s simply high quality. I discover a flat-edge telephone a lot simpler to select up with out it flying out of my fingers, and I don’t discover it any much less comfy to carry in a single hand.
That design language isn’t the one cue Samsung’s taking from Apple — One UI 6.1 provides wallpaper dimming for the always-on show, within the method of current Professional iPhones, although just for the S24 telephones. Higher but, there are widgets! You may prepare a handful of them in a bar under the clock to indicate you your telephone’s battery life or your subsequent calendar occasion at a look, hands-free. We’re in an period of telephones doing extra for you whenever you’re not actively utilizing them, and I’m right here for it.
Efficiency, battery, and software program
When you purchase the Galaxy S24 or S24 Plus within the US, it’ll include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, identical to the Extremely. However in contrast to the Extremely, fashions offered outdoors the US will preserve with one among Samsung’s personal Exynos chips. I examined the Snapdragon variations of the S24 and S24 Plus and actually can’t discover a fault with them, performance-wise. The S24 Plus comes with 12GB of RAM, whereas the bottom mannequin S24 (together with my overview unit) comes with 8GB of RAM. I didn’t discover any vital variations between the 2 in day-to-day efficiency.
Now that I’ve used all three S24 sequence telephones, battery efficiency appears roughly the identical on all of them — the larger the telephone is, the extra power-hungry it’s, however the distinction is offset by a much bigger battery. On earlier generations, the smaller telephone was noticeably worse, however I believe that drawback has been principally solved at this level with extra power-efficient chipsets and barely greater batteries. One factor I do want Samsung had integrated? Qi2. There’s no assist for the MagSafe-esque customary, and that’s a disgrace.
On this, the 12 months 2024, Samsung nonetheless ships its high-end telephones with three-button navigation because the default. I normally plan to spend slightly additional time untangling a few of Samsung’s weirder default settings at any time when I exploit a brand new Galaxy telephone, and the S24 units have been no exception. No, I don’t need to speak to Bixby once I long-press the facility button. No, I don’t need my app drawer organized in a nonsensical order the place I can by no means discover something. As standard, placing in slightly work upfront to de-Samsung your telephone is a fundamental requirement.
Placing in slightly work up entrance to de-Samsung your telephone is a fundamental requirement
That’s the place I’ve a tough time calling the S24 an outright winner over the Pixel. After getting all the pieces the place you need it, the S24 is a triumph. However Samsung actually makes you’re employed for it, and Pixel telephones simply run higher software program proper out of the field. Working example: the Pixel 8 Professional doesn’t assist widgets on the always-on show just like the S24 does, however At a Look will floor helpful info there with out you lifting a finger. All of it simply feels slightly extra turnkey.
Samsung goes toe to toe with Google’s new coverage of supporting its flagship telephones with seven years of software program updates — OS upgrades and safety updates included. That feels extra essential within the S24 and S24 Plus, which I believe persons are extra prone to maintain onto for longer than an Extremely proprietor who desires to chase the newest tech.
The S24 units have the identical AI options throughout the whole sequence, which is not the case on the Pixel 8 sequence — some options are reserved for the larger, pricier Pixel 8 Professional, regardless of it utilizing the exact same processor because the Pixel 8. I coated lots of the S24 AI options in depth in my Galaxy S24 Extremely overview, so you’ll be able to verify that out for an in depth have a look at voice transcription and summaries, telephone name translation, and a number of the generative AI picture modifying options.
The brief model is that none of those options really feel indispensable, however lots of them are genuinely useful even after they’re not good. Having a real-time translator on a name with somebody who speaks one other language is under no circumstances worse than not having one. Generative AI picture edits are actually uneven in high quality, however there’s no hurt carried out if you wish to merely stay your life with out utilizing them. Samsung may begin charging for these options after 2025, so it’s properly giving itself some runway to get AI off the bottom. Proper now, there’s nothing value paying for.
One factor I’ll add now that I’ve been enjoying with AI on the S24 for a few weeks is that Samsung’s generative picture editor appears far more susceptible to including bizarre shit into your pictures than the Pixel. I attempted erasing my husband’s arm out of the identical picture on each the Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 8 Professional. The Pixel did its greatest to only replicate the sofa within the background the place his arm was — the S24 as a substitute changed it with a brand new arm made out of pillows. Samsung! Why?
Digital camera and picture high quality
The modifying software program could also be radically completely different, however the digicam {hardware} on the S24 and S24 Plus hasn’t modified from the earlier era. You continue to get a 50-megapixel major digicam, 12-megapixel ultrawide, and an precise 3x telephoto zoom regardless of which of those two telephone sizes you select — and that’s darn good of them.
There are a couple of processing updates beneath the hood, even within the absence of latest {hardware}. Low-light photos taken at 2x zoom now use a lossless crop from the center of the sensor; on the S23 sequence, the digicam reverted to digital zoom in dim gentle.
Samsung has additionally added foreground blur in portrait mode, which appears like a small factor, nevertheless it makes an enormous distinction in your pictures wanting much less like cardboard cutouts. These little tweaks construct on what was already a darn good digicam system. Samsung’s colour processing leans onerous into vibrant reds and blues, per standard, which isn’t at all times my favourite. However when it’s good, it’s good.
Samsung is definitely one step forward of Google in adopting Extremely HDR, the brand new picture format supported by Android 14. It’s the good HDR, not the dangerous stuff, and it permits your pictures to pop in a approach that’s not doable with the usual dynamic vary photos we’re used to seeing. Samsung not solely helps Extremely HDR picture seize, you may as well edit your pictures and share them to Instagram with out dropping the HDR info. The Pixel 8 sequence shoots Extremely HDR, however doesn’t but assist HDR modifying in its personal Pictures app or sharing to social media.
Among the greatest elements of the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus aren’t fully authentic to Samsung, and I believe that’s high quality. Adopting a popular, useful design and leaning on Google for AI is simply sensible — why reinvent the little black rectangle?
And in contrast to flat system edges, AI options have quite a bit to show. The S24 is a lower-stakes option to get in on the AI future than the $1,300 Extremely, or some different extra radical concepts floating round on the market.
Most significantly, it’s only a good, dependable telephone. The screens on each units are wonderful, and the smaller Galaxy S24 stays top-of-the-line moderately small telephones you should purchase proper now. When you’re a small telephone fan like me, then it’s the one to select.
The Galaxy S24 Plus strikes me as the last word crowd-pleaser
So far as massive Android telephones go, you actually can’t do higher than the Galaxy S24 Plus proper now when it comes to efficiency and worth. Certain, you’ll be able to go Extremely and get absolutely the most telephone, with an enormous, incredible display, higher zoom, and a built-in S Pen. However I believe the Extremely demographic is a bit more self-selecting, and the S24 Plus strikes me as the last word crowd-pleaser for somebody who simply desires a fantastic Android telephone.
That stated, there are some good causes to think about the Pixel 8 Professional as a substitute. Its 5x telephoto has only a bit extra attain for these distant topics in comparison with the S24’s 3x zoom, and Pixel software program is much less fussy than One UI. However the Pixel’s Tensor G3 processor can run a bit hotter than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the event you push it, and Google caught with the curved edge design, for now at the least. Typically, the neatest transfer is to acknowledge a good suggestion and embrace it — even when another person considered it first.
Images by Allison Johnson / The Verge