Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Announced January 17, 2024
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a refined, feature-packed flagship that excels with its bright, anti-reflective display and long-term software support. Although it offers powerful performance and a versatile camera system, the high price tag and iterative design updates may leave some users questioning the value of an upgrade.
Weighted from 101 reviewer scores
Pros
- Bright, anti-reflective, and flat OLED display
- Seven-year software and security update commitment
- Versatile and high-quality camera system
- Strong, durable titanium build
- Reliable battery life and fast performance
Cons
- High starting price
- Sharp, uncomfortable corners and large, bulky form factor
- Inconsistent AI features and potential future paywalls
- Stagnant charging speeds compared to rivals
- Camera performance issues with motion and overexposure
- Launch price $1,299 (USD)
- Main camera 200MP f/1.7 + 12MP Ultrawide + 50MP 5x Telephoto
- Video 8K 30p
- Display 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED 120Hz
- Chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy 12GB
What the Reviewers Say
All 101 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- PetaPixel 6.5/10
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a perfectly capable smartphone with some very thoughtful improvements, but in terms of a smartphone as a camera, I feel like it is simply playing catch-up with its competitors and largely following in others' footsteps.
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But at the end of the day, S24 Ultra, I really do feel like, it feels like peak slab phone.
- The Verge 8/10
Screen is bright and anti-glare keeps it easy to use outdoorsCircle to Search and call translation are really handyCamera quality is excellentSeven years of OS and security updates.
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The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the Swiss army knife of phones. It is a monolithic slab of premium titanium and glass that can pretty much do everything.
- Android Authority 9/10
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung’s most refined ultra flagship to date. Its flat display does away with accidental presses, while the titanium frame is delightfully fingerprint-free, and it’s still tough to match the brilliance of Samsung’s high-end displays.
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The Galaxy S24 Ultra is fundamentally a very good smartphone. It’s been exactly as stellar as I expected.
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I just can't help but feel this year's Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn't totally justify its asking price.
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Paired with true all-day battery life, seven years of OS upgrades and top-tier everyday performance, it’s hard to see why you’d opt for anything else at this point in 2024.
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With a refined design, tons of power, a built-in stylus, helpful AI tools, and seven years of promised updates, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the best Android phones you can buy for the long haul.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra embraces what it means to be Ultra, a phone that transcends the smartphone category. It offers more than any other phone, and somehow manages to improve upon last year’s Ultra in every way.
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Given that I feel the majority of its AI features are practical, combined with its performance and battery gains, it’s still worth getting the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you’re in the market for a super phone or upgrading from a handset that’s a few years older.
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At this point, you'd be forgiven for being fed up with companies trying to push AI into everything. But if you just think about these as software upgrades meant to make your phone more useful, Samsung's push into machine learning makes a lot more sense.
- Digital Trends 9/10
A refreshed design does not make a true upgrade. New features, new technology, and lifestyle-enhancing alternations do, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has all of this along with seemingly every other feature or specification bump you could want from a new phone.
- CNET 8.9/10
At $1,300, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is hard to recommend unless you really want a giant screen, a camera with a wide range of zoom options and the S Pen. These are the features that truly distinguish Samsung’s high-end phone from the less expensive Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus.
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The Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the best phones I've ever reviewed, offering a camera system that's better than ever, some welcome display changes, and one of the best software promises in the industry.
- Android Police 8/10
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a phone that'll make plenty of people happy, but it's just not something I can recommend to everyone without more than a couple of asterisks.
- PhoneArena 7.7/10
[T]he Galaxy S24 Ultra is an outstanding device, offering powerful hardware, an impressive camera system, and reliable battery life.
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This is the best smartphone Samsung has ever made.
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Samsung fans, this is the phone you want. There’s not even much to debate.
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The Galaxy S24 Ultra surprised us - we didn't expect it to have any flaws, and suddenly, we have a cons section.
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The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a brilliant all-rounder, but it lacks some subtlety in the picture and sound departments, holding it back from true stardom.
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Once again, Samsung's "you want it, we got it." Everything in here you can imagine in a phone is back again, and the incremental iterative improvements are very good to see.
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The high level takeaway for software should still be the fact that Samsung has improved a lot to the point where this might just be now my favorite Android skin.
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Those are my best and worst things about the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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100x Space Zoom, a vibrant, curve-free AMOLED display, an S Pen with great features, and a lot more wrapped up in a titanium package. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung's statement on what a traditional slab smartphone should be in 2024.
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Having lived with the Galaxy S24 Ultra for a full week I'm totally sold and, frankly, more than a little bit in love with this flagship handset.
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Despite some early reservations, I was left with an overall positive impression following my time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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So that's why I think if you're on the market for a new phone right now and you want the absolute most feature packed phone that does everything with the most number years of software updates, it has to be the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
- How-To Geek 8/10
The Galaxy Ultra has always been Samsung's super-charged flagship smartphone, which hasn't changed with the S24 series. But this year, the handset's hardware is not the important talking point; it's all about Galaxy AI.
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The S24 Ultra is the ultimate Android smartphone, delivering a top-tier user experience with no real weaknesses. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for you, especially at this size and price.
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If you’re looking for the end-all, be-all phone, it’s the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and not just because it has an S Pen tucked away in the chassis. However, some folks might find this too much of a smartphone to carry daily.
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While the new Galaxy AI features can flash a number of fancy parlor tricks to make the Galaxy S24 Ultra one of the most useful and capable smartphones on the planet right now, they aren’t the reason to buy this phone.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the best Android smartphones I've tested so far.
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I’ve reviewed the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel 8 Pro, and those phones have their own strengths. But the new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the first AI phone you should consider buying before the pre-order trade-in credits expire at launch.
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So it's not always vastly different, but I would say the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a notable upgrade in terms of the camera.
- CGMagazine 9.5/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best flagship phone on offer, period. Whether the price of the upgrade to you is the real question.
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The Galaxy S24 Ultra still takes the throne as the best Android phone. However, for the first time ever, I’m questioning my pro-Samsung stance. Great selfies and long battery life are too alluring to pass up.
- BGR 9/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is yet another killer Android phone in the S series. Arguably, the device is the best Android phone you can get right now — thanks to its excellent camera, top-tier performance, handy S Pen, and stunning display.
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Put all of that together, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra is easily Samsung's strongest phone to date, blending great features with some of the best performance I've seen on a smartphone. It doesn't have many exclusive AI features, but what's there is generally impressive.
- MakeUseOf 9/10
Samsung’s Galaxy S line of flagship phones has always been touted as the Android phones-to-beat, setting a benchmark to compare other phones that launch later in the year.
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In my first week with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I found it to be the exact kind of large phone I want.
- IGN 9/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best Android phone you can buy right now, but at $1299, it really needs to be.
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That right there, in a tasty way, nutshell, is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Not quite as fresh anymore, it's 2 months old, but got to say I do rather like it in some ways, but I wouldn't choose it as my full-time smartphone right now, not least because it cost well over a grand.
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I only recommend the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra if you are into One UI's massive number of features and customizations and the S Pen, which comes in handy in some scenarios.
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This has been a steady pace for several generations, offering the latest and most powerful mobile chipset, material design, display technologies, and camera performance.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a remarkable device that sets a new standard for what a flagship smartphone can be.
- neowin.net 9/10
The S24 Ultra is a fantastic phone. It does everything well with seemingly very few flaws.
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Now I'm going to talk about everything that I do like right after this quick commercial break.
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So yep, I think that Samsung is still giving us a very, very good flagship for 2024.
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We are clearly in the era of Galaxy AI; the S24 series does enough to add weight to Samsung’s lofty claim.
- GadgetGuy 9.3/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is an incredibly powerful device, and one of the best phones I’ve reviewed in years.
- Root-Nation.com 9.7/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best Android smartphone of 2024. It excels in every aspect - materials, display, cameras (especially the zoom capabilities), memory, processor, and more.
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[I]f you're eyeing up for the best smartphone that you can buy right now, consider yourself lucky because the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the ultimate phone for you.
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Despite new features and improvements, the main allure of the Galaxy S24 Ultra still lies in its large display, superior battery life, and the versatility of its four cameras.
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Put simply, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a terrific choice for those willing to put up with a bit of software complexity. It’s highly recommended.
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Okay, all these Galaxy AI features are actually quite useful, and again, I was pleasantly surprised as how fast they are, but there are a few that are a little less useful that also mimic some other Pixel features like Chat Assist with the Samsung keyboard to change the way [...]
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It's the best Android flagship, solid camera, solid build, great screen, super happy that it's flat.
- Pokde.Net 8.3/10
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has started off 2024 with a huge bang in terms of what to expect with Android flagships.
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If you're a few generations back, then really it is a no-brainer to upgrade to the S24 Ultra with all its built-in features, amazing build quality.
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Everything from the design and display quality to performance and battery life is top notch, and the AI features are more than just gimmicks.
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At $1,300, though, the scrutiny has to be ever closer, but other than the less-than-great ultra-wide lens, there's very little to nitpick about.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra gives you everything you could possibly want in an Android smartphone.
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Put all of that together, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra is easily Samsung's best phone to date, combining great features with one of the slickest performances I've seen in a smartphone, not to mention great battery life.
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[T]he Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is an exceptional smartphone more powerful and more comfortable to use than its predecessor.
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Time for conclusion and overall thoughts – I do think that in terms of hardware, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is an iterative upgrade.
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Therefore, if you're looking for the best overall phone the money can buy at the moment, the S24 Ultra is my top recommendation.
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So right now, this is the best all-around smartphone of 2024.
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The S24 Ultra, honestly, it has no issues whatsoever. And it's without a doubt the best all-around package that you can buy if price is not an issue.
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[T]he S24 Ultra is one of the best phones I’ve tried.
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This is one of Samsung's greatest, and it still is; it's one of the greatest Android smartphones out there that you can get your hands on.
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I have a lot of fun with the cameras here on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but overall the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has just been an amazing device.
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The more I use, the more I like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the more I learn about the phone, so I can keep you guys updated and talk about what has impressed me and some of the quirks we talked about.
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[I] am very happy with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra belongs in the price range where you have to pay the price to be in the absolute top.
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[F]ew phones come close to the Galaxy S24 Ultra in terms of hardware.
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The S24 Ultra is a great all-rounder device for those who prefer productivity over everything else.
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I didn’t mention the Galaxy S24 Ultra as a gaming device, but I have to note it here because it’s just as good as its predecessor that way—maybe even better because of the advanced cooling.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has nearly everything going for it as a premium smartphone for the modern, digital age.
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If you need a phone right now, have the money, and want the best that Samsung has to offer that isn't a foldable, then yeah, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is pretty damn good.
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Here's the thing: the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is peak Samsung slab. There is no other smartphone that Samsung makes that defines what Samsung is other than this.
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So if you look at all of these things, I would say this is the best phone that you could buy.
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All in all, what I am trying to say is that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a super mature smartphone. Samsung knows what they're doing with this series, if a person is walking into a Samsung store and buying the smartphone, even they know what to expect out of this smartphone.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers a truly impressive number of features, with quality design, power, and battery life, and it’s unmatched among Android phones.
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I understand some people are disappointed because only some of the AI features are useful and they also might become a subscription service in the future, but even if we take away all of the AI features, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is still a very solid phone.
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I'll wholeheartedly recommend this newer one for the screen alone, but it's got much more than that [...]
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So 2 months later, I would be lying to you if I told you this wasn't like the king or like the best phone on the market today.
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The S24 Ultra, see in my opinion, is like the best mature phone. Like the bar is already set so high with this phone that it's actually insane.
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As far as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra goes, I've thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with this device and even in its current form I think that it's a pretty hefty contender even against the newly released iPhone 16 Pro.
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[A]ll in all I'm super impressed with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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[T]he Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is incredible.
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Samsung’s AI-infused Titan is a true standard-bearer for the "Galaxy S" line. It could be the best smartphone in the world, top to bottom, at the time of writing [...]
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As this review comes to an end, I got to give it up to Samsung, they knocked it. Out of the park this year with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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All in all, the Samsung S24 Ultra made for a great (and smart) companion to have in my pocket.
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[T]he Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, pound-for-pound, this is probably the best phone you can get on the market right now cohesively with everything that it has to offer.
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[F]our generations later, Samsung’s Ultra is still the kitchen sink with pretty much everything you could want in a smartphone.
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The S24 line is the best yet from Samsung. The hardware is dialed in, the software is rock solid and the new AI features are showing promise.
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I would say that the S24 Ultra is a superb phone as it is. Its camera is an improvement in many areas and its battery life is one of the best I’ve seen in a phone.
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This Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a real technological gem. It combines top-level performance, exceptional build quality and artificial intelligence features that make the user experience even more fluid and intuitive.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G is more than a smartphone. It offers up an entire suite of functionality that no other device can currently, making it the one-stop go-to.
- Kakuchopurei 90/100
Enter the A.I-packed Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra which like its predecessor, is now the best smart device you can spend your money on.
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I have to say my experience with the the phone has been very good when it comes to battery life. I've been able to get an a day and a half with no compromises, meaning max resolution, max brightness, max refresh rate.
