Doing (and costing) the most

Consider the largest, most complex Swiss Military Knife you’ve ever seen, one with extra instruments than you possibly can ever use. Now, give it a USB-C port, a stylus, and 4 cameras on the again. Congratulations, you’ve bought the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely. That is perhaps oversimplifying some of the succesful Android telephones available on the market, however the analogy isn’t too far off. Let’s get into our Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely evaluation, and also you’ll see what I imply.

There’s just one place to begin with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, and that’s with AI — Galaxy AI, particularly. It’s the principle occasion, the large concept, no matter else you need to name it. Samsung talked about the phrase a whopping 50 instances throughout its first Unpacked occasion of 2024, promising a laundry checklist of options to make your smartphone smarter and much more useful. Now, take that with a grain of salt as a result of we’re nonetheless very a lot within the experimentation section of on-device AI, however I’ve discovered a couple of Galaxy AI options that ought to in all probability stick round.

We’ll come again to the pictures options like Picture Help (basically Samsung’s model of Magic Editor) later, however there are many different methods to make texting, calling, and even note-taking simpler. One which I’ve been utilizing is Chat Help, which lives inside the Samsung Keyboard. It reads by way of messages as you sort them, providing ideas for spelling and grammar, however it may additionally offer you various tones to attempt. Chat Help has tones like Skilled and Informal to be used with bosses and coworkers and a #Social tone, which masses your message with emojis and hashtags, like a tweet from again when X was Twitter.

As a author, I can often do with out Chat Help, however the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s Be aware Help is a lifesaver. It covers a couple of totally different AI options, together with the flexibility to summarize a webpage right into a extra concise set of notes, one thing I’ve sorely wanted whereas researching how on-device AI works. Be aware Help additionally covers reworking my horrendous S Pen handwriting into legible notes when I’ve to scribble out a fast reminder throughout a Zoom content material assembly.

A number of the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s extra refined AI options, nevertheless, are these co-developed with Google. Choices like Circle to Search and the flexibility to generate wallpapers primarily based on a couple of prompts are already out there on the Pixel 8 collection, and now they’re on Samsung’s newest flagships as properly. Circle to Search works like Google Lens, although it’s a bit simpler to regulate now that you would be able to pick particular parts from a extra cluttered picture. Samsung’s generative wallpapers are the identical as these on the Pixel 8 Professional, proper right down to the checklist of prompts you’ll be able to choose from, however they’re enjoyable both approach.

Our Galaxy S24 Extremely additionally got here with Android 14 and One UI 6.1 out of the field. Samsung’s Android 14 expertise doesn’t really feel a lot totally different from its earlier setup, although it has a couple of good tweaks. The fast settings menu has been slimmed down, shifting to smaller buttons that appear to drift above your house display screen slightly than block it out. Samsung’s color-coordinated theming is best, too, with extra app icons matching your background shade as a substitute of solely the first-party choices. The very best software program information is that the Galaxy S24 collection is in line for seven years of upgrades — a strong bump from its earlier 4 years of Android variations and 5 years of safety patches, and one which places it again consistent with Google relating to replace insurance policies.

As soon as you progress previous the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s AI-fueled coronary heart, you’re left with the cellphone itself. It seems like a Galaxy S23 Extremely with a bit extra polish throughout all facets. The 2 telephones look virtually an identical, with boxy corners, digicam rings that dot the satin-textured rear glass, and an S Pen that hides away alongside the underside edge. So, in the event you like Samsung’s current flagship design, you’ll in all probability discover loads to love in regards to the up to date model. And but, these modifications supply simply sufficient quality-of-life enchancment to make them value mentioning.

For starters, Armor Aluminum is out, and titanium is in. Apple already switched from chrome steel to titanium on its iPhone 15 Professional collection, and now it’s Samsung’s flip. Nonetheless, Samsung is upgrading its body for a really totally different cause. Whereas Apple made the change to save lots of a couple of grams from its hefty Professional fashions, the Galaxy S24 Extremely adopted titanium purely for its improved sturdiness. It solely shaved a few gram off the burden of the earlier Galaxy S23 Extremely, however the titanium body has a slight texture, making it way more snug in hand than the earlier mannequin. Oh, and the textured end is pleasingly fingerprint-averse, too.

Samsung additionally upgraded its top-tier flagship to the newest and biggest glass that Corning has to supply — as ordinary. The sweeping 6.8-inch Dynamic 2x AMOLED is now fabricated from a particular low-glare sheet of Gorilla Armor, whereas the remainder of the Galaxy S24 collection hangs onto Gorilla Glass Victus 2. We’ll have to attend and see if Gorilla Armor is the hardest glass that Corning has to supply, however the glare-resistant therapy is already a straightforward win for Samsung. It affords an evening and day distinction in the way it handles vivid daylight in comparison with the earlier show, making it a lot simpler to make use of in broad daylight. The Galaxy S24 Extremely additionally tops out at 2,600 nits of peak brightness, which doesn’t damage its efficiency on sunny days.

Samsung’s remaining show modification might be the one you’ll discover first — it’s flat. The Galaxy S24 Extremely now matches its extra inexpensive siblings by dropping the curved edges, so that you not have to fret about unintentional presses or squeezes. As somebody with smaller fingers, I welcome the change, as I can preserve the body in a tighter grip whereas utilizing this beast of a cellphone with two fingers. Granted, the swap ends in barely extra noticeable aspect bezels, however I’d name it a good commerce.

Though its Galaxy AI options briefly contact on the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s repute as an influence person’s finest good friend, there’s much more to cowl in terms of efficiency. For starters, Samsung has lastly accomplished away with cut up ranges of RAM, placing all Galaxy S24 Extremely configurations on equal footing with 12GB as a substitute of limiting the bottom mannequin to simply 8GB. The elevated RAM pairs properly with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, an overclocked model of Qualcomm’s newest silicon to provide Samsung essentially the most energy attainable.

That additional energy interprets to a few of the finest benchmarking scores in an Android cellphone proper now. The Galaxy S24 Extremely topped all the pieces however the iPhone 15 Professional Max in our Geekbench 6 run, got here up only a hair in need of the ASUS ROG Telephone 8 Professional (in its high-performance X-Mode) within the graphically intensive 3DMark checks, and topped the charts in our PCMark race. Samsung’s robust numbers have been much less inspiring throughout our stress checks, tailing off to extra modest outcomes after a couple of runs, however they have been nonetheless ok to remain forward of most rivals. Though the Galaxy s24 Extremely was left behind by the ROG Telephone 8 Professional, it achieved its outcomes with out attempting to burn a gap by way of our desks, which means that you possibly can get pleasure from its efficiency, not like the ASUS mannequin. Try our devoted Galaxy S24 benchmarks article for a deeper dive.

After all, none of this benchmarking efficiency means a factor if the day-to-day expertise suffers. Fortunately, we all know Samsung properly sufficient to anticipate a person expertise matching its lofty lab numbers. I completely loved how your complete Galaxy S24 Extremely bundle got here collectively throughout my weeks with the cellphone, providing greater than sufficient energy for gaming, social media, and its generative AI options with out ever actually coming near the thermal troubles of Google’s early era Tensor choices.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely landed proper between a couple of of my busier durations of labor journey, which means that it bought to be my journey companion slightly than a enterprise accomplice, powering my GPS and Spotify playlist for a drive from Baltimore to Philadelphia and again. Whereas in Philly for a good friend’s birthday, I put the Galaxy S24 Extremely by way of loads of work as a go-to digicam for each stills and movies and likewise used it to stream the divisional spherical of the NFL playoffs utilizing T-Cell’s 5G community. Though the cellphone warmed whereas streaming the sport, it by no means reached some extent the place it was uncomfortable to carry, nor did I really feel just like the battery drained too shortly.

Mentioning the battery, it hasn’t modified. I can nonetheless push the 5,000mAh cell past a day of combined utilization, averaging a day and 1 / 4 to a day and a half earlier than I’ve to achieve for a charger. After all, once I’m leaning on Samsung’s generative AI capabilities, the outcomes are barely decrease, nearer to a good day. And sure, it’s straightforward to toss out anecdotal battery outcomes, however the Galaxy S24 Extremely backs it up within the lab, too.

We put it by way of a battery stress check, which covers 4K video recording, 4K video playback, net looking, and a simulated Zoom name, amongst different widespread duties, with the Galaxy S24 Extremely popping out forward of its predecessor practically throughout the board. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powered Samsung’s newest flagship to a forty five% enchancment in 4K video playback, in addition to smaller 16% bumps to gaming, net looking, and video recording. There’s a great probability that Qualcomm’s extra environment friendly chipset is to thank for lots of the outcomes, although its superior picture processing comes with a tradeoff of 33% decrease digicam efficiency. All of which means sure, the Galaxy S24 Extremely affords higher battery life than its predecessor, and it’s best to simply be capable to push it previous a day of utilization, however you’ll need to be aware of how a lot time you spend on every process.

If you inevitably want a charger, the Galaxy S24 Extremely nonetheless helps 45W wired — with a USB PD PPS charger — and 15W wi-fi speeds. It takes a hair over an hour to cruise from an empty battery to a full one with a suitable charger (no, there nonetheless isn’t one within the field), which is barely quicker than the earlier era. Our wired charging check confirmed a remaining time of about 62 minutes for the Galaxy S24 Extremely in comparison with round 64 minutes for the Galaxy S23 Extremely — an enchancment, however a minor one.

By now, you’ve in all probability picked up on the truth that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely will get loads of issues proper. It’s as highly effective as you’ll be able to ask for, delivers strong battery life and charging, and sports activities an upgraded body with more durable Corning Glass. Nonetheless, all that success comes at a price — each literal and figurative.

The literal half of that value comes within the type of a $100 value bump unique to the Galaxy S24 Extremely. It calls for an eye-watering $1,299 on the base configuration, whereas the top-tier model with 1TB of storage reaches all the way in which to $1,659 — only a hair under the folding Galaxy Z Fold 5. After all, value will increase occur, however it’s more durable to justify the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s bump once you break down what you’re getting — or slightly, what others aren’t.

For starters, the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus get entry to the identical Galaxy AI options because the Extremely. Which means you don’t should go the $1,000 barrier to make use of Picture Help, Chat Help, or translate your cellphone calls from one language to a different in actual time. These two telephones additionally get the identical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset within the US (or the Exynos 2400 in lots of world markets) and the identical seven years of software program updates. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Extremely is the one one to get a titanium body, however even that doesn’t matter a lot when you add a protecting case.

Even the earlier generations of Galaxy units will get entry to a few of Samsung’s finest AI options. The corporate inadvertently let slip that Circle to Search, Stay Translate, Be aware Help, and Picture Help could be coming to a minimum of the Galaxy S23 collection, and also you received’t have to fret a few $100 value bump on any of them.

There’s room for the literal value of the Galaxy S24 Extremely to extend, too, with Galaxy AI options solely at present assured to remain free by way of the tip of 2025. Which means, do you have to select to maintain your Galaxy S24 Extremely by way of the tip of its life cycle in seven years, you’ll in all probability spend 5 of these years paying for the AI-powered options that you simply already paid additional for. After all, Samsung has but to element its plans for Galaxy AI previous the tip of 2025, however it has prompt it’d offset a few of the anticipated subscription charges by introducing extra new options — we’ll simply have to attend and see.

As for the figurative half of the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s value, it’s an enormous cellphone — there’s no approach round it. Samsung’s 6.8-inch show may supply extra display screen actual property than anybody wants, however it comes at the price of being virtually unattainable to make use of one-handed. Granted, the presence of the S Pen suggests that you simply’re not supposed to make use of one hand anyway, however most individuals received’t use a stylus always. Pair that with the huge rectangular body with its perpetually uncomfortable corners, and the Galaxy S24 Extremely turns into a tricky machine to pocket for the smaller amongst us. Truthfully, I don’t at all times really feel like I’ve the pocket house for it, even when I wished to hold a cellphone this large.

Circling again to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely’s AI options, simply do not forget that we’re nonetheless within the comparatively early days of on-device capabilities. As such, a few of the options are nonetheless hit and miss, together with the real-time translations and the Picture Help edits. Whereas efficient for brief, casual chats, Samsung’s translations get tough across the edges with extra difficult sentences and topics. Not the entire Chat Help suggestions are notably useful, both. The #Social tone, particularly, seems like an out-of-date throwback with an overabundance of hashtags and emojis that I’d have utilized in center faculty. Asking the Galaxy S24 Extremely to translate, transcribe, and summarize a protracted textual content may also push its gears to their restrict, generally bailing on the duty midway by way of.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely’s digicam doesn’t look totally different from its predecessor’s, which is an effective factor. The Galaxy S23 Extremely earned its place as among the best digicam telephones we utilized in 2023 with a formidable mixture of long-range zoom and in-depth professional options, so it’s honest to anticipate the Galaxy S24 Extremely to fit proper within the earlier cellphone’s place. It largely does — don’t fear — however there are extra modifications to speak about than those who meet the attention, together with many who happen after you press the shutter button.

We solely should spend a second or two on the {hardware} modifications, as there’s just one value mentioning. Samsung ditched its longstanding 10MP 10x optical telephoto sensor in favor of a shorter however greater decision 50MP 5x optical telephoto sensor. Which means the Galaxy S24 Extremely affords full-resolution images at 5x zoom and applies a sensor crop for optical high quality photographs as much as 10x zoom, whereas the earlier Galaxy S23 Extremely used a mixture of digital zoom and post-processing for all the pieces between 3x and 10x zoom. The brand new sensor additionally packs a wider most aperture of f/3.4 as a substitute of f/4.9, which permits extra mild to achieve the sensor in addition to a shallower depth of area.

Exterior the telephoto swap, the Galaxy S24 Extremely has the identical 200MP main sensor as its predecessor, full with a large f/1.7 aperture. It’s backed by 10MP 3x optical telephoto and 12MP ultrawide sensors, which stay unchanged from the earlier era. The 12MP punch gap selfie digicam is unchanged, too.

Samsung’s default digicam app hasn’t modified, both — it’s nonetheless loaded with customizable capturing modes and a mountain of professional options. Nonetheless, the little Galaxy AI brand of stars pops up once you open your digicam roll or the Samsung Gallery app. It’s each the button you faucet on to start making AI-powered edits and the tiny watermark that reveals up as a reminder that Samsung’s algorithms performed a job in your edited shot. Oh, and no, you’ll be able to’t eliminate the watermark utilizing AI, however you possibly can crop it out of your shot — although which may additionally reduce out the edits you so rigorously generated. I’ll add some edited samples under, however first, a couple of unedited photographs.

Samsung’s 200MP main sensor delivers wonderful photographs in nearly any type of vivid lighting situation. Whether or not it’s the intense, sunny pagoda or the pair of flags within the shade, the Galaxy S24 Extremely captured loads of element and recreated correct colours — a welcome change from Samsung’s ordinary love of reds and greens. The close-up picture of the balloons additionally reveals good textures on every, with some showing shinier, like the grey one to the best, whereas others are extra matte. My portrait mode picture of a duck additionally reveals a satisfying depth of area, protecting the duck in focus however not instantly eliminating all the pieces round it with synthetic bokeh.

One side of Samsung’s cameras that’s typically critiqued is its points with transferring targets, and sadly, that is still a difficulty right here. I received’t go into an excessive amount of element right here as my colleague Rita El Khoury has already accomplished that — take a look at her deep dive into how the Galaxy S24 Extremely handles folks and pets for samples.

The change from a 10x optical zoom to 5x additionally works properly for Samsung in vivid daylight. Whereas the earlier Galaxy S23 Extremely would have required a substantial amount of post-processing for the 5x shot of the Domino Sugar manufacturing unit, the brand new digicam captures it at full decision earlier than binning right down to a 12.5MP remaining outcome. It picks up first rate particulars for being on the far aspect of a large harbor, with solely a slight shift within the shade profile the place the constructing displays on the water. Samsung’s 10x zoom shot makes use of a crop from the middle of the schedule, which isn’t fairly the identical as true optical high quality, however it’s a good commerce to get higher mid-range images. The manufacturing unit’s 30x and 100x zoom photographs are noticeably softer, with many of the brick constructing being diminished to purple and white rectangles — appropriate for social media to point out off that you would be able to zoom to this point, however that’s about it.

Testing the Galaxy S24 Extremely at evening delivered maybe essentially the most shocking outcomes throughout my time with the cellphone. I’m used to calling Google’s newest flagship the nighttime king, however the Galaxy S24 Extremely turned in higher coloration in my selfie, extra particulars above the water line within the ultrawide pattern, and far, a lot better particulars within the 5x zoom picture of Mr. Trash Wheel. The final of these three outcomes might be due to the upper decision telephoto sensor, however Samsung’s Galaxy AI picture processing shines throughout your complete slate of outcomes.

Now, the enhancing check you’ve all been ready for… it’s good, however not nice. I expanded the picture of my espresso cup and shifted the angle to see how Samsung would deal with producing a part of my laptop computer, and it did simply tremendous. It recreated Apple’s Starlight end appropriately however added a little bit of texture to the in any other case easy laptop computer and recreated the wooden grain of the desk as a collection of traces. One of many extra spectacular particulars is that Samsung reduce off the pot within the appropriate spot and appropriately guessed the lighting by a window that wasn’t inside the body.

The pattern photograph of my cat tells an identical story — shut however imperfect. It largely erased my hand and my blue shirt, however slightly than extending the blue of my pants off the aspect of the picture, the Galaxy S24 Extremely halted it early, making my leg look extra like a pillow than a human leg. Samsung didn’t trouble to generate the remainder of my cat’s paw, although the bokeh does a reasonably good job of hiding what would in all probability be a stunted paw in a clearer image.

I don’t have a lot to say in regards to the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s selfie digicam, primarily as a result of it hasn’t modified since final yr. It’s nonetheless a 12MP punch gap, which stays a extra dependable wager than the earlier 40MP monster from a couple of years again. Selfie cameras shouldn’t must bin by default, particularly once you’re in all probability not going to make use of the completed product for way more than social media. Samsung hasn’t modified its video capabilities an excessive amount of, both, providing as much as 8K high quality at as much as 30fps when utilizing Professional Video mode or 4K decision at as much as 120fps.

The Galaxy S24 Extremely is Samsung’s most refined extremely flagship thus far. Its flat show does away with unintentional presses, whereas the titanium body is delightfully fingerprint-free, and it’s nonetheless robust to match the brilliance of Samsung’s high-end shows. The beast of a smartphone stays a dream for energy customers, too, with exceptional efficiency from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and several other Galaxy AI options stepping in to make calling, texting, and even note-taking simpler in your every day life.

We’ve come to anticipate greatness from Samsung’s Extremely yr in and yr out, and it continues to ship. The Galaxy S24 Extremely packs 4 extremely versatile rear cameras, providing a few of the finest zoom functionality you’ll discover on a flagship and a shade profile that’s slowly however absolutely inching towards pure. Galaxy AI has a job right here, too, particularly when eliminating undesirable objects out of your photographs. Combine in an replace promise that when once more leads the Android class (or a minimum of ties with Google), and it’s straightforward to see the Galaxy S24 Extremely incomes a spot in your pocket for a very long time.

Nonetheless, it’s simply as straightforward to go over the Galaxy S24 Extremely as an improve you don’t want. Its $100 value enhance is hard to justify when the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus didn’t get the identical therapy, and the Galaxy S24 Extremely appears to be lacking a killer cause to improve now that lots of its cloud-based Galaxy AI options have already been confirmed as coming to the older Galaxy S23 collection. Samsung’s titanium body isn’t vital, both, because it barely saves any weight, and also you’ll in all probability neglect it’s any totally different from Armor Aluminum as quickly as you place your cellphone in a case.

If you happen to determine the Galaxy S24 Utlra isn’t for you, its finest various is only one step down the Samsung totem pole. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus ($1119.99 at Samsung) is the best member of the trio to suggest, providing the overwhelming majority of the Extremely expertise with out the complete brunt of the excessive price ticket. It’s only a tenth of an inch smaller at 6.7 inches however packs a 4,900mAh battery and an identical charging specs to Samsung’s most costly flagship. As talked about, the Galaxy S24 Plus additionally will get the identical slate of Galaxy AI options, which means that you would be able to circle to go looking, faucet into name or chat help, and edit your images with out the uncomfortable corners of the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s boxy body digging into your hand. You’ll should reside with out the second telephoto sensor and the S Pen, however the financial savings are greater than worthwhile.

You may additionally determine to skip Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem altogether, through which case it’s time to take a look at a few of the finest Galaxy S24 Extremely options.

The primary choice that springs to thoughts is Google’s Pixel 8 Professional ($999 at Amazon). Though priced consistent with the extra inexpensive Galaxy S24 Plus, the Pixel 8 Professional is a real Galaxy S24 Extremely rival. It beat Samsung to the punch with Magic Editor for images, its long-term replace dedication, and even the swap from a curved show to a flat one. After all, the in-house Tensor G3 chip nonetheless doesn’t maintain a efficiency candle to Qualcomm’s highly effective Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, nor does the Pixel 8 Professional cost practically as shortly because the Galaxy S24 Extremely. In the end, although, selecting between these two might come right down to which taste of Android you like — Google’s mild, stock-like expertise or Samsung’s heavier, feature-rich One UI.

One other wildcard value taking a look at is the OnePlus 12 (on the product’s web site). It’s as soon as once more extra inexpensive than the Galaxy S24 Extremely (most telephones are), however it packs a spec sheet that punches properly above its price ticket. The OnePlus 12 stuffs an enormous 5,400mAh battery into its slim body, then backs it with 80W wired charging and eventually brings again 50W wi-fi charging after a number of years on hiatus. It matches the Galaxy S24 Extremely with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset below the hood and both 12 or 16GB of RAM. The partnership with Hasselblad continues to repay for OnePlus, too, with a trio of highly effective, high-resolution sensors and a shade profile that’s come a good distance. That mentioned, the OnePlus 12 places the least emphasis on new AI-powered options, so it is perhaps one to keep away from in the event you’re trying to get generative.

Oh, and given the sky-high value of the Galaxy S24 Extremely with 1TB of storage, it is perhaps value taking a look at a foldable Android cellphone as a greater use of your cash. Each the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 ($1799.99 at Samsung) and OnePlus Open ($1499.99 at OnePlus) are wonderful choices, with the previous providing lots of the similar software program options because the Galaxy S24 Extremely. It received’t obtain as many updates, nor does it have the identical slate of AI options, however it helps you to customise the inner and exterior shows independently — one thing most foldable telephones ignore. The OnePlus Open is a type of foldables, however it makes up for the limitation with a way more usable cowl show and lighter general building.

Do you have to select to enterprise outdoors of Android altogether, Apple’s iPhone 15 Professional Max ($1199 at Amazon) is the one iPhone value contemplating. It’s the one machine to outpace the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in our Geekbench 6 scores, and Apple’s top-tier flagship stays the digicam to beat in terms of capturing smartphone video. It grabbed a titanium body earlier than Samsung did, and Apple has lastly softened its sharp iPhone edges, a minimum of a bit bit. The iPhone 15 Professional Max set the unique customary for software program replace commitments, and it continues to match Google and Samsung every time they enhance their promise. After all, you’ll should get used to iOS and its quirks, however you’ll lastly present up as a blue bubble to your whole iMessage-toting associates.

All instructed, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely is a superb smartphone. It takes up the mantel of its predecessor and carries it additional, including a titanium body and several other Galaxy AI options to the combination whereas sustaining the already wonderful digicam setup. It’s Samsung’s most full expertise thus far, providing energy that may fulfill essentially the most demanding of customers at a value that’s excessive sufficient to doubtlessly flip away virtually all others.