The Samsung Galaxy S24+ sits comfortably in the shadow of its flashier sibling, the S24 Ultra, but don’t let that fool you.
This phone packs a punch, offering a refined flagship experience at a slightly more palatable price tag. But is it enough to stand out in a crowded market? Let’s delve into the review.
What’s in the box?
As usual, you are getting the phone (I got the Marble Gray colour), a USB-C cable, quick start guide and warranty information. That’s it. I do wish that Samsung would start including a case for the phone, like other Chinese brands.
Design and Build Quality
The S24+ boasts a sleek and refined design, inspired by the iPhone 15 with flattened edges, slim bezels, and a gorgeous display.
The phone feels solid and premium, thanks to its glass and metal construction. While some may find the design uninspired, it’s undeniably premium and comfortable to hold. But be sure to get a case, as the phone can be slippery.
Display
The S24+ features a stunning 6.7-inch QHD+ LTPO AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. This display is a big upgrade from the S23+. Colours are vibrant, blacks are deep, and everything looks incredibly sharp.
Whether you’re watching videos, playing games, or browsing the web, the display is a joy to use and a feast to the eyes.
Performance
Under the hood, the Exynos 2400 processor delivers top-notch performance, handling even demanding tasks with ease. While you might be disappointed that it doesn’t come with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, for day-to-day usage, you wouldn’t notice it.
Whether you’re multitasking, gaming, or editing videos, the S24+ won’t break a sweat. The 12GB of RAM in the Plus model ensures smooth multitasking, even with heavy workloads. The phone does warm up while playing games, but is not uncomfortable to touch.
The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner works very well. The advantage of an ultrasonic sensor over an optical one is that it will work even when the screen is turned off and your finger is wet or dirty.
Galaxy AI
This year, AI takes centre stage in the Galaxy S24 series. Samsung called AI “Advanced “Intelligence,” and the company packed numerous AI-powered features into the phones.
Features like Live Translate and Interpreter hold immense potential, offering real-time, voice-to-voice translation across multiple languages. This could be a game-changer for travellers, business interactions, and everyday communication.
Generative Edit and Edit Suggestion offer AI-powered assistance to photos. From adding smiles to faces to replacing backgrounds, these tools add a playful touch to image editing, even for non-professionals.
Chat Assist, Transcribe Assist, and Note Assist offer handy shortcuts for managing notes, calls, and messages. Imagine summarising a voice recording or getting real-time grammar suggestions while chatting. These tools can help streamline your workflow.
The Circle to Search feature is the most useful AI feature for me. Regardless of what I’m doing on the screen, I can easily activate this feature, draw a circle around the object of my search with my finger, and in most cases, the search results will provide the information I seek.
However, all these AI features are only free-to-use until 2025 and these features will be coming to Galaxy S23 series as well. Also, all the phones in the Galaxy S24 series will be getting seven years of software support, highlighting Samsung’s commitment to its flagship phones.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ boasts a familiar triple-camera system: a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. While the hardware remains largely unchanged from the S23+, Samsung introduces a new ProVisual Engine promising better image processing and stabilisation.
The cameras deliver reliable performance with detailed photos in good lighting, consistent colours, and good stabilisation.
However, it struggles a bit in low-light conditions for the telephoto and ultrawide camera. The main camera on the other hand takes the best photos in low-light conditions.
If you prioritise consistent, vibrant photos and a versatile camera system, the S24+ is a solid choice. But if you crave low-light excellence or cutting-edge camera tech, you might want to consider other options.
Battery life
One of the biggest improvements over the S23+ is battery life. The S24+ boasts a larger 4,900mAh battery, and combined with software optimisations, it easily lasts a full day on a single charge, even with moderate usage.
As always, Samsung didn’t ship with a charger in the box, so I had to use a OnePlus 150W charger. From 1 to 100%, the phone took 1 hour and 15 minutes to finish charging.
Compared to many other brands, the 45W charging speed is archaic and Samsung should increase the charging speed to at least 65W.
Should you buy the Galaxy S24+?
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is a solid flagship phone with a lot to offer. It has a beautiful display, powerful performance, excellent battery life, and a versatile camera system. However, the lack of significant camera improvements over the S23+ might leave some buyers underwhelmed.
Ultimately, the decision comes down to your individual needs and priorities. If you’re looking for a well-rounded flagship with a familiar feel and a slightly lower price tag than the S24 Ultra, the S24+ is definitely worth considering.
