At a look
Knowledgeable’s Score
Execs
- Immersive 6.7in show
- Lag-free efficiency
- Unimaginable battery life
- Useful AI options
- Seven years of Android updates
Cons
- No S Pen help
- No microSD card slot
- On the costly aspect
Our Verdict
It will not be low-cost, however the Samsung Galaxy S24+ ticks just about each field a cellphone may presumably tick, with astonishing battery life, a wonderful 120Hz show, faultless efficiency, and a flexible digital camera setup.
Worth When Reviewed
From $999
Greatest Costs Right this moment: Samsung Galaxy S24+
The Galaxy S24+ is the center entry in Samsung’s newest line of S telephones, sitting between the extra compact (and reasonably priced) S24 and the extra premium (and costly) S24 Extremely.
It presents a wholesome compromise between the 2 fashions, jettisoning the S Pen help and titanium body of the Extremely however offering a bigger, extra luxurious show than the S24, in addition to an even bigger and extra reliable battery.
However simply how good is it, and does it justify the £200 (or $200) value enhance over its smaller sibling? I put it to the check on this evaluation, and whereas some might argue that a big cellphone such because the S24+ ought to present S Pen help, we discover it nigh-on excellent in almost each different division.
Our record of the very best smartphones comprises a number of the S24+’s largest rivals.
Design & Construct
- Clear and uncluttered squared-edge design
- Punch-hole selfie digital camera
- IP68 score
The S24+ finds Samsung persevering with the cleaner, extra modernistic design of the S23 collection. Nevertheless it additionally introduces a few delicate modifications, which assist to increase this design ethos even additional, though some critics may argue that it makes the cellphone resemble current iPhone fashions a bit carefully.
On the one hand, it options a lot the identical rear digital camera module that has the three lenses mounted vertically and immediately into the again of the cellphone. That is with out the protruding bump (as we had with the S21 and S22 strains), making for a tidier look general.
Alternatively, the S24+ has given its sides a totally flat-edged look. Once more, this does make the mannequin look noticeably extra up to date and streamlined, even when some might accuse Samsung of taking too many cues from Apple.
a remarkably sturdy and rugged gadget, regardless of its elegant look
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Nonetheless, the cellphone actually does please the attention, with its gently metallic vary of colors – I’ve reviewed the stunning Cobalt Violet – serving to intensify the general sleekness. You can even get the cellphone in Amber Yellow, Onyx Black and Marble Gray then an additional three colors are unique (within the UK at the very least) to the Samsung retailer: Sapphire Blue, Jade Inexperienced and Sandstone Orange.
The general impact can also be helped by the discreet punch-hole selfie digital camera within the top-center of the show.
By way of dimensions and weight, the S24+ is tangibly greater and heavier than the S24, but it’s additionally conveniently smaller and lighter than the flagship S24 Extremely. The distinction between every mannequin is roughly 30g (or 1.06oz), that means that the S24+ offers a wholesome compromise between the compactness of its smaller sibling and the heft of the Extremely.
It’s additionally a remarkably sturdy and rugged gadget, regardless of its elegant look. Fitted with a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back and front (and an ‘Armor Aluminium’ body), it additionally carries an official IP68 score, so it ought to take an inexpensive quantity of use earlier than it exhibits any put on or harm.
Display screen & Audio system
- 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X show
- 120Hz refresh fee
- 32-bit/384kHz audio with stereo audio system
So far as its display goes, the Galaxy S24+ offers extra of an evolution over its predecessor than a revolution. It too homes a Dynamic AMOLED 2x show, but this outing the latter makes use of LTPO know-how, offering for a extra dynamic, environment friendly refresh fee and different delicate advantages.
One other minor distinction is that the S24+ really has a fractionally greater show, at 6.7-inch fairly than the 6.6-inch of the S23+. This will not be very significant by itself, nevertheless it additionally comes with an improved decision of 3120×1440 pixels (in comparison with 2340×1080 with final 12 months’s mannequin), making for a extra vivid display general.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
So too does the improved brightness of the show, which maxes out at roughly 2600 nits. This implies you’re by no means actually struggling to see the whole lot on display, and when married to a max refresh fee of 120Hz, the general visible expertise offered by the S24+ is nearly second to none.
Complementing the superb and vibrant show are the S24+’s narrower bezel, which permit for the 0.1-inch enhance within the cellphone’s display dimension. Its general thinness helps to provide the cellphone a extra premium aesthetic, as does the aforementioned punch-hole selfie digital camera.
Rounding off the cellphone’s spectacular display are its stereo audio system, which offer high-fidelity 32-bit audio and make the gadget viable as a low-key audio participant. Whereas it unsurprisingly doesn’t rise up towards devoted stereos, it offers sufficient high quality so that you can watch TV and movie with out lacking a standalone Bluetooth speaker.
the S24+ actually isn’t a slouch when it comes to energy
Specs & Efficiency
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
- 12GB RAM and 256GB storage
- No microSD card slot
Samsung has at all times prided itself on the efficiency of its Galaxy S line, and the S24+ actually isn’t a slouch when it comes to energy. Geared up with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor in North America and China, it alternatively packs an Exynos 2400 in all places else, with each chipsets produced utilizing a 4nm manufacturing course of.
This makes each processors fairly nimble (even when the Qualcomm is barely quicker), and when mixed with 12GB of RAM, the Galaxy S24+ stays responsive and fast in just about all conditions. It opens apps directly, can flick between a number of duties seamlessly, and handles all the newest Android video games with ease.
Asphalt 9 is often a great benchmark of how succesful telephones are as gaming units, and in my testing, the S24+ offered a really frictionless expertise. Graphics are rendered easily and with none lag or slowdown, whereas element and determination stay excessive all through.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Plainly the S24+ may have no downside dealing with video games for the subsequent few years, with the 256GB of inner storage you acquired as commonplace (also can pay extra for 512GB) offering sufficient house for a number of recreation installations.
Nonetheless, one slight downside is that the S24+ doesn’t include a microSD card slot, which is one thing you may get with extra finances fashions (such because the Galaxy A15 5G). This looks as if one thing of an oversight on a mannequin that prices £999/$999 (or £1,099/$1,119 with 512GB), even when it’s common on flagship handsets.
The riposte to this grievance is that, because the benchmarks under clarify, this cash is justified by the cellphone’s market-leading efficiency. You’ll wrestle to discover a quicker Android for the value.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ benchmarks
Cameras
- 50Mp twin pixel most important rear digital camera
- 12Mp ultrawide and 10Mp telephoto lenses
- Helpful AI options
Samsung is thought for its extremely versatile digital camera telephones, and the Galaxy S24+ isn’t any exception.
It comes with a 50Mp most important rear lens that features twin pixel auto-focus and optical picture stabilisation (OIS), in addition to a 12Mp ultrawide lens (and Tremendous Regular video recording) and a 10Mp telephoto lens able to 3x optical zoom.
Every of those lenses are helpful, and whereas the 2 additional cameras might require extra cautious use in sure conditions, they’re extra accommodating than the ultrawide and telephoto lenses you discover on many Androids.
Utilizing the principle 50Mp lens, photographs are detailed and wealthy below good lighting. Colors are robust and dynamic, and whereas some might proceed to pine for a bit extra realism, the saturation is rarely too extreme. Certainly, the best way the cellphone handles processing arguably implies that the photographs you’ll take will probably be extra spectacular and extra shareable, particularly in distinction to telephones that present pictures with a extra clear but generally uninteresting facet.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The ultrawide lens can also be very helpful, offering for extra panoramic scenes whereas nonetheless retaining a satisfying degree of decision and sparkle. Colors proceed to pop, and on condition that it presents a 120˚ discipline of view, it is going to be nice for vacation and journey snaps.
One thing related could be mentioned for the 10Mp telephoto digital camera, even when you’ll seemingly see a dropoff in readability and crispness in lots of instances. It may be very helpful for taking photographs of topics at a ways away (as you may see with the deer photos within the gallery under), though there’s little doubt that it received’t be an on a regular basis lens in the best way the vast and ultrawide cameras are.
It’s additionally value mentioning the cellphone’s evening mode and new AI-based modifying options, which might each serve a goal even when they aren’t at all times excellent.
The evening mode, which robotically prompts when issues flip darker, does an awesome job of artificially illuminating scenes and offering topics with sufficient definition. In the meantime, you need to use the brand new modifying options to (re)transfer and resize objects à la Google’s current Pixel telephones, one thing which might show a lifesaver when you discover ways to do it correctly.
Lastly, the S24+ comes with a 12Mp selfie digital camera that additionally options dual-pixel autofocus, making it very dependable as a point-and-shoot portrait taker. Allied with the software-based portrait mode, it’s very straightforward to take selfies that you simply’d fortunately put up on social media and share with others.
Battery Life & Charging
- 4900mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wi-fi charging
Battery life will not be significantly horny, nevertheless it’s one of many most important elements figuring out simply how dependable and helpful a smartphone is. And luckily, the S24+ has battery life in spades.
It comes geared up with a 4900mAh cell, which places it slightly below the S24 Extremely (5000mAh) and comfortably forward of the S24 (4000mAh). Generally, a big battery doesn’t at all times equal a long-running battery in apply, but this isn’t the case with the S24+.
I comfortably lasted two days on quite a few events whereas reviewing the cellphone, though those that use it usually for gaming and different media will want a roughly every day recharge. I additionally discovered that the adaptive refresh fee setting – which permits the max 120Hz fee – doesn’t drain its juice as a lot because it does with different Androids as it will probably drop to decrease charges to save lots of energy.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
These observations are backed up by the outcomes of the PCMark battery check we topic telephones to, with the S24+ lasting a bit greater than 16 hours – a really spectacular end result.
Samsung does really declare that battery life permits for 29 hours of video playback , but getting near such a determine will rely on turning off the adaptive refresh fee and reducing the brightness, whereas additionally utilizing the cellphone a bit extra sparingly.
On the subject of charging, the S24+ continues the cellphone trade’s latter-day custom of not together with chargers. Nonetheless, the mannequin is suitable with 45W quick wired charging, in addition to 15W wi-fi charging. I examined it with a 25W charger and bought to 34% in half an hour.
The S24+ shouldn’t be as quick at replenishing itself as different units obtainable this 12 months, nevertheless it’s quick sufficient if in case you have the proper charger, and when mixed with its lengthy battery life will hold most individuals comfortable.
Software program & Apps
- Android 14 and One UI 6.1
- Seven years of replace help
- Useful AI instruments
The Galaxy S24+ comes with Android 14 and One UI 6.1 put in out of the field, with the latter offering a really frictionless and well-presented consumer expertise.
As we’ve come to anticipate with Samsung One UI pores and skin, panels and screens are specified by an intuitive and responsive means, with the cellphone making it straightforward for customers to seek out their means round.
it’s very pleasing that Samsung has dedicated to offering the S24+ with seven years of core Android updates
One UI 6.1 is likely one of the best-looking Android skins and stays extremely customisable. This time round you too can customise the cellphone’s lock display in accordance with the Modes you’ve arrange, for instance, enabling you so as to add app shortcuts relying on which Mode is activated.
After all, the headline addition to the S24+ from a software program perspective are the number of AI options, which Samsung refers to as “Superior intelligence” options. These are organised into seven totally different teams, with most providing useful methods of getting sure issues completed extra rapidly.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Whereas a lot has already been written in regards to the photograph editor and dwell translator, my private favorite is the auto-transcript device for voice recordings. It’s not at all times 100% correct, but when it is advisable to file after which transcribe lectures, interviews and different speech, it will probably prevent loads of time with out costing you a penny.
Total, the cellphone’s software program is second to none with regards to Androids (save for maybe the Pixel telephones), so it’s very pleasing that Samsung has dedicated to offering the S24+ with seven years of core Android updates. This offers glorious worth for cash, enabling customers to keep away from having to improve their telephones inside only some years.
Worth & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ was launched within the UK on 31 January, and within the US on 17 January. It’s obtainable immediately from Samsung, or by way of Amazon and quite a few different third-party retailers resembling Currys, Argos and Very.
You can even get it on contract with the highest offers under:
It formally retails for £999 within the UK in the event you purchase the model with 256GB of reminiscence, or for £1,099 in the event you purchase the 512GB mannequin. Within the States, these costs are $999 and $1,119, respectively.
Provided that the Galaxy S24+ is nearly peerless as a state-of-the-art Android gadget, it doesn’t have many direct alternate options. Nonetheless, the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional are undoubtedly up there with the S24+ as glorious Android-based telephones, with Google lately slashing the Pixel 8’s value to $499 within the US.
Test our chart of the very best smartphones to see extra rivals.
Do you have to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S24+?
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is undoubtedly among the best Androids you should buy immediately, and regardless of the shortage of S Pen help and different options is surprisingly near the S24 Extremely when it comes to general high quality.
It ticks all the essential bins, providing a clear design, lovely display, excellent efficiency, versatile cameras, highly effective software program, and beneficiant battery life.
It’s a contented medium sitting in the midst of the vary if you’d like an enormous cellphone and have the cash to spend, you received’t be dissatisfied.
Specs
- 6.7in Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (3120×1440) 19.5:9, 120Hz;
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (USA/Canada/China), Exynos 2400 (remainder of world)
- 12GB LPDDR4X RAM
- 256/512GB UFS 4.0 inner storage
- 50Mp vast digital camera
- 10Mp telephoto lens
- 12Mp ultrawide lens
- 12Mp entrance dealing with digital camera
- Underneath-display fingerprint scanner
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz+5GHz, VHT80
- Twin SIM (Nano-SIM, eSIM, twin stand-by)
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Stereo audio system
- 4900mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wi-fi charging
- 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm
- 196g