At a look
Skilled’s Ranking
Professionals
- Compact and light-weight
- New Galaxy AI options
- A lot highly effective
- Strong digicam system
Cons
- Similar to the S23
- Restricted storage choices
- Comparatively gradual charging
Our Verdict
The {hardware} upgrades could also be minor, however the Samsung S24 does simply sufficient to retain its spot as among the best compact flagships available on the market. It’s a superb cellphone, although the incremental nature of this replace makes it laborious to get too enthusiastic about.
Finest Costs At the moment: Samsung Galaxy S24
$749.99
$799.99
The smallest cellphone in Samsung’s S-series is all the time a favorite for individuals who desire a extra petite handset.
This 12 months, the S24 is seeking to retain that recognition by bringing Galaxy AI smarts and a brand new chipset to a well-recognized chassis.
The Galaxy S24 seems to be nearly similar to its predecessor, with the one apparent exterior modifications being a brand new matt end on the rear and a few totally different colors to select from. The display bezels have shrunk barely, which is all the time good to see, however you’d be hard-pressed to inform the fashions aside at a look.
With no {hardware} upgrades to the digicam system, both, it might seem to be the S24 is simply providing extra of the identical. Nonetheless, the software program does so much to make this cellphone really feel contemporary. I needed to know if it’s price selecting the newer mannequin, and after dwelling with it as my foremost handset for over every week, right here’s what I discovered.
Design & Construct
- New matt end rear
- More durable aluminium body
- IP68 rated
As I discussed, there are a variety of similarities between the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S23, which itself was much like the Galaxy S22. In different phrases, if you happen to’ve used a current mannequin, you gained’t be in for too many surprises.
Essentially the most noticeable change is that the rear panel has a satin-like matt end. It’s way more fingerprint-resistant than the shiny rear panel, and I’m a giant fan of this variation. It’s additionally a grippy cellphone, in contrast to another velvety-feeling matt gadgets, so if you happen to’re courageous sufficient, you would use it with out a case.
The aluminium edges at the moment are utterly flat, giving the machine a little bit of an iPhone vibe, whereas the perimeters of the S23 have a delicate curve to them.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Regardless of the tougher edges, it’s very comfy to carry, with a lot gentler curves in comparison with the sharp corners of the S24 Extremely. The sides even have a matt end, and similar to the rear panel, they’re much less liable to smudges. I like to see it.
This aluminium body is supposedly 17% extra sturdy than the body of its predecessor, but it surely’s not fairly as fancy because the titanium body that you simply’ll discover on the S24 Extremely. To be utterly sincere, although, I’ve by no means had any considerations in regards to the power of the body – it’s the glass that’s way more prone to get broken in a drop.
As somebody who checks a variety of super-sized flagship telephones, switching to the Galaxy S24 was a deal with
As somebody who checks a variety of super-sized flagship telephones, switching to the Galaxy S24 was a deal with. It’s so slim and small that you simply barely discover it in your pocket, and the truth that it has flagship-grade specs means there are only a few compromises when choosing the extra compact mannequin.
The haptic motors on this cellphone are additionally among the many greatest I’ve tried. There’s a real mechanical-feeling clunk once you toggle a settings slider, whereas delicate vibrations imply typing feels wonderful.
Identical to earlier generations, the Galaxy S24 has an IP68 score for mud and water resistance. This implies it’s successfully mud and waterproof, so if you happen to’re the adventurous kind, you may relaxation assured your cellphone is nicely shielded from the weather.
Display & Audio system
- 6.2-inch LTPO AMOLED show
- FHD+ decision, 2600 nits peak brightness
- Stereo audio system
The Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch utterly flat show, with barely slimmer bezels and a barely smaller digicam cut-out than its predecessor permitting for an additional 0.1-inch of display inside the similar dimension physique.
Whereas it does really feel barely larger, the 2 shows aren’t worlds aside. The S24’s display is large enough to be pleasing for content material consumption, however it could actually really feel a tad cramped for gaming.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The most important improve to the show is that it’s now an LTPO panel, which implies it could actually dynamically change from as little as 1Hz all the way in which to a 120Hz refresh price. Successfully, which means that content material seems to be clean and fluid whereas scrolling or enjoying a recreation, however you’ll nonetheless get nice battery life, because the panel will decrease its refresh price when a static picture is displayed.
The S24’s display is large enough to be pleasing for content material consumption, however it could actually really feel a tad cramped for gaming
The S24 will get a decrease decision panel than its different S-series siblings: this one is barely FHD+, whereas the S24+ and Extremely have a QHD+ show.
In actuality, although, you’ll barely discover it. The S24’s show all the time seems to be sharp, and the pixel density seems to be nice on a show of this dimension. What I’d actually have preferred to see, although, is the beautiful anti-glare coating of the Extremely show – perhaps that’ll trickle right down to the smaller telephones subsequent 12 months.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The show brightness has elevated considerably on the S24, and it’s now in a position to output as much as 2600 nits in sure eventualities in response to Samsung. It definitely had no bother competing with the early spring sunshine, and it makes HDR content material look excellent by way of apps akin to Netflix and Prime Video.
Samsung’s One UI software program offers you some fundamental management over the color of the show, but it surely’s not as complete as some opponents. You get a Pure and a Vivid profile to decide on between and you may tweak the heat of the Vivid mode.
There’s additionally a complicated tab that permits you to dive additional into white steadiness adjustment. Nonetheless, I by no means felt the necessity to change something, because it seems to be improbable by default.
Luke Baker
Luke Baker
Luke Baker
Elsewhere, the Galaxy S24 has twin stereo audio system, and regardless of being crammed right into a smaller shell, they sound fairly good.
There’s extra bass response than you’ll hear on some competing telephones, but it surely may nonetheless use slightly extra grunt, in the meantime, the mids and highs are very detailed and sound nice. In fact, they’re no match for earbuds or a Bluetooth speaker, however they’re ok to make use of across the house.
Specs & Efficiency
- Exynos 2400 in UK, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in US
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB / 256GB storage
The Galaxy S24 and S24+ function a Samsung Exynos 2400 processor in a lot of the world (together with the UK), although the US and a handful of different markets get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as a substitute.
I’ve been testing the Exynos variant, in its base configuration with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The Exynos 2400 is barely much less succesful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, one thing which might be seen within the GFXBench scores within the chart on the backside of the web page.
Nonetheless, the margin is smaller than you would possibly count on. In day-to-day efficiency, you most likely gained’t be capable of inform the distinction, and I may nonetheless max out the graphical settings and play Genshin Impression at 60fps on this cellphone. It does get fairly sizzling within the course of, although, so the bigger fashions can be a more sensible choice for eager players.
The Galaxy S24 all the time feels quick and responsive – it’s a delight to make use of
Except for getting a bit toasty, I’ve no complaints in regards to the efficiency. The Galaxy S24 all the time feels quick and responsive – it’s a delight to make use of.
What’s slightly tougher to cope with, although, is the storage capability. 128GB feels very stingy in 2024, particularly when mid-rangers at half the value can now be discovered with 256GB as a base spec.
If you’d like extra storage, 256GB is the utmost capability for this mannequin, and also you’ll want to leap to the S24+ to get 512GB, or the Extremely if you need 1TB. It’s a little bit of a disgrace, actually; simply since you desire a smaller cellphone, it doesn’t imply you don’t need top-tier specs.
Samsung Galaxy S24 benchmarks
Cameras
- 50Mp foremost sensor
- 12Mp ultrawide
- 10Mp 3x telephoto
- 12Mp selfie digicam
The digicam {hardware} on the Galaxy S24 is unchanged from the S23, however there are some variations in picture and video efficiency due to tweaks within the picture processing.
I discovered that pictures from the newer cellphone regarded slightly extra pure, with much less exaggeration within the color replica and fewer aggressive sharpening. In my eyes, the S24 is a considerably higher digicam cellphone than its predecessor.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The 50Mp foremost sensor is probably the most able to the rear trio, particularly at evening, as its 1/1.56-inch sensor gathers extra gentle than the supporting lenses. It captures probably the most element and is much less liable to movement blur than the opposite two.
That stated, the 3x optical zoom from the telephoto may be very helpful to have, and it’s additionally able to some wonderful outcomes. It really works properly for portraits, permitting you to seize close-up macro photographs with an impressively brief minimal focusing distance.
In my eyes, the S24 is a considerably higher digicam cellphone than its predecessor
The ultrawide is respectable within the daytime, but it surely undoubtedly struggles at nighttime, although activating evening mode may help so much. Its greatest weak spot is that it doesn’t have autofocus, so whereas it’s nice for capturing landscapes, structure and enormous teams of individuals, you may’t get very shut with it, which limits its usefulness.
The selfie digicam has the identical specs as the opposite telephones within the S24 lineup, and it’s fairly wonderful. It has autofocus, which continues to be a rarity on even the priciest flagship telephones, and which means your selfies all the time look tremendous sharp, irrespective of how far you’re from the lens. A superb portrait mode and a plethora of beautification results add to the attract.
The S24 can shoot video at as much as 8K 30fps, however given the small storage capability, you gained’t be doing so for very lengthy. As an alternative, you’re extra prone to shoot at 4K 60fps, which is supported on each digicam. Stabilisation is nice in video mode, and strong microphones with good wind-noise suppression make for some nice clips.
My private favorite function is 4K 120fps gradual movement recording. Most telephones nonetheless restrict you to 1080p in gradual movement, and these movies look wonderful by comparability, with significantly extra element.
Luke Baker
Luke Baker
Luke Baker
Arguably probably the most thrilling side of the S24’s digicam system isn’t something to do with the {hardware}, however moderately the brand new AI-powered enhancing instruments. Now you can erase undesirable objects and folks from the body, take away reflections from home windows, and straighten out photographs with out cropping in – as generative AI fills within the corners.
The AI options lengthen to video, too. You may lengthy press on any video because it performs again to transform it to gradual movement, whatever the authentic body price.
These results are slightly hit-and-miss in my expertise, although. Once they work nicely, it feels a bit like magic, however most of the time there can be uncommon artefacts left behind.
Photographers with an eye fixed for element are unlikely to be glad at current. That stated, it’s early days and the outcomes are solely going to get higher, which is an thrilling prospect.
Luke Baker
Luke Baker
Luke Baker
Battery Life & Charging
- 4000mAh battery
- 25W wired charging / 15W wi-fi
- No energy adapter within the field
With a 4000mAh battery capability, the Samsung Galaxy S24 has one of many smallest batteries of any fashionable flagship. I used to be slightly nervous about this, however I needn’t have been, because it was loads to see me via a mean day’s use. I assume the lower-resolution LTPO show helps so much on this regard.
In fact, if you happen to’re gaming for hours or taking plenty of pictures, you may count on a shorter battery life, however that’s true of any cellphone. Even on heavy-use days, the cellphone soldiered on into the late night, at which level I may simply stick it on the charger with out situation.
Even on heavy-use days, the cellphone soldiered on into the late night, at which level I may simply stick it on the charger with out situation
Like all Samsung flagships, there’s no charger included within the field, only a USB-C cable, and the charging speeds are removed from spectacular.
A 50% cost from absolutely flat will take just below half an hour, which isn’t terrible, but it surely all is dependent upon what you’re used to. After testing a number of flagships from Chinese language producers with 100W+ charging speeds, 25W feels glacial.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The cellphone helps wi-fi charging, too, however that’ll take even longer. Nonetheless, it’s good to simply be capable of pop the cellphone onto a charging pad when you’re at your desk and let it do its factor.
Software program & Apps
- Samsung One UI 6.1
- Based mostly on Android 14
- New Galaxy AI options
Samsung’s One UI 6 software program (over Android 14) is totally loaded with options, extra so than ever now that every one of that Galaxy AI goodness is baked in, however that’s each a superb and unhealthy factor.
It means this cellphone can do all kinds of intelligent issues – all the things that the S24 Extremely can do, in truth – however discovering all the things could be a little tough.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Nonetheless, when you be taught your method round, there’s some nice stuff right here. I notably love the stackable widgets on the house display, and the addition of lock display widgets is a pleasant function that’s nonetheless very uncommon amongst Android flagships.
Normally, One UI simply feels snappier and extra responsive than a variety of competing Android skins, too. I’m unsure if it’s a trick of the animation type, however no matter Samsung is doing right here works nicely.
As for the headline-grabbing AI options, they’re fairly cool, they usually appear to work nicely, however they’re not issues that I usually want in my every day life. Numerous it’s targeted on translation, and so far as I can inform it really works, however until I’m travelling, it’s not one thing that comes into play.
The flexibility to make use of AI to format your notes is neat, too, however until I’m sharing them with somebody, I don’t actually thoughts my notes being messy.
Luke Baker
Luke Baker
Luke Baker
The function I discover myself utilizing so much is Circle to Search with Google. This debuted with the S24 sequence, but it surely has already made its option to Pixel gadgets, and I’m prepared to wager it’ll be on different Android handsets earlier than lengthy.
Both method, it’s on the S24, and it’s an especially handy option to discover extra details about belongings you stumble throughout on the web – simply lengthy press the house button (or swipe up from backside of display and maintain) and circle what you need to search the online for.
Samsung additionally affords among the longest software program assist of any model, promising an astonishing 7 years of safety patches and seven generational OS upgrades on the S24 telephones. This will solely be matched by Google’s Pixel 8 sequence on the time of writing. So, if you happen to plan on hanging on to your subsequent cellphone for a very long time, it’s a superb possibility.
Value & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is on the market globally, though there are variations in color choices and specs relying in your area. Most international locations get Samsung’s personal Exynos 2400 processor, however the US mannequin is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
The bottom mannequin comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and retails for $799.99 / £799, if you wish to improve to 256GB of storage, the cellphone will value you $859.99 / £859.
You should purchase the cellphone direct from Samsung UK, Samsung US or by way of many third get together retailers and carriers. See the complete vary in our devoted round-up of the most effective Samsung Galaxy S24 offers.
On contract, listed below are the most effective choices within the UK.
Should you’re within the US, the highest contract offers with at the very least 1GB of knowledge are proven beneath.
Do you have to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S24?
The Samsung Galaxy S24 isn’t probably the most thrilling generational replace – it’s simply too much like its predecessor, I can’t think about many Galaxy S23 homeowners will need to improve.
That stated, the enhancements made right here aren’t only for the sake of it. The matt end seems to be and feels higher than the shiny Galaxy S23 sequence, the display is a particular enchancment, and the Exynos processor trades blows with the most effective that Qualcomm has to supply.
Then, there are all of the AI options. A few of these are undeniably helpful, some come into play much less usually, and a few are simply plain enjoyable. Nonetheless, I didn’t discover them to be impactful sufficient to be a deciding issue when selecting a cellphone. Possibly that’ll change because the software program develops.
Whereas I’d crave some {hardware} upgrades, particularly within the digicam division, the actual fact stays that the Samsung Galaxy S24 is without doubt one of the greatest compact flagships out there. Should you desire a smaller cellphone, it’s certain to fulfill with its ample energy, spectacular images and premium design.
Competitors is definitely heating up, although, with powerhouses just like the Xiaomi 14 on the scene, so Samsung shouldn’t relaxation on its laurels for too lengthy.
Specs
- One UI 6.1, primarily based on Android 14
- 6.2in, 2340×1080, AMOLED, 120Hz
- In-display fingerprint sensor
- Exynos 2400
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB storage
- Cameras:
- 50Mp, f/1.8 foremost digicam
- 12Mp f/2.2 ultra-wide digicam
- 10Mp f/2.4 3x telephoto
- 12Mp front-facing digicam
- As much as 8K @ 30fps rear video
- Stereo audio system
- Twin-SIM
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
- Bluetooth 5.3
- 4000mAh battery
- 25W charging (no charger in field)
- 15W wi-fi charging
- 147.0 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm
- IP68 licensed
- 167g
- Colors: Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Jade Inexperienced, Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue