Samsung Galaxy S24 Review – The new compact mega monster!

The compact flagship smartphone market is limited, with Samsung leading the way for the past couple of years in India. The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a valuable addition to Samsung’s S series and serves as a gateway for users to fully embrace the lineup in the future. The Samsung Galaxy S24 offers numerous clever upgrades and enhances the user experience for those seeking a smaller flagship smartphone.

The Galaxy S24 ticks all the boxes, featuring a new 6.1-inch AMOLED screen and the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which improves battery life and camera performance. We have been using the phone for over a month now and there is plenty to discuss. So let’s dive into the review.

Design

If you are coming from the Galaxy S23, you will notice that Samsung hasn’t made many changes to the design of the Galaxy S24. This is a common theme with other Samsung flagship series products, as the company seems to be sticking to the saying, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. However, the design is still attractive with some minor structural changes.

Starting from the back, the phone’s rear camera lenses are stacked vertically and do not protrude much. The mid-frame is flat with contoured edges, which makes it comfortable to hold. Despite the compact dimensions of the S24, even a more boxy design with sharper edges would not be problematic when handling the phone. Samsung has also managed to increase the screen size by 0.1 inch without significantly increasing the phone’s height and width, and the display bezels are equally thin on all four sides.

The volume and power buttons on the device are made of recycled materials, which is a major positive. Samsung has not compromised on any aspect of the phone’s construction, which is evident in both the design and build quality. The Galaxy S24 lineup features premium materials, such as Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which provides increased protection against scuffs, scratches, and cracks.

In terms of buttons, you will find the power button and the volume rockers on the right side of the device, leaving the left side empty. The loudspeaker grill and USB Type-C port are located on the bottom, while the secondary microphone is located on top.

Display

The Galaxy S24 boasts an enhanced display compared to its predecessor. The screen now measures 6.2 inches and features an FHD+ resolution with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Additionally, the peak brightness has been increased from 1,750 nits in the Galaxy S23 to an impressive 2,600 nits.

Unlike the S24 Ultra’s LTPO technology, which conserves battery power by adjusting the refresh rate down to 1Hz, the S24 utilizes a Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O panel. This panel offers a dynamic refresh rate range of 48Hz to 120Hz. With a wide contrast ratio and support for HDR10, the Galaxy S24 provides excellent viewing angles and vibrant colors. While Dolby Vision HDR support, favored by Netflix, is missing, HDR10+ content still looks fantastic and is available on other popular streaming platforms. Furthermore, Samsung has incorporated a new Advanced Vision Booster, which optimizes the screen’s color accuracy and contrast in specific lighting conditions.

In terms of security, the Galaxy S24 includes an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner. Throughout our extensive testing, we did not encounter any issues with the scanner. It consistently recognized my fingerprint and registered quickly, thanks to Samsung’s improved training algorithm.

Software & UI

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is powered by the One UI 6.1 operating system, which is based on Android 14. Not only does this software offer impressive AI capabilities, but it also brings a range of other improvements. The UI itself is sleek, featuring smooth animations and transitions. One UI 6.1 introduces enhanced features such as an improved Always On Display, widget support, Super HDR for enhanced image viewing, Quick Share, and more. Samsung has also made a commendable commitment to providing updates for up to seven years, including Android, One UI, and security updates. This move allows users to keep their devices for longer without concerns about outdated software.

However, there are still some issues that need attention, specifically regarding bloatware and notifications. The good news is that most apps can be uninstalled, and Expert RAW support has been improved compared to previous builds. The Gallery app has also been enhanced, offering improved search capabilities, Shared Family Albums, automatic shadow and reflection removal, and more.

Samsung has also incorporated more AI features under the name ‘Galaxy AI’. Some AI functions can be processed on the device itself, while others require an internet connection. The full list of AI features is extensive, but we will highlight the most popular options here. These include Circle to Search, which is similar to Google Lens and can be used on any screen. Other features include real-time voice and text translation, AI Summarize, grammar correction within the keyboard, generative photo and image editing, and more.

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is one of the first phones to feature Samsung’s newly developed Exynos 2400 chipset. It is worth noting that while the previous Galaxy S23 had an entirely Snapdragon lineup, this year Samsung has made the somewhat unusual decision to switch to Exynos. However, it is important to mention that Samsung is still utilizing a specialized version of the chip called “Snapdragon 8 Gen for Galaxy,” which has been slightly overclocked to enhance CPU and GPU performance specifically for the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Thanks to its core configuration and the use of a 4nm fabrication process, the Exynos 2400 offers impressive speed and consistent performance in all key areas. The standard features of the S24 include 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of UFS4.0 storage. The storage capacity has been significantly upgraded, and the base 256GB option will likely be sufficient for the majority of buyers.

In our tests, the Exynos 2400 handled all daily tasks with ease. The benchmark results, whether from Geekbench 6 or Antutu V9, are highly encouraging and comparable to previous generation Snapdragon SoCs. Additionally, thanks to the nature of the chip and Samsung’s substantial heat sink, the phone generally remains cool during operation. However, we did notice a slight increase in temperature while playing games, though this is not a major concern.

Camera

The camera setup on the Galaxy S24 is identical to that of the previous year’s Galaxy S23. It includes a triple camera setup on the back of the phone: a 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 10MP 3x optical telephoto camera. The main 50MP sensor captures sharp, detailed, and colorful images. The S24’s pictures are similar to those taken with the S23 due to the similar camera setups. However, those with a keen eye might notice slightly better colors in the S24 images, thanks to the newer ISP of the Exynos 2400 and Samsung’s improved image processing algorithms.

The main 50MP sensor is highly useful, especially when using the enhanced portrait mode, as it produces high-quality pictures. The night mode is also effective in revealing details in low-light areas. The images captured by the 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto cameras are well-balanced, with good dynamic range, vibrant colors, and sharpness. They also have a pleasing level of color saturation. While there are minor issues with the ultra-wide sensor in low-light situations, they are not significant. The camera app uses AI extensively, which is noticeable in all shooting modes.

On the front, the Galaxy S24 has a 12MP camera, the same as the one on last year’s Galaxy S23. The camera does offer some improvement in terms of additional pixels, but the images it produces are essentially the same as those taken with the 50MP main sensor.

Battery

Samsung has managed to increase the battery size in the Galaxy S24, going from 3,900mAh in the S23 to a 4,000mAh battery in the S24. The S23 already had excellent battery life, and this is mostly true for the Galaxy S24 as well. With its slightly larger battery and the new Exynos 2400 chip, the phone consistently lasts a full day in our long-term use.

However, it is disappointing that the charging speed has not improved. The handset still lacks fast charging support, with charging speeds limited to 25W. Compared to the competition, the charging speed is painfully slow, taking upwards of 90 minutes to fully recharge the battery using the standard 25W charger.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a standout option for users who value productivity and seamless communication, thanks to its focus on AI-powered features. With Galaxy AI, you can enjoy real-time translation during calls (Live Translate) and convert voice recordings into text with summaries (Note Assist). Busy professionals and multitaskers will find it easy to transcribe meetings or lectures effortlessly, while travelers can overcome language barriers effortlessly. That’s not it, the Galaxy S24 does well on other key areas as well including a fierce competitor equipped with the all new Exynos 2400 and an improved camera system. These innovative features showcase the S24 as a phone that can intelligently adapt to your needs.