The S24 Ultra measures at 162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6mm which makes it wider and thinner than the S22 Ultra (163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm) and S23 Ultra (163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm). For the average consumer, this means that most of your old Galaxy Ultra cases will not fit the S24 Ultra.
The phone retains a 5000mAh battery from previous models. However, it is fitted with a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor which supposedly makes it the most powerful Android phone on the market. I don’t have the means to test that claim but I will say that the S24 Ultra runs fluid-like and switching between tasks was a breeze.
Its camera system is mostly the same, save for a few major changes. It retains the 200MP main camera and 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens seen in the S23 Ultra. However, the S24 Ultra has a 50MP telephoto lens – a significant bump from the 10MP telephoto lens seen in the previous two iterations.
There is a caveat though. Gone is the Ultra’s 10x optical zoom feature – which I would argue was a USP that made Samsung stand out in the market. Instead, the S24 Ultra has a 5x optical zoom. A questionable decision for sure but, as I later discovered, one that had little impact on the photos.
The S24 Ultra sports a few noticeable changes in its form factor. It ditches the Ultra’s signature curved edges in place of a flat edge and now boasts a titanium body. However, the S24 Ultra is pretty light (weighing 1g less than the S23 Ultra) and comfortable to use. I personally found one-hand usage easier on the S24 Ultra than on my S22 Ultra.
Most importantly, the S24 Ultra is packed with a bevy of AI features including translating calls in real-time and searching online through simple gestures. Its efficacy, however, is another story altogether. I’ll get to that later.
S24 ULTRA CAMERA CAPABILITIES
Samsung’s Ultra line has earned a reputation of being heavy hitters when it comes to taking photos and videos, and the S24 Ultra is no different. After using the phone’s camera in a variety of settings, I thought it excelled in a few areas and faltered in some.
1. Indoor with strong light