Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra - 1 Week Later (I WAS WRONG!)

Summary

The script provides an in-depth hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra after extensive testing, comparing performance and camera quality to other top smartphones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Key details covered include impressive battery life exceeding 24 hours of heavy use, slightly faster app loading speeds than the iPhone, refined camera software and improved low light photos, upgraded portrait mode capabilities with the new 5x optical zoom lens, and intriguing AI-powered video and translation features that will require a subscription after 2025.

Takeaways

• 😊 The S24 Ultra edges out the S23 Ultra and Vivo X100 Pro in most CPU benchmark tests
• 🔋 The S24 Ultra battery life is very impressive, lasting from 6am to 1am with heavy use
• 📸 The S24 Ultra camera app is fast, fluid and enjoyable to use
• 🌄 The S24 Ultra displays colors more naturally than the iPhone 15 Pro Max
• 😀 The S24 Ultra smooth scrolling and lack of lag or freezes is impressive
• 🎥 Low light video stabilization on the S24 Ultra still suffers from noise and jitter
• 🔎 Zoom between 5-10x is better on the S24 Ultra but beyond 10x can look worse
• 🖼 5x zoom portraits on the S24 Ultra produce breathtaking, detailed results
• 💸 Some AI features will be behind a paywall after 2025
• 🤳 One-handed use struggles are real unless you have giant hands

Q & A

What smartphones were compared in the Geekbench test?

The test compared the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powered S24 Ultra, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powered S23 Ultra, the Dimensity 9300 powered Vivo X90 Pro, and the A17 Bionic powered iPhone 15 Pro Max.

How did the S24 Ultra perform in real-world speed tests compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max?

In real-world use, the S24 Ultra loaded apps quicker than the iPhone 15 Pro Max more than half the time, despite having slightly lower benchmark scores.

What were the results of the full day battery test on the S24 Ultra?

The S24 Ultra lasted from 6am to 1am the next day with heavy usage including social media, camera testing, media consumption, and video editing before reaching 5% battery.

How do the front cameras on the S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra compare?

The S24 Ultra's 12MP front camera produces more pleasing colors and sharper details compared to the S23 Ultra's front camera.

What are some of the AI features available on the S24 Ultra?

AI features include live translate, transcript and chat assist, generative image editing, and instant slow-mo video with AI-generated frames.

What changes were made to the rear camera setup on the S24 Ultra?

The 10x optical zoom was dropped to 5x, but zoom shots between 5-10x are better. Portrait shots at 5x are much improved.

How does the S24 Ultra camera app compare to the iPhone's?

The S24 Ultra's camera app is fast, fluid, and complete with editing tools, finally matching the simplicity of the iPhone's camera app.

How does low light photography on the S24 Ultra compare to the S23 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max?

Low light photos on the S24 Ultra look slightly more natural than the S23 Ultra and closer to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with good detail.

What improvements were made to video on the S24 Ultra?

Video stabilization is very similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max now. Low light video still has some noise and jitter but shutter speed is slightly improved.

What is the overall assessment of the S24 Ultra camera performance?

While not perfect, the S24 Ultra camera provides incremental improvements over the S23 Ultra and is very competitive with the latest iPhone camera system.