Galaxy S24 Ultra One Week Later! The Good, The Bad…

Summary

The video reviews the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra after 1 week of use. It praises the bright, anti-reflective display, excellent performance, refined design with flat display, and fantastic cameras including portrait mode and super HDR. Downsides mentioned are slower charging speeds compared to competitors and uncertainty around future pricing of AI features after 2025. Overall the phone is called the best Samsung has to offer, with few flaws found after extensive testing and daily use.

Takeaways

• 😀 The S24 Ultra has an incredible, extremely bright and anti-reflective display that outperforms the iPhone 15 Pro Max
• 👍 The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip provides elite performance for gaming, AI and everything you throw at it
• 🔋 Battery life remains strong at around 7 hours screen-on time despite upgraded features that use more power
• 📸 The cameras capture steady, high-quality photos and video with excellent portrait mode and Super HDR
• ⚙️ One UI 6.1 brings useful upgrades like seeing your wallpaper on the lock screen
• 🆕 The flat display is better for S Pen use, screen protectors and durability over the curved displays
• 🤳 The redesigned, flatter titanium rails improve grip and in-hand feel
• ⚡ 45W charging is still fast but increased speeds would be nice for quick top-ups
• 😕 AI features will be free until end of 2025 then may cost around $2.99 per month afterwards
• 🏆 Overall, the S24 Ultra has virtually no downsides and is the best, most premium Samsung phone yet

Q & A

What are the main positives of the S24 Ultra's display?

The S24 Ultra has an extremely bright display at 2600 nits, and it is also anti-reflective which helps a lot when using the phone outside. The anti-reflective coating makes dark mode very usable outdoors.

How does the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 compare in the S24 Ultra?

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 Ultra is a customized version made specifically for Samsung Galaxy phones. Benchmark tests show it is the most powerful Android chip currently, excelling at gaming, AI, and general performance.

What are some of the camera improvements in the S24 Ultra?

The S24 Ultra has smoother and more stable 4K 60fps video recording with cleaner zooming. Portrait mode photos have excellent detail and background separation. Super HDR makes photos look more vibrant and lively.

What are the downsides of the charging speed?

The S24 Ultra is still limited to 45W charging like previous models. With the large 5000mAh battery, 0-65% charging still takes 30 minutes. Faster charging would help in situations where you need to quickly top up the battery before going out.

How long will the AI features be free?

Samsung is providing the S24 AI features for free until the end of 2025. After that period ends, it's unknown if some features will become paid and how much they might cost per month.

What are some of the software customization options?

With Android, you can customize things like icons, themes, and skins. You can even install multiple skins and switch between them whenever you want.

How does the build quality compare to previous models?

The S24 Ultra has a flattened titanium frame which improves durability and in-hand feel compared to the curved frames before. The flat display is also better for S Pen use and screen protectors.

What pre-order deals are available?

Samsung is offering up to $750 trade-in credit, $150 accessory credit, free storage upgrades, discounts on Samsung Care+, and other deals for those who pre-order the S24 Ultra before March 10.

What are the reviewer's overall thoughts on the S24 Ultra?

He is very impressed with nearly every aspect like the display, performance, software, cameras, and build quality. The only negatives he points out are slower charging and potential paid AI features.

Who would the reviewer recommend the S24 Ultra for?

With its premium features and specs, he recommends the S24 Ultra for anyone looking for the absolute best Android phone experience currently available.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Display is the Standout Feature

The display on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is amazing with 2600 nits peak brightness and anti-reflective coating. It outperforms the iPhone 15 Pro Max display in sunlight. Dark mode also looks great due to reduced reflections.

05:02

😃 Performance and Software Upgrades Impressive

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers incredible performance for gaming and AI. One UI 6.1 brings useful upgrades like visible wallpaper on lock screen. Battery life remains strong despite higher brightness.

10:04

📸 Cameras and Portrait Mode Excellent

The cameras provide confident 4K 60fps video recording with smooth transitions when zooming. Photos look fantastic with accurate colors and details. Portrait mode gives professional background separation.

😕 Faster Charging and Paid AI Features Could Improve

45W charging speed remains unchanged and isn't fast enough for the large 5000 mAh battery. AI features will become paid after 2025 which could be a downside.

Keywords

💡Display

The display refers to the phone screen. The video praises the S24 Ultra's display for being extremely bright at 2600 nits and having anti-reflective properties. This makes it better for outdoor use compared to other phones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The amazing display quality contributes to the video's main theme that the S24 Ultra is the best Android phone.

💡Performance

Performance refers to how fast and powerful the phone's processor and hardware are. The video says the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip makes the S24 Ultra the most powerful Android phone, easily handling intensive tasks like gaming and AI. This top-tier performance reinforces the video's theme of the S24 Ultra being the premier Android device.

💡Battery life

Battery life refers to how long the phone can run on a single charge. The video says the S24 Ultra gets around 7 hours of screen time, similar to the S23 Ultra but with more battery-draining features enabled. The excellent battery life supports the idea that the S24 Ultra has top-notch hardware.

💡Cameras

The cameras refer to the phone's photo and video capturing abilities. The video compliments the S24 Ultra's steady 4K 60fps video recording and fantastic portrait mode shots. The stellar camera performance is another aspect highlighting the S24 Ultra as a leading Android phone.

💡Build quality

Build quality refers to the physical construction and materials of the phone. The video says the S24 Ultra has a premium titanium frame and feels better in the hand than previous models. This reinforces that it is a refinement of earlier Galaxy phones.

💡Charging speed

Charging speed refers to how fast the phone's battery can be recharged. The video criticizes the 45W charging of the S24 Ultra for not improving over previous Galaxy phones given its large 5000mAh battery. This is one downside amidst the otherwise glowing assessment of the S24 Ultra.

💡AI features

AI features utilize artificial intelligence to enable helpful functionality. The video notes some AI features will become paid after 2025, creating uncertainty. This potential negative contrasts with the otherwise highly positive portrayal of the S24 Ultra.

💡Software

The software refers to the Android operating system and Samsung interface. The video praises new additions in One UI 6.1 like the customizable always-on display. It also notes Android allows extensive customization, furthering the idea that the S24 Ultra is an excellent smartphone.

💡Pricing

Pricing refers to how much the phone costs. While not explicitly mentioned, the video highlights many exceptional features of the S24 Ultra, positioning it as a cutting-edge flagship phone that likely commands a premium price tag.

💡Recommendation

In concluding, the video strongly recommends the S24 Ultra, saying it has the "best of the best" Samsung has to offer. This sums up the overwhelmingly positive assessment of the phone against competitors.

Highlights

The display on the S24 Ultra is on another level with 2600 nits brightness and anti-reflective properties

The anti-reflective display makes dark mode even better by reducing reflections from outside

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip makes the S24 Ultra the most powerful Android phone with top benchmarks

The S24 Ultra has great battery life, similar to the S23 Ultra despite having new battery draining features

The build quality is refined with flatter titanium sides that make the phone easier to hold

Video recording is smoother and steadier than before when zooming in while filming

Portrait mode photos have an amazing level of detail and background separation

Photos pop nicely thanks to the new Super HDR feature

45W charging speed hasn't improved and battery is still 0-65% in 30 minutes

AI features will be free until end of 2025, after which they may cost around $3 per month

The anti-reflective display is a massive upgrade that should have received more attention

Samsung's version of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is technically the most powerful chip in any Android phone

Faster charging would be helpful for those times you forget to charge and need to quickly top up

The S24 Ultra has almost no downsides aside from charging speed and potential AI subscription

You can fully customize the software look and feel unlike iOS

Transcripts

I've had the s24 ultra for a week now

and here is the good and the bad I think

you guys are going to find this

interesting because this phone might

look the same as the previous two but

it's different same same but different

so let's go ahead and start with the

video now the first great thing about

this phone is the display this is so

much above and beyond Samsung should be

marketing this like everywhere the

display on this phone is on another

level I've been testing out the cameras

out on this phone which means a lot of

my usage came from outside IND direct

sunlight and this display just doesn't

care it goes up to 2,600 nits of

brightness which is already 600 nits

higher than the iPhone 15 Pro Max and I

can definitely notice this as an owner

of both the phones I can confirm that

the iPhone 15 Pro Max as good as that

display is it just pales in comparison

to the s24 ultra but that's just part of

the story yeah the s20 Pro Ultra is

crazy bright but it's also amazing

because it's anti- reflective I'm not

sure why Samsung glossed over this so

quickly during the presentation I mean

this is a massive deal and it's

something that everyone is going to

notice I mean I can just imagine if

Apple did an anti-reflective display on

their iPhone they would probably make a

20-minute presentation out of it but

Samsung was just like yeah here's a

great new display 2,600 nits of

brightness oh by the way it's

anti-reflective but never mind that and

then they just moved on I'm like huh

like they they they talked so shortly

about it I didn't even think it was

going to be a big deal but then when I

unboxed the phone I looked at it I'm

like wow this is this is huge it's

amazing for those moments when you're

watching TV you're scrolling through Tik

Tok or doing literally anything you're

going to notice this like it is

impossible to not notice this every

single time you use your phone and also

by the way if you're a fan of using dark

mode you might notice sometimes that

dark mode might get a little bit

annoying because yeah it makes the

battery last longer and arguably looks

better but also you're introducing a lot

of reflection from the trees outside

from the sky from the Sun from the

clouds you can see all of that because

your screen is obviously in dark mode

but because of the anti-reflective

properties of the actual display using

dark mode outside you don't be you

barely see any Reflections it is

absolutely wild and another thing I must

mention you have about like five or 6

days left to pre-order this phone to get

like the best deals possible Samsung has

giving you like up to 750 bucks of

trading credit you got1 15 $50 to spend

on cases accessories everything else you

also get a free storage upgrade you get

a massive discount on Samsung Care Plus

you have all those goodies and they do

go away soon so if you guys are

interested I'm going to have a link down

below for you guys to check it out

another great thing about the s24 ultra

for my week of using it is the

performance the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is an

absolute Powerhouse of a chip and using

this phone clearly shows it it

absolutely rips through anything that

you put it through gaming AI

it it it just doesn't matter the phone

does not care at all because you see

this is not just any ordinary Snapdragon

8 gen 3 it is of course the Samsung

version made for Galaxy Snapdragon 8 gen

3 so technically speaking this is the

most powerful Android phone in the

market I mean right I don't know I'm

asking you guys I I think so because if

we're looking at any geekbench score any

GPU test this phone comes out on top

also I have to say say 1 UI 6.1 Samsung

thank you this is like a beautiful

upgrade it's very much needed and I also

like how you can see the lock screen the

wallpaper you can kind of see it right

now kind of I I just have a dark

wallpaper but you can see the wallpaper

on your lock screen similar to the

iPhone I love this I I leave it on it's

just it's it's something new you know

we've we with Android we've seen like

dark uh always on displays for like

decades now so it's nice to see a little

bit of color on your always on display

so that's that's also another awesome

thing see here's the thing people say oh

Samsung copies apple apple copies

Samsung who cares who copies who I don't

care who copies who because in the end

we win it's better it's better for us

consumers so hey companies please copy

more I love it now as far as battery

life goes I'm getting around the same as

I was with my s23 ultra but do keep in

mind which by the way is around 7 hours

of screen on time give or take but again

keep in mind for the past couple days

I've been testing out the camera a lot

and that obviously takes up a lot of

battery the phone is also brighter than

the s23 ultra and I'm using that always

on display wallpaper so all that takes

up battery life oh and by the way my um

my dark mode is set to scheduled so for

half the day it is in light mode and I'm

getting around the same battery life as

I was on my s23 ultra which obviously

did not have the the wallpaper setting

it didn't have the crazy brightness and

by the way I was using it exclusively on

dark mode so this phone is technically

getting better battery life because I'm

using all the features that I turn

turned off on my s23 ultra to save

battery am I talking too fast I feel

like I am I guess what I'm trying to say

is battery life wi if you guys are

enjoying the video so far definitely

leave that like it lets me know that you

guys are enjoying it and it lets me know

to continue doing what I'm doing and if

you are new here consider subscribing

because I got the s24 and the s24 Plus

on the way they should be here whenever

Samsung feels like they're going to ship

it out um I've been waiting it says

pending so who knows the build quality

and feel of this phone is is also what I

would like to categorize as good now

yeah this phone does look the same as

the previous one and the previous one

looked the same as the the the other

previous one but I feel like this is a

refinement this is good I don't want

phones to change their looks every

single year cuz it kind of ruins the

brand image so instead what Samsung did

is kind of do what everyone was asking

them to do and that that is to make a

flat display which is good for the Spen

it's good for screen protectors it's

good for durability it's it's just good

overall it may not look as futuristic as

a as a curve display but I mean so why

that that's just one of the things that

make curve displays good I guess is just

it looks better maybe I don't know but I

I definitely prefer a flat display it's

just it just makes so much more sense on

a phone with a stylus and also you

cannot forget the the the borders are

now titanium they're flatter it's just

better to hold overall you don't feel

like the phone's going to slip out of

your hand and hit a brick wall and

explode um God I hate when that happens

moving on to the cameras they are also

categorized as good on the s24 ultra

taking videos on the phone just feels

confident the the camera switching while

recording in 4k 60 is smoother than

before and more steady than before

seriously this shot here when I was

walking and I was zooming in 10 times

the phone just keeps a steady image

while retaining as much quality as

possible photos are also fantastic and

the portrait mode shots are crazy good

with with amazing level of detail and

background separation is just spoton

this might be it just might be my

favorite phone to take portrait mode

shots on it is just crazy good also

let's not forget super HDR which makes

the photos absolutely pop and they even

upload in super HDR to Instagram now

that's cool so now that I've mentioned

the good things about the phone during

my week of using it let's also talk

about the bad things because no phone is

perfect now for one I do wish the

charging speeds were increased a little

bit it seems like we've been stuck at 45

Watts since like the Note 10 I believe

I'm not sure but I believe the Note 10

started the whole 45 watt Trend with

Samsung it it's still here now look 45

Watts on other phones might be okay but

those other phones also have less than

5,000 Milah hour of battery and this

phone does have 5K so that means

charging times have not been increased

you're still going to see 0 to 65% in

around 30 minutes which is good enough

now the only saving grace is that the

battery life of this phone is really

good so they may not need that extra

fast charging but a good feature isn't

only a good feature if you constantly

use it faster charging might only be

helpful for those like rare instances

where maybe you forget to charge your

phone overnight or you come home from

work and then you spontaneously want to

go out with your friends and you want to

really quickly top off your phone with

battery and in those instances you

you're sure going to love that extra

fast charging so again a good feature

isn't only a good feature if you use it

constantly Sometimes the best features

are the the ones that when you first use

them you're like oh my God I didn't know

this could do that that's awesome

another kind of downside is that the AI

features of the Galaxy s24 Ultra and

actually all s24 models they are free

only up until the end of

2025 how much they will cost after that

period ends we don't know what AI

features specifically are going to be

paid for we don't know I I can only

assume that I think the only features

that are going to be paid for are the

ones that use Google services such as

Circle to search which by the way is a

really great feature but I think all the

on device features the AI features

they're not going to be paid for they're

going to be obviously free now how much

it will cost like I said we just don't

know in fact literally no one knows so

anything you hear online is fake now I I

can only assume that's probably going to

be like $2.99 a month because honestly

even all the AI features that use

Google's servers there's only a few of

them or maybe yeah probably a few of

them I can't see those few features

being more than like $3 a month um again

I'm just speculating I have no idea they

might scrap the whole thing and make it

free we just don't know anything but as

of right now I guess that could be

labeled as a potential like downside of

this phone so aside from those two

things I cannot really find a downside

about this phone I mean I mean I would

really have to nitpick and I even then I

don't know what I would nitpick about I

mean the phone functions amazing

software well it's Android you can do

whatever you want if you don't like the

way the icons look you can change it if

you don't like the skin you can download

a second skin or even a third skin and

switch between the skins in any day of

the week that you feel like uh Hardware

wise I mean this phone is a brick it is

a solid solid brick beautiful premium

materials great camera quality great

battery life I mean I don't know what

bad thing to say about it honestly you

just can't go wrong with this phone it

is the best of the best from Samsung so

if you guys enjoyed today's video I

would definitely appreciate you leaving

me a like again don't forget about all

those Samsung deals I have linked down

below like I like I said you have about

less than a week to use those deals if

you want um and if you are new here and

you like these types of videos you want

to see more videos on the s24 and s24

plus and again of course the s24 ultra

definitely subscribe and as always this

was Mark from marktech adios