Samsung Galaxy S24 review: a compact flagship with AI support

The brand new Korean flagship is already under review at ITC. This is the youngest representative of the top line Samsung Galaxy S24. I won’t keep the suspense and say right away that I liked the smartphone, but I have questions about AI functions and some other issues. As usual, we spent some time with the phone, took pictures, tested it in benchmarks, played with it, etc. Read the details below — it will be interesting.

Technical specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S24

Display	6.2 inches, Full HD+ (2340×1080), Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Processor	Samsung Exynos 2400, 10 cores, 3.2 GHz + 2.9 GHz + 2.6 GHz + 1.95 GHz
Operating system	Android 14
RAM	8 GB
Built-in memory	128, 256, 512 GB UFS 4.0
Support for memory cards	Not supported
Number of SIM cards	2 SIM cards, Nano-SIM
Main camera	50 MP + 12 MP + 10 MP, apertures F1.8, F2.2, F2.4, UHD 8K video (7680×4320)
Front camera	12 MP
Communications	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, navigation services GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
Connectors	1 x USB Type-C
Housing material	Aluminum
Back cover material	Aluminum
Housing protection	IP68
Additional features	Fingerprint scanner, face unlock, compass, light sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope
Battery capacity	4000 mAh, has wireless, reverse and fast (25 W) charging
Dimensions	70.6 × 147 × 7.6 mm
Weight	167 grams

Packaging and equipment

Samsung Galaxy S24 comes in a small, thin black box.

Inside is the flagship itself without a film on the screen, documentation, a paper clip for the tray and a USB-C to USB-C cable.

Design and ergonomics

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is similar to its previous flagship series plus the latest iPhone models. The smartphone has a metal body, and the frame is made of a stronger Armor Aluminum alloy.

The flagship is compact (dimensions 70.6×147×7.6 mm) and lightweight (167 grams), which is facilitated by a small 6.2-inch screen by modern standards.

The edges of the smartphone are flat, and the corners are strongly rounded. The case is protected against water and dust according to the IP68 standard. We had a gray version for review, and there are also black, purple, and yellow colors.

On the front panel, we see relatively thin, identical bezels on all sides and a tiny front camera in the screen.

The rear panel has Samsung’s inscription, a separate flash, and three round protruding main camera modules. The manufacturer says that the front and back are protected by Gorilla Glass Victum 2.

On the right side there is a lock button and volume buttons. On the left — there is nothing. The top one has microphones, and the bottom one has another microphone, a speaker, a SIM card slot and a USB-C port.

Of course, with such parameters, the smartphone screen is very easy to read in the sun, and for indoor use, its maximum brightness simply blinds my eyes, so I set it to 70%.

In the settings, you can change the screen refresh rate (standard 60 Hz or adaptive from 1 to 120 Hz), change light and dark themes, brightness, turn on eye comfort, adaptive color tone, screen mode (Saturated or Natural colors), change the white balance, and more. There are also settings for font size and style, screen zoom, simplified mode, camera notch, side and navigation bars, and more.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 screen has a built-in fingerprint scanner and it works great. Finger recognition is very high and fast. And even a wet or damp finger is recognized without any problems. I can’t say anything about the height of the location, because it’s a matter of taste and depends on the size of the hand, the length of the fingers, etc. I was comfortable, but someone else may not be.

Sound and vibration response

Samsung Galaxy S24 has stereo sound and support for Dolby Atmos technology. There are different presets, a separate function for improved sound in games, adaptive sound, and a powerful equalizer. The latter features are relevant for sound in headphones, and here, as always, everything depends on them, but the presence of this technology is definitely not superfluous. Personally, I always turn it on in my company’s smartphones because it really improves the sound. I also use the adaptive sound function customized for me.

The sound from the speakers is pleasant, surround and loud. However, I cannot say that it differs in quality from mid-range models.

The vibration response is soft and pleasant, but powerful at the same time. If necessary, you can change its intensity in the settings.

Samsung Galaxy S24 cameras

Samsung Galaxy S24 is equipped with three main modules. The main — sensor is 50 megapixels, the second ultra-wide-angle sensor is 12 megapixels, and the third — is a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The front module is also 12 megapixels. The cameras support the ProVisual AI Engine AI function, which can be used to do various things. We will talk about this in a separate section on artificial intelligence in smartphones.

The main camera of Samsung Galaxy S24 shoots 12 megapixels by default. You can also quickly switch to 50 megapixels. The camera takes great bright and detailed photos. The quality and correct dynamic range (thanks to the Super HDR function) are at the level of flagships, which is what a new top model of the manufacturer should have. Even if it is the youngest in the series.

The other two cameras are also great, but of course, the detail and colors are not as good as the main module. However, the 3x optical zoom of the telephoto lens is more than adequate.

I’d also like to mention the powerful night mode available in all three modules (!). The camera captures as much light as it can. We also have a good front-facing camera for selfies, which is characterized by detail and minimal noise.

Samsung Galaxy S24 shoots video at a maximum of 8K/30 fps. But I recommend shooting in 4K/60 fps with powerful image stabilization. In this mode, it’s almost unnoticeable that you are moving or walking, everything is very smooth, soft and without shaking.

Productivity, software and games

Depending on the region, the Samsung Galaxy S24 will run on Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips with Xclipse 940 or Adreno 750 graphics, respectively. In our case, it’s a proprietary 10-core processor (3.2 GHz + 2.9 GHz + 2.6 GHz + 1.95 GHz) from the manufacturer with AI support. The memory is 8/128 GB (the variant in the review), 8/256 and 8/512 GB. The permanent memory is in the ultra-fast UFS 4.0 format.

Interfaces and modules are represented by Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO navigation services.

The processor is far from being energy efficient, but it is powerful and can handle not only AI, but also modern demanding mobile games, applications, etc. without any problems. See all tests and benchmarks below.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 runs on Android 14 with the proprietary One UI 6.1 shell. I like the appearance of the Korean add-on, but someone may not. This is purely a matter of taste, but the system has many customizations for the user, it is fast, nice to look at, convenient and understandable. No lags or slowdowns were detected. Everything works very smoothly.

The manufacturer promises to support system and security updates for seven years (!). On the one hand, this is great, but on the other hand, even now, the basic 128 GB of memory is often not enough, so if you’re getting a phone for years, you should get at least 256 GB right away. Moreover, in the same 3–5 years, 8 GB of RAM may not be enough. It’s strange that the versions with increased permanent memory did not receive increased RAM. This is specifically about the Samsung Galaxy S24 because older models have it.

AI functions

All Samsung Galaxy S24 series smartphones have received support for artificial intelligence and new features that are now available to users of these devices. The phone can automatically format notes, summarize notes, correct spelling, and translate them.

Audio files from the voice recorder can also be transformed into text. Although English and many other languages are supported, Ukrainian is not yet available.

The user can now select and circle any places on the screen, pictures, etc., and search for information on them on the Internet. It’s similar to «Google Lens», only faster and easier.

An interesting feature has been introduced that allows you to automatically translate into another language during conversations. But there are still limitations on the choice of languages and countries where it works. We don’t have it yet.

We added the ability to edit photos in the basic app using AI. It allows you to cut or paste objects in the photo, change the angle, edit, retouch, etc. All this is available in various third-party apps, but you have to search for and download them separately. But users of Samsung flagships have this option right away and don’t need to do anything.

In my opinion, this is the most convenient and useful feature added so far. It’s the one that you can actually use in real life. It will also be very cool, at least for journalists and bloggers, when they add Ukrainian to the automatic audio-to-text translator.

Samsung Galaxy S24 battery life

Samsung Galaxy S24 is equipped with a 4000 mAh battery. There is 25W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. It charges up to 50% in half an hour and up to 100 in 70 minutes.

In fact, the smartphone works for a day and a half to two days without any problems with a standard load of music, YouTube video playback, calls, emails, etc. This also includes an hour or two of mobile games.

The PC Mark tests showed 17 hours and 51 minutes, and this is an excellent figure. Before the review, I could not even imagine that such a «baby» with such a battery would be able to hold a charge for so long and even show such a result in the benchmark. But it did, and this is a definite plus.

Wireless charging will also be a plus, although this is commonplace for flagships. But what I didn’t like was the fast charging power. In 2024, even mid-budget devices will receive 67W or more of charging power. If there are 33 watts somewhere, it’s already a disgrace. And here is the flagship and 25 watts. Samsung, this is not serious!

User experience

I liked the Samsung Galaxy S24, but I have to say that I wasn’t expecting anything at all. It’s compact, although it’s 6.2 inches, but it’s made in such a way that it feels smaller, especially next to other modern «shovels».

And although the visual difference with the previous generation is small, the smartphone still looks cool, in my opinion. I also like the fact that it has good cameras, but they are not very protruding and they are not huge modules on the back. Of course, they are visible and need to be covered with a case, but for their capabilities, the cameras are as compact as possible.

Samsung Galaxy S24 has an excellent fingerprint scanner. Strange as it may seem, but often in flagships and other modern models, the sensors in the screens work mediocrely and do not respond to wet fingers. With this one, everything is cool and it’s super fast.

I liked the screen, though this quality, brightness and detail have long been the standard for the Korean giant’s flagships. So thanks again for the good work.

I liked the case materials, water and dust protection, as well as the resistance of the materials to traces of use, dust, prints, etc. All of this is almost invisible on the case, at least in the black color that was reviewed.

Although the AI functions have some benefit in real use, they still look like a test case and an advertising ploy. We hope that their capabilities will be seriously expanded and will be useful in everyday use, rather than praised in marketing reports. We also expect to see Ukrainian in some of the existing features.

But I was not impressed with the sound from the speakers. At all. This is the level of a smartphone for 13,000-15,000 hryvnias. For some reason, I expected much more here, but it’s just loud and stereo, and it also supports Dolby Atmos. Sorry, but this is not enough for the flagship of 2024. Especially since there are already models that are half the price.

It’s also strange that the maximum charging power is 25 watts. It’s great that there is wireless and reverse charging, but this is also a long-standing norm for flagships. As well as super-powerful fast charging. The only positive thing is that the battery won’t suffer as much as smartphones with more powerful charging.

Price and competitors

Samsung Galaxy S24 is sold at a price of 30,999 UAH. But this is the price of «gray». The official price tag in many large networks is UAH 37,999. This is the 128 GB version. The 256 GB version costs UAH 39,999. Of course, there are plenty of competitors in this category, but some of them are last year’s Samsung flagships.

First of all, pay attention toSamsung Galaxy S23, Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (price from UAH 29,249) andSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (price from UAH 32,625). There are also Apple iPhone 15 with a price tag of UAH 30,499, Google Pixel 8 (price from UAH 20,000) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (price from UAH 27,500). And don’t forget about the stylish Motorola Edge 40 Pro (our review here) with a price tag of UAH 30,000 and compact Asus Zenfone 10 (price from UAH 25,200).

We thanks Stylus.ua for the Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphone for review.