Samsung has been sitting at the top of the smartphone ladder for many years. In fact, Apple has only just – at the time of writing – surpassed Samsung in selling more phones and that says a lot: those who don’t choose an iPhone, probably have Samsung at the top of their list for Android phones.
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ sits in the middle of the 2024 offering from Samsung. Flanked by the smaller Galaxy S24 and flagship S24 Ultra, this is the phone that’s often overlooked. Samsung’s focus is on the Ultra, while many buyers are attracted to the Galaxy S24’s affordable price. And, with the Galaxy S23+ offering much the same at a lower price, is there any reason to upgrade at all?
The Disconnekt Downlow
Pros
+ Great new design
+ Power and battery life
+ Competent camera
Cons
– Samsung’s own apps
– Display not reaching its potential
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ hits a few key points on the spec sheet, but at the time of reviewing, it’s the display that raises the biggest flag: Samsung used to be known for the vibrancy of its displays and on the S24+, the Vivid mode doesn’t seem to do anything. This is the biggest hardware change from the Galaxy S23+ in 2023, but it’s not currently delivering to its full potential.
The design is great though and the size and build of this phone remains attractive. There’s plenty of power, the battery life is good and although the cameras are the same as the 2023 model, they still hit all the right notes. I’d look at the prices for the Galaxy S23+ first, but the Samsung Galaxy S24+ is still a good all-rounder.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S24+ all about Galaxy AI?
When Samsung announced the Galaxy S24 devices, the messaging was all about Galaxy AI. Galaxy AI is a suite of AI-powered functions designed to enhance various features of your phone. AI is 2024’s buzzword – it’s going to be everywhere – and following Google’s launch of the Pixel 8 Pro which also drives a heavy AI message, Samsung was always going to compete.
Galaxy AI comes into the S24+ on a couple of areas: much of it is based around text and across several apps – Samsung Notes, Voice Recorder, Samsung Keyboard, calling and in the Gallery. The first three are based around text – it will translate, summarise or check the tone of your messages, meaning that notes you take can be much more useful.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE DISCONNEKT
In messaging apps, it’s actually the Samsung Keyboard that has the AI smarts, allowing you to change the tone of a message, perhaps to make it more casual or more formal. Voice Recorder will take a recording and transcribe it, giving you a written version – including identifying different speakers. None of these are particularly novel, we’re starting to see other services that will do that same and Samsung’s focus here really is on enhancing its own apps.
The ability to translate or have AI interaction on messages is interesting, but I can’t say I actually used it, not helped by the fact that you need to use Samsung’s Keyboard to make it work. Unfortunately, away from AI skills, Samsung’s Keyboard is nowhere near as precise and fast as Gboard (the default Google keyboard) and I’d rather have faster and more accurate text input, than an AI assistant cleaning up afterwards.
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Galaxy AI’s photo editor doesn’t give you as many options as Google’s Magic Editor, there’s no automatic recognition of things like skies or water, so it doesn’t feel as dynamic.
The final aspect of Galaxy AI is in the Gallery. This is the photo AI that will offer functions similar to Google’s widely-lauded Magic Editor, although it’s not as accomplished. Yes, you can delete backgrounds and have generative AI fill them back in again, you can remove elements and resize them, or you can add elements from different photos. When you use AI on a photo, a small icon appears as a watermark in the bottom left-hand corner.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE DISCONNEKT
But Galaxy AI’s photo editor doesn’t give you as many options as Google’s Magic Editor, there’s no automatic recognition of things like skies or water, so it doesn’t feel as dynamic. It’s clever, the generative fill is good, but it’s not the best. I’ve compared Google Magic Editor with Galaxy AI here, if you want to know more.
Reasons to choose the Samsung Galaxy S24+
The Galaxy S24+ is very similar to the great Galaxy S23+ from 2023, the biggest difference on the exterior being that it now has a flat frame around the sides. That makes the phone slightly harsher in the fingers when gripping it, compared to the softer curves of the older model. But it retains the IP68 waterproofing, glass front and back construction and good quality build overall.
There’s a change under the skin that you might want to pay attention to and that’s the move to Samsung Exynos 2400 hardware. The Galaxy S23+ was powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, with Snapdragon often the preference for fans. Those in Europe and India now get Exynos hardware, but I’ve been using the phone for the best part of a month and I can’t say that I’ve had a problem with it. Everything runs smoothly for a flagship experience, from daily browsing to more intense gaming sessions.
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The camera also hasn’t been updated, but it still offers a good selection of lenses, works well in low light, and has the 3x zoom for those who want to get a little closer. It’s not the best that Samsung offers – the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the phone you want for that – but in most situations, the Galaxy S24+ camera will leave you with nothing to worry about.
Battery life is also good and on some occasions I didn’t bother to charge it overnight and still had 30 per cent battery in the morning, getting me through some of the next day. Wired and wireless charging is supported, but it doesn’t charge at top speeds, which is where I think Samsung could make this phone better.
What the Samsung Galaxy S24+ could do better
Speaking of what could be better, there’s something strange happening with Samsung’s display. Often, a vibrant display is one of the reasons for choosing a Samsung phone, but the Galaxy S24+ doesn’t appear to be as vibrant as other models. I compared it to the 2023 Galaxy S23+ and found that the older phone offered greater vibrancy, which meant that watching movies on Netflix just looked richer.
I’m not alone in this observation, it’s something that’s been commented on by owners online and something that Samsung is aware of but doesn’t seem to be rushing to doing anything about. I wouldn’t say it’s a deal breaker, but when the “Vivid” display option looks almost exactly the same as the “Natural” display option, it’s fair to think there could be an improvement.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE DISCONNEKT
From a hardware perspective that’s my only real complaint about the Galaxy S24+ and it could be fixed with a software update. Otherwise the display hits a lot of the desirable spec points – it measures 6.8-inches so there’s plenty of space, it has a high resolution so can show rich detail, and the peak brightness means it’s great outdoors.
There’s one other perennial complaint about Samsung’s devices and that comes down to the software. While I love the fact that it’s loaded with functionality, I don’t think Samsung’s apps really add to the offering. Sure, they are getting boosted with Galaxy AI, but I still wouldn’t use Samsung Internet in place of Chrome for the browser – and I’ve mentioned the keyboard too.
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Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S24+?
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is a solid flagship-grade device. It offers a slightly refreshed design and maintains a solid, high-quality build. There’s plenty of power, a camera that will deliver photos in a full range of situations and battery life that will see you through.
It’s also loaded with functionality as all Samsung phones are, now with the promise of 7 years of updates, meaning this phone could last quite a long time. The Galaxy AI features alone, however, aren’t reason enough to choose this phone – and I think Samsung should address the display vibrancy issue to give owners the option to give things a boost.
But those gripes are minor: as a flagship phone choice, it doesn’t quite reach the heights that the Galaxy S24 Ultra does, but it’s not far off.
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FAQs
There are a couple of differences between these two devices. Firstly, the S24 Ultra has a 6.8-inch display compared to the 6.7-inch of the S24+ and it supports the S Pen that slides into the frame. That frame is titanium on the S24 Ultra so is lighter and stronger, plus there’s a 5x optical zoom on the S24 Ultra as well as a 3x zoom – along with a 200-megapixel ultra-wide camera, so a few major differences. These make the S24 Ultra more expensive, but it’s also a more accomplished device overall.
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ comes in a range of colours: Cobalt Violet, Onyx Black, Marble Grey, and Amber Yellow are the standard colours – the Cobalt Violet is pictured in this review. There are also exclusive colours available direct from Samsung, including: Jade Green, Sapphire Blue and Sandstone Orange.
Samsung phones have a reputation for the number of changes that are made over stock Android. That’s true, One UI is definitely an evolved experience, but there are some preinstalled apps. That includes a range of Samsung apps, including the Galaxy Store, and some Microsoft apps. There’s some duplication – browser, keyboard, gallery – while the phone app and calendar are also less useful than stock Google apps.
