Samsung Galaxy S24+ Full Review !!

Still, the phone is visually appealing, with its softly metallic color palette – I tested the gorgeous Cobalt Violet – accentuating the overall sleekness. The phone is also available in Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, and Marble Grey, with three more colours unique to the Samsung shop (at least in the UK): Sapphire Blue, Jade Green, and Sandstone Orange.

The inconspicuous punch-hole selfie camera in the upper center of the display adds to the overall appearance.

In terms of size and weight, the S24+ is clearly larger and heavier than the S24, but it’s also smaller and lighter than the flagship S24 Ultra. The difference between each model is about 30g (or 1.06oz), indicating that the S24+ strikes a good balance between the compactness of its smaller sister and the weight of the Ultra.

Despite its attractive design, the item is incredibly sturdy and tough. It has a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back (along with a ‘Armor Aluminium’ frame) and an official IP68 rating, so it should last a decent period of time before showing any signs of wear and damage.

Another interesting design feature is the phone’s haptic feedback, which can vary in intensity in subtle ways. This makes interaction with the phone more dynamic and engaging, since the vibration motor responds to activities and events like typing, calls, and alerts.

Screen & Speakers

• 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display
• 120Hz refresh rate
• 32-bit/384kHz audio with stereo speakers

In terms of screen, the Galaxy S24+ is more of an evolution than a revolution. It, too, features a Dynamic AMOLED 2x display, but this time it employs LTPO technology, which allows for a more dynamic, efficient refresh rate and other small advantages.

Another small change is that the S24+ has a little larger display, measuring 6.7 inches rather than 6.6 inches on the S23+. The enhanced resolution of 3120×1440 pixels (up from 2340×1080 in last year’s model) results in a more colorful screen.

The display’s increased brightness, which reaches a maximum of around 2600 nits, also contributes. This means you’ll never struggle to see anything on screen, and when combined with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, the S24+ delivers a virtually unparalleled visual experience.

One hidden but crucial element of the display is the improved fingerprint sensor, which is now quicker and more accurate. It’s a minor improvement, but by minimizing the delay required in unlocking the phone, the phone appears to provide a more seamless overall experience.

The S24+’s smaller bezels complement the display by allowing for a 0.1-inch increase in screen size. The phone’s general thinness, along with the aforementioned punch-hole selfie camera, contributes to its premium appearance.

The phone’s excellent screen is rounded out by its dual speakers, which produce high-fidelity 32-bit music and allow the device to function as a low-key audio player. While it cannot compete with specialized stereos, it gives enough sound for watching TV and movies without the need for a single Bluetooth speaker.

Specs & Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
• 12GB RAM and 256GB storage
• No microSD card slot

Samsung has always taken pleasure in the performance of its Galaxy S devices, and the S24+ is no exception. In North America and China, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU, whereas elsewhere it is powered by an Exynos 2400, with both chipsets manufactured in 4nm.

This makes both CPUs rather agile (albeit the Qualcomm is somewhat quicker), and when paired with 12GB of RAM, the Galaxy S24+ remains snappy and speedy in almost all circumstances. It launches applications quickly, can switch between numerous activities smoothly, and handles all of the latest Android games with ease.

Asphalt 9 is often a good indicator of how capable phones are as gaming devices, and in my tests, the S24+ gave a really smooth experience. Graphics are produced smoothly and without lag or slowness, and the quality and resolution stay excellent throughout.

The S24+ appears to be capable of handling games for the next several years, with the 256GB of internal storage you received as standard (you can upgrade to 512GB for an additional fee) giving ample room for multiple game installations.

However, the S24+ lacks a microSD card slot, which is available in more affordable variants (such as the Galaxy A15 5G). This appears to be an omission on a device priced at £999/$999 (or £1,099/$1,119 with 512GB), despite the fact that it is usual on flagship phones.

The riposte to this complaint is that, as the benchmarks below make clear, this money is justified by the phone’s market-leading performance. You’ll struggle to find a faster Android for the price.

Samsung Galaxy S24+ benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp dual pixel main rear camera
• 12Mp ultrawide and 10Mp telephoto lenses
• Useful AI features

Samsung is known for producing camera phones that are extremely versatile, and the Galaxy S24+ is no exception.

It has a 50MP primary rear lens with dual pixel autofocus and optical image stabilisation (OIS), a 12MP ultrawide lens (with Super Steady video recording), and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

Each of these lenses is helpful, and while the two additional cameras may necessitate greater caution in some scenarios, they are more accommodating than the ultrawide and telephoto lenses found on many Android devices.

Photos taken with the primary 50MP lens are detailed and rich in good lighting. Colors are vibrant and lively, and while some may want for a bit more realism, the saturation is never overpowering. Indeed, the way the phone handles processing may imply that the photographs you take will be more attractive and sharing, particularly in comparison to phones that produce images with a more transparent but occasionally boring appearance.

The ultrawide lens is also really useful, allowing for more panoramic shots while maintaining a satisfactory degree of sharpness and sparkle. The camera’s 120˚ field of view makes it ideal for vacation and travel photos. Colors remain vibrant.

A similar statement may be made about the 10Mp telephoto camera, albeit clarity and sharpness will certainly suffer in many circumstances. It can be quite useful for photographing subjects from a distance (as shown in the deer photographs in the gallery below), but it is unlikely to be used on a regular basis in the same way as wide and ultrawide lenses are.

It’s also worth emphasizing the phone’s night mode and new AI-based editing tools, which, although not always flawless, may nevertheless be useful.

The night mode, which is activated automatically as the light dims, does an excellent job of artificially brightening scenes and delivering adequate clarity to figures. Meanwhile, you can utilize the new editing tools to (re)move and resize items, similar to Google’s newest Pixel phones, which may be really useful provided you learn how to do so correctly.

Finally, the S24+ includes a 12MP selfie camera with dual-pixel focusing, making it ideal for point-and-shoot portraits. When combined with the software-based portrait mode, it’s quite simple to capture selfies that you’d cheerfully share on social media with others.

Battery Life & Charging

• 4900mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging

Battery life may not be especially appealing, but it is one of the most important variables deciding how dependable and functional a smartphone is. Fortunately, the S24+ has an extremely long battery life.

It has a 4900mAh battery, which is somewhat less than the S24 Ultra (5000mAh) but significantly more than the S24 (4000mAh). In actuality, a huge battery does not usually equate to a long-lasting battery, but the S24+ is an exception.

I easily survived two days while evaluating the phone on several occasions, but people who use it frequently for gaming and other media would want a more or less daily recharge. I also discovered that the adaptive refresh rate setting, which allows for the maximum 120Hz rate, does not deplete the battery as much as it does on other Androids since it can switch to lesser rates to save power.

These findings are supported by the results of the PCMark battery test that we submit phones to, with the S24+ lasting little more than 16 hours – an amazing result.

Samsung claims that the battery life allows for 29 hours of video playing, although coming near to that figure will require turning off the adaptive refresh rate, decreasing the brightness, and using the phone more sparingly.

When it comes to charging, the S24+ continues the phone industry’s latter-day tradition of not including chargers. However, the model is compatible with 45W fast wired charging, as well as 15W wireless charging. I tested it with a 25W charger and got to 34% in half an hour.

The S24+ is not as fast at replenishing itself as other devices available this year, but it’s fast enough if you have the right charger, and when combined with its long battery life will keep most people happy.

Software & Apps

• Android 14 and One UI 6.1
• Seven years of update support
• Helpful AI tools

The Galaxy S24+ ships with Android 14 and One UI 6.1 preinstalled, with the latter delivering a highly smooth and well-presented user interface.

As we’ve come to expect from the Samsung One UI shell, panels and displays are put up in a straightforward and responsive manner, allowing users to easily navigate the phone.

One UI 6.1 is one of the most visually appealing Android skins and remains very customizable. This time, you can also personalize the phone’s lock screen based on the Modes you’ve configured, allowing you to add app shortcuts based on which Mode is active.

Of course, the S24+’s most notable software upgrade is a slew of AI features dubbed “Advanced intelligence” by Samsung. These are divided into seven categories, with the majority providing useful solutions to complete specific tasks more rapidly.

While the photo editor and live translation have been much discussed, my personal favorite is the voice recording auto-transcript feature. It is not always completely correct, but if you need to record and subsequently transcribe lectures, interviews, or other speeches, it may save you a lot of time without costing you anything.

Overall, the phone’s software is unparalleled among Androids (with the exception of probably the Pixel phones), thus it’s quite encouraging that Samsung has committed to supplying the S24+ with seven years of core Android upgrades. This offers good value for money, allowing consumers to avoid upgrading their phones after only a few years.