At first appearance, the Galaxy S24 Ultra resembles its predecessor — which isn’t necessarily a negative thing, given that Samsung has concentrated on iterating and improving on what has proven to be a highly successful recipe. So many small details have been improved, from the flattened screen to the titanium frame and sophisticated AI software capabilities. However, early user comments indicate that the screen seems washed out when compared to last year’s model. We believed this was a software issue, but Samsung now says it’s planned behavior.
Users remark that the Vivid color profile in Settings > Display → Screen mode on the Galaxy S24 Ultra does not significantly differ from the Natural profile. Some speculated that the anti-reflective finish on the S24 Ultra’s Gorilla Armor screen was affecting things, but screenshots from the device appear to show a clear difference between the example imagery for the Vivid profile on the S24 Ultra and the same images on the S21 Ultra.
When we reported on this earlier this week, a Samsung Support person responded to suggest a patch was on its way. However, as we’ve discovered, support staff don’t always have the most up-to-date knowledge on internal plans, and we’re now receiving a competing report directly from the source.
In a response to Teknofilo, Samsung Spain stated that the alterations to the Vivid profile are purposeful and designed to create a more natural experience. The firm went on to say that the reported behavior was not a malfunction, therefore ruling out the Gorilla Armor display glass as a possible culprit. The complete quotation is provided here, machine translated from Spanish to English.
We have adjusted the colors and brightness of Galaxy S24 series products to provide more accurate and comfortable viewing during use. Some changes have been made to the display technology to provide a more natural viewing experience, so users may notice differences in color depth compared to older devices.
This display behavior is an intentional color adjustment and is not a product defect, so it can be used safely.
To offer our customers the best possible experience, we value your feedback and continually improve our software (UX) as the market and consumer interests evolve.
The phrasing at the end of the statement does not rule out a possible shift in direction if customer feedback becomes loud enough for Samsung to “evolve” its stance, but this news will likely disappoint long-time Galaxy Ultra series users who have grown accustomed to the vibrant hues of the Vivid color profile on previous Samsung flagships. If you’re extremely upset, you might want to share your thoughts on the Samsung Community post on the issue, which presently has over a thousand replies – and counting.
