It took me a while, but I know which Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphone is best

Samsung has launched its flagship smartphone range for 2024, and there are three models to choose from once again.

But how do you decide which Galaxy S24 phone is right for you? The S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra all vary in terms of specs, features and price.

Choosing which one to go for isn’t easy, so here are all the key differences you need to know that will simplify that decision now we’ve reviewed all three options.

Differences between Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra

Samsung’s latest flagships look very similar to last year’s models. But that’s not too surprising, as Samsung has since stuck with the same core design for a while.

One of the most important features of a phone is how it looks and feels – you want a phone that you’ll actually enjoy holding and interacting with.

Compact and lightweight, the regular Galaxy S24 measures 70.6 x 147 x 7.6mm and weighs 168g. On the other hand, slightly larger Galaxy S24+ measures 75.9 x 158.5 x 7.7mm and weighs 197g. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the largest and heaviest at 79 x 162.3 x 8.6mm and 233g, partly due to it having a titanium rather than aluminium body.

Fans of a compact phone will enjoy the regular S24, while the S24+ is a better choice if you want a bigger screen. Meanwhile, the Ultra adopts a heavier and more angular design, as it packs in extra premium features.

Getting the right size is key when it comes to the display, given how often and for what you use your phone. The Galaxy S24 features a 6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, while the Galaxy S24+ boasts a larger 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED panel.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra takes it up a notch with a 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED display, but maintains the same dynamic 120Hz refresh rate as the S24 and S24+. All three feature LTPO tech, allowing the refresh rate to automatically adjust between 1-120Hz and save battery life when not required.

All three phones offer vibrant colours and high contrast ratios. In day-to-day use you won’t notice a difference, but in some cases the bigger models’ larger and more versatile QHD+ displays might have the edge over the standard S24 and its FHD+ panel.

It’s worth mentioning that the Galaxy S24 Ultra stands out as the only model featuring Corning’s Gorilla Armor.

Samsung says this glass is not only four times more durable than standard glass, but also provides reduces reflections by up to 75%.

However, all models have Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back and are IP68-rated for water and dust resistance.

There’s also some variation in terms of chipset, at least in the UK – only the S24 Ultra features the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy.

While certain markets, including the US, have the entire S24 lineup equipped with this processor, the UK and others will have to make do with Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 instead.

The Galaxy S24 is available with 8GB RAM and 128- or 256GB storage. Meanwhile, the S24+ comes with 12GB RAM and 256- or 512GB of storage. Galaxy S24 Ultra takes it one step further with 12GB RAM and more extensive storage options, with a choice between 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

With no expandable storage on any of the models, make sure you choose a model with enough storage. Few people need 1TB on a phone, though 128GB may be a stretch if you plan to download lots of games or store files locally.

When testing the basic configurations of all three models available in the UK, the Galaxy S24 achieved a score of 6251 in the Geekbench 5 test, the S24+ got 6945 points, and the S24 Ultra scored 7141 points.

The Exynos 2400 falls slightly behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in terms of capability and speed. However, the difference is smaller than you might expect.

In everyday use, you’re unlikely to notice much of a difference, and it can still handle maxed-out graphical settings and play most games at 60fps. It does tend to get quite hot during this process, though, so the larger models would be preferable for avid gamers.

Galaxy S series smartphones usually deliver solid battery life, and that isn’t different with the S24 handsets. However, the box doesn’t include a charger, only a USB-C cable.

A 4000mAh battery powers the Galaxy S24, offering a 50% charge from fully flat just under half an hour with a 25W charger. With a 25W brick as well, a more substantial 4900mAh battery in the S24+ charges from 0-34% in half an hour, but also supports 45W adapters.

Galaxy S24 Ultra outshines them both with a 5000mAh cell, but has the same 45W wired charging as the S24+. It also reached 30% in 15 minutes and 63% after half an hour, making both the 24 and the S24+ lag behind.

All three phones support the Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 standard and Wireless PowerShare, a feature that lets you charge other Qi devices.

These are fairly typical battery capacities for modern flagships, with the regular S24’s smaller battery offset by a smaller display. None of the charging speeds are particularly fast, but the S24+ and the S24 Ultra models are a big step up.

As you would expect from Samsung phones, all three handsets have impressive camera systems on paper. However, the Ultra has something a little extra.

The camera setup of the both the Galaxy S24 and S24+ includes a 50Mp wide camera with OIS, a 12Mp ultra-wide camera, a 10Mp telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 12Mp front camera for selfies.

They maintain camera setup that was in both the S23 and the S23+ as well, but introduce significant improvements in photo and video performance through refined image processing. Notably, photos exhibit more natural tones, reduced exaggeration in colours, and improved detail, particularly in low-light conditions.

The telephoto lens offers a useful 3x optical zoom, while the selfie camera excels with autofocus and various beautification effects. Night mode and AI-based editing features also further enhance versatility, making them suitable for various photography needs.

Video capabilities include impressive 4K 120fps slow-motion recording and AI-powered editing tools for enhanced creativity. However, while showing promise for future enhancements, the system occasionally produces inconsistent results.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts a 200Mp main sensor, plus 12Mp ultrawide, 10Mp 3x telephoto and 50Mp 5x telephoto lenses. The 12Mp front-facing camera is the same.

The biggest change here is that the 10Mp 10x telephoto lens from the S23 Ultra are replaced with a 50Mp sensor offering 5x optical zoom. This adjustment proves more practical, maintaining good quality up to 10x zoom levels.

The primary camera also no longer defaults to capturing 200Mp images; instead, it employs pixel binning, combining 16 pixels into one to produce 12.5Mp stills. This trade-off saves storage space while offering marginal improvements in image quality.

Photos from the main sensor exhibit excellent detail and dynamic range, though Samsung’s characteristic vibrant colours may not accurately represent reality. Nonetheless, they enhance the visual appeal without requiring extensive editing.

Regarding video, the S24 Ultra supports up to 8K recording, though default settings at 1080p/30fps deliver clear, smooth footage thanks to optical image stabilization across all lenses.

All three S24 phones run on Android 14 with Samsung’s One UI 6.1 skin straight from the box.

One of the many new features is that Samsung is committing to providing seven years of updates for all three new phones. That matches what Google offers for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, meaning it should get Android 21 and updates until 2031.

What is most important about the Galaxy S24 series, however, is the AI capabilities. It includes features such as Circle to Search, Transcript Assist, Live Translate for calls, Chat Assist and generative photo editing. What’s more, every model in the series has them.

All models also support 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3 for the network and connectivity.

Price & availability

The Galaxy S24 series is offered in various finishes.

The S24 Ultra is available in Titanium Grey, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow. Meanwhile, the S24 and S24+ come in Onyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet, and Amber Yellow. Some extra colours are also available direct from Samsung.

In the US, the Galaxy S24 starts from $799, the Galaxy S24+ at $999 and the Galaxy S24 Ultra at $1,299. In the UK, Galaxy S24 starts at £799, the Galaxy S24+ at £999, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra at £1,249. All the phones will be available via many different retailers and carriers in both countries.

All three phones are available now from Samsung UK or Samsung US, but also lots of other retailers. See our best Galaxy S24 deals article for the full range of options, or below for the best contract offers in the UK and US:

Verdict

The Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra all cater to slightly different needs.

The S24 is perfect if you seek a compact device that doesn’t sacrifice on performance or high-end specs. Meanwhile, the S24+ adds a larger display and increased storage, making it more suitable if you are really into media consumption. However, everyone is now using cloud storage.

On the other hand, the S24 Ultra offers extra camera features, titanium build, built-in S Pen, extraordinary camera capabilities and extensive storage options, which all makes it the ultimate choice here. But of course, the more capable devices are also more expensive.

So, if you can easily afford to buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra, go ahead. You’ll get everything Samsung currently has to offer.

However, if your budget doesn’t allow it or you simply prefer smaller devices, the standard Galaxy S24 is the best choice. Notably, it has the same update support and offers the same new AI features as the $500/£450 more expensive S24 Ultra.

The only significant upgrades that the S24+ offers over the S24 are larger screen and bigger battery, which the extra $200/£200 isn’t really worth it. In everyday use, you probably won’t notice the larger RAM either.

So unless you really want that larger display and for whatever reason you are not going to buy the Ultra model, the basic S24 is a great choice.

Ultimately, regardless of which S24 phone you choose, you’ll be getting an excellent display, premium build quality and slick software, not to mention seven years of updates.

Specs

Galaxy S24:

• Android 14 with One UI 6.1
• 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
• Exynos 2400 for Galaxy (some markets), Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (some markets)
• 8GB RAM
• 128/256GB storage
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp f/1.8 main camera
  • 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide camera
  • 10Mp f/2.4 3x optical telephoto camera
  • 12Mp f/2.2 front facing camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 7
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Stereo speakers
• USB-C
• 4000mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging
• 4.5W reverse wireless charging
• IP68
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• Armor Aluminium 2.0
• 70.6 x 147 x 7.6mm
• 168g

Galaxy S24+:

• Android 14 with One UI 6.1
• 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
• Exynos 2400 for Galaxy (some markets), Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (some markets)
• 12GB RAM
• 256/512GB storage
• 4900mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp f/1.8 main camera
  • 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide camera
  • 10Mp f/2.4 3x optical telephoto camera
  • 12Mp f/2.2 front facing camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 7
• Bluetooth 5.3
• IP68
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• Armor Aluminium 2.0
• 75.9 x 158.5 x 7.7mm
• 198g

Galaxy S24 Ultra:

• Android 14 with One UI 6.1
• 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
• 12GB RAM
• 256/512GB/1TB storage
• 5000mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging
• Cameras:
  • 200Mp f/1.7 main camera
  • 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide camera
  • 10Mp f/2.4 3x optical telephoto camera
  • 50Mp f/3.4 5x optical telephoto camera
  • 12Mp f/2.2 front facing camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 7
• Bluetooth 5.3
• IP68
• Corning Gorilla Armor
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• Titanium build
• 79 X 162.3 X 8.6mm
• 233g