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Samsung’s latest smartphone packs a plethora of the latest flashy AI tools in an attempt to improve text, images, video and search – with both hits and misses. The new Galaxy S24 Ultra comes equipped with a combination of Samsung and Google’s latest AI layered on top of one of the most capable phones on the market, filled to the brim with competition-beating specs. All this capability comes at a steep £1,249 (€1,469/$1,299.99/A$2,199), which is the same price as its predecessor in the UK but more expensive in the US and other regions.
The overall design differs only iteratively from predecessors, with a fully flat rather than curved screen and new titanium sides, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which gives it a gripper finish and in theory makes it stronger and more durable. The screen has Corning’s latest Gorilla Armour glass that is more scratch-resistant and much less reflective, significantly reducing glare which, combined with the super-bright screen, makes using it outdoors as easy as indoors even on the sunniest of days.
The S24 Ultra has the latest top-of-the-range chip from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, offering a 20% speed increase, 26% faster graphics and greater power efficiency on previous generations. It is a very fast phone that handles games, demanding apps and multitasking with aplomb, but the extended battery life is more noticeable in day-to-day use.
The phone lasts up to 60 hours of general use when taking photos, browsing, messaging and using 5G for a couple of hours with the rest on wifi, making it one of the longest-lasting phones I’ve tested. High-end gaming or more intensive tasks hit battery life – an hour of Diablo Immortal consumed 18% of the battery. But otherwise I only needed to charge it every third day.
Specifications
Main screen: 6.8in QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (500ppi) 120Hz
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 256, 512GB or 1TB
Operating system: One UI 6.1 based on Android 14
Camera: 200MP + 12MP 0.6x + 10MP 3x + 50MP 5x; 12MP front-facing
Connectivity: 5G, USB-C, wifi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, UWB and GNSS
Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins)
Dimensions: 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm
Weight: 232g
Pros: fantastic screen, the most capable camera with 3x, 5x and 10x optical zoom, new AI tools, good software with seven years support, S Pen stylus, top performance, very long battery life, contains recycled materials.
Cons: massive, heavy, extremely expensive, S Pen may be superfluous feature for many, AI features not a reason to buy.
iPhone 15 Pro Max review: Apple’s superphone weighs less and zooms further
Apple’s latest, most expensive superphone is a big step forward for the iPhone. But despite a powerful new camera and USB-C port, the best feature is simply its lighter weight. That is because Apple’s 6.7in iPhones have always been beasts in price and weight. But while this new iPhone 15 Pro Max is still wallet-crushingly expensive, starting at £1,199 (€1,449/$1,199/A$2,199), it is at least 19g lighter, making a huge difference in your hand and pockets. The new Max has titanium sides rather than stainless steel, which saves the 19g but also shifts the balance of the phone towards its centre, making it feel lighter than it is. The design otherwise sticks closely to that introduced with the iPhone 12 Pro Max in 2020, with just a little bit of softening around the edges and slimmer bezels around the screen.
The screen is one of the very best on the market and can get super bright in sunlight, making it easier to read outdoors. New for this year is the action button, which replaces the mute switch that has been on every iPhone.
It can still mute and unmute the phone by pressing and holding but if you leave your phone permanently silenced or are happy toggling mute in control centre, then you can remap it to do other things such as turn on “do not disturb”, launch the camera, light the torch, record a voice memo as well as other features.
Specifications
Screen: 6.7in Super Retina XDR (OLED) (460ppi)
Processor: Apple A17 Pro
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256, 512GB or 1TB
Operating system: iOS 17
Camera: 48MP main, 12MP UW and 12MP 5x zoom, 12MP front-facing camera
Connectivity: 5G, wifi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Thread, USB-C, Satellite, UWB and GNSS
Water resistance: IP68 (6 metres for 30 mins)
Dimensions: 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm
Weight: 221g
Pros: lighter than predecessors, great cameras, 5x optical zoom, USB-C, new action button, long battery life, top performance, brilliant screen, 5G, long software support.
Cons: very expensive, big frame despite reduced weight, more repairable design restricted by software locks.
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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: the Swiss army knife of phones, now with AI
The Business Mobile Communications Specialists.