Smartphone brands will continue to launch new models regularly, but should you fall for that? I don’t think so. If you can get a flagship at a discount, there’s nothing more value for money than that. If you’re considering buying the Galaxy S24 Ultra on a discount or as a secondhand device, this review is for you.
I’ve been using the Galaxy S24 Ultra for over a year now, and it’s been an absolute delight. The device has performed flawlessly in every condition. So, what has it been like to use the Galaxy S24 Ultra for over a year? Let’s find out in detail.
Galaxy S24 Ultra – One Year Later. . .
I picked up the Galaxy S24 Ultra during the pre-order phase, and even with the device turning a year old, it’s been fantastic. Sure, there have been issues with Samsung rolling out the stable One UI 7 update to the Galaxy S24 series, but thankfully, all of that has been sorted out. Let me take you on a ride through my experience with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
What did I upgrade from?
Before picking up the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I was rocking the Honor Play from 2018. Yes, I have been using the same phone for 6 years, and by the time it was 2024, the phone started showing signs of complete slowdown. And since I switched from a 6-year-old device to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, my overview of this device will be quite different when you compare it to other users who have used the same Galaxy S24 Ultra for a year.
Bigger and Better Screen
Now, the display on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is debatable, considering several reports that its displays were grainy. Luckily for me, my device didn’t have the issue. The 120 Hertz AMOLED 2K display gets bright and even brighter when you are outside with adaptive brightness turned on. The high refresh rate display makes navigating around One UI a breeze. Everything feels buttery smooth, especially when you play around with the animations.
Having a tall 6.8-inch display lets you easily use two apps simultaneously via the split-screen mode. While all the tech specs for the display are great, not to forget the Corning Gorilla Glass Armor protection. In my year of using the S24 Ultra, I’ve not felt the need to use a screen guard or tempered glass, as it’s still like new without any scratches. However, it has become a fingerprint magnet and requires a wipe down to clean it up.
Ultrapgraphy – Cameras and Zoom
Samsung’s camera setups on all of its Ultra devices are great, but Samsung doesn’t bring anything significant when it comes to generational upgrades.
Supposing you switched from the Galaxy S23 Ultra to the S24 Ultra, the only difference you would see is that Samsung removed the 10x telephoto from the S23 Ultra and swapped it with a 5x telephoto on the S24 Ultra. Samsung says that the new 5x telephoto is better, but in reality, the 10x telephoto takes better pictures.
Overall, the S24 Ultra takes great pictures, whether you shoot in ultra-wide, 1x, 3x, 5x, or even at 10x. And yes, there is image optimization and processing that takes place the moment you capture the image.
On the video side of things, you can easily shoot at 8K 30 FPS or even at 60 FPS if you shoot in the Pro Video mode. Using the Camera Assistant Good Lock module lets you play with a few more camera settings that can be helpful to you.
Battery Life and Charging
Samsung continues to pack its 5000 mAh battery into all of its Ultra devices, including the S24 as well as the S25 Ultra. To charge my Galaxy S24 Ultra, I use Samsung’s 35W adapter that charges by device in about an hour and 5 minutes. Of course, there are devices out there that charge faster, but for someone like me who has been using a basic 5W charger on my previous phone for years, that 35W superfast charging is really quick.
The battery life on the Galaxy S24 Ultra has been good overall; however, with the current One UI 7 update, it’s been hit-and-miss. Hopefully, Samsung can find a fix for this issue and help the year-old S24 Ultra continue to give you at least 8 to 10 hours of battery backup with the device switching automatically between Wi-Fi and 5G.
I plan on getting the S24 Ultra’s new battery towards the end of the year so that I don’t end up charging the device twice a day. Batteries will degrade, and swapping them out for a newer one can breathe some life into the S24 Ultra.
One UI Software
One UI might look simple, but if you dive into it, you will find a lot of settings and customization options that you wouldn’t believe a Samsung smartphone would have. Of course, with Good Lock and Good Guardians, you can do a lot more with your Galaxy smartphone. You can customize the quick panel, lock screens, AODs, Samsung keyboard, and almost anything that you want.
With One UI 7 now live on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the device feels very snappy, has quick and fun animations, and is very responsive. Features such as Live notifications and the Now bar are very useful, then of course, there is Samsung’s suite of Galaxy AI tools. Now, not everyone is a fan of the AI tools, regardless of the device brand, but on my Galaxy S24 Ultra, there are several AI tools that I use regularly.
When it comes to Samsung’s Galaxy AI tools, I am glad these tools exist. You see, I use these AI tools regularly, and they are a game changer. The AI tools that I use on my Galaxy S24 Ultra are as follows
- Photo Assist via the Gallery app
- Call Assist
- Circle to Search
- Note Assist
Apart from the One UI software being phenomenal, Samsung’s commitment to providing 7 years of software updates was also one of the reasons why I picked up the Galaxy S24 Ultra. I am someone that upgrades smartphones after a period of 4 to 5 years.
So, having a fully functioning smartphone that runs on the latest version of Android is something that I appreciate. Hopefully, Samsung pushes out this next One UI 8 stable update in a timely manner. Keeping my fingers crossed for that.
S Pen Magic!
Now I could easily pick up the Galaxy S24 or the S24 Plus and save a bit of money here and there. But, the Ultra felt like the perfect pick, not because it has a big screen and great cameras, but also because of the S Pen. The era of having a stylus included with your smartphone has just vanished away, and it’s only the Galaxy S Ultra series and that one Motorola smartphone that has a stylus that comes in the box.
I’m no artist, but I use the S Pen for a lot of day-to-day tasks, and yes, with Bluetooth makes it feel like a luxury product considering the new S25 Ultra’s S Pen is just a basic non-Bluetooth enabled stylus. Using the S Pen as a remote camera shutter button is fun. Having a writing slate that saves everything you write while on the go is just lovely
Why Did I Skip The Galaxy S25 Series?
Yes, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is faster because of the new Snapdragon SoC, but, in all other departments, it is just like the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Two things that I hate the most about the S25 Ultra are the way it looks.
The Ultra series was meant to take over the Galaxy Note series, and Samsung made the Galaxy S25 Ultra look like every other Samsung smartphone out there. The ultra has lost its iconic rectangular slab-like design. The second reason is that they made the S Pen a basic, regular stylus. What a downgrade.
Sure, the S25 series with One UI 7 has that fancy Now Brief, but, are people really interested in that? Nobody cares about that. Now Brief, for those who don’t know, is simply a list of information powered by AI that gives you details such as weather updates and other news related items on topics that you might be interested in.
With Google Discover available on all Android smartphones, why would you want to use Now Brief over Google Discover?
What Do I Miss From My Older Phone?
The Honor Play, a phone that I used for 6 years before upgrading to the S24 Ultra, had features that a lot of smartphones are removing left, right, and center. Having a dedicated 3.5 mm audio jack meant you didn’t have to worry about your earphones or headphones dying on you.
The second thing that I miss is the physical fingerprint sensor. With the physical fingerprint sensor, you could easily swipe down the notification panel and also swipe through images via the Gallery app.
Last of all, there is the LED notification indicator. Those were good times when you had an LED indicator that would indicate if the device was charging, had a low battery, or you received notifications from different apps. The ability to change the LED notification color based on the app was an added bonus. Sure, you can always set up a similar function with the AOD screen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
When Do I Plan To Switch?
Even though my Galaxy S24 Ultra is a year old, the device still performs all tasks and functions as well as it came out new. Now, even if Samsung did bring the retro design and the Bluetooth featured S Pen with the S26 Ultra, I will continue to stick with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. But, if I do plan to switch, I might go around and choose the iPhone route, with the S24 Ultra being my secondary smartphone.
Should You Get The S24 Ultra in 2025?
As I stated earlier, the phone works perfectly fine and does everything smoothly. Oh, and if you were wondering if One UI 7 has arrived for the S24 series, well, the stable version is already out.
Should you get an S24 Ultra in 2025? Absolutely. Go ahead and get one as long as you get a cracking deal on it, especially if it’s a fresh new unit. If you do plan on getting a used S24 Ultra, make sure everything is working perfectly, and it’s being sold at a sensible price.
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