At a lookKnowledgeable’s Ranking
Professionals
- Immersive 6.7in show
- Lag-free efficiency
- Unimaginable battery life
- Helpful AI options
- Seven years of Android updates
Cons
- No S Pen help
- No microSD card slot
- On the costly aspect
Our Verdict
It will not be low cost, however the Samsung Galaxy S24+ ticks just about each field a cellphone might probably tick, with astonishing battery life, a fantastic 120Hz show, faultless efficiency, and a flexible digicam setup.
The Galaxy S24+ is the center entry in Samsung’s newest line of S telephones, sitting between the extra compact (and reasonably priced) S24 and the extra premium (and costly) S24 Extremely.
It gives a wholesome compromise between the 2 fashions, jettisoning the S Pen help and titanium body of the Extremely however offering a bigger, extra luxurious show than the S24, in addition to an even bigger and extra reliable battery.
However simply how good is it, and does it justify the £200 (or $200) worth enhance over its smaller sibling? I put it to the check on this overview, and whereas some might argue that a big cellphone such because the S24+ ought to present S Pen help, we discover it nigh-on good in practically each different division.
Our listing of one of the best smartphones incorporates a few of the S24+’s largest rivals.
Design & Construct
- Clear and uncluttered squared-edge design
- Punch-hole selfie digicam
- IP68 ranking
The S24+ finds Samsung persevering with the cleaner, extra modernistic design of the S23 collection. However it additionally introduces a few delicate adjustments, which assist to increase this design ethos even additional, though some critics may argue that it makes the cellphone resemble current iPhone fashions a little bit intently.
On the one hand, it options a lot the identical rear digicam module that has the three lenses mounted vertically and straight into the again of the cellphone. That is with out the protruding bump (as we had with the S21 and S22 traces), making for a tidier look general.
However, the S24+ has given its sides a totally flat-edged look. Once more, this does make the mannequin look noticeably extra modern and streamlined, even when some might accuse Samsung of taking too many cues from Apple.
a remarkably sturdy and rugged machine, regardless of its elegant look
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Nonetheless, the cellphone actually does please the attention, with its gently metallic vary of colors – I’ve reviewed the beautiful Cobalt Violet – serving to intensify the general sleekness. You may as well get the cellphone in Amber Yellow, Onyx Black and Marble Gray then an extra three colors are unique (within the UK not less than) to the Samsung retailer: Sapphire Blue, Jade Inexperienced and Sandstone Orange.
The general impact can also be helped by the discreet punch-hole selfie digicam within the top-center of the show.
By way of dimensions and weight, the S24+ is tangibly greater and heavier than the S24, but it’s additionally conveniently smaller and lighter than the flagship S24 Extremely. The distinction between every mannequin is roughly 30g (or 1.06oz), which means that the S24+ gives a wholesome compromise between the compactness of its smaller sibling and the heft of the Extremely.
It’s additionally a remarkably sturdy and rugged machine, regardless of its elegant look. Fitted with a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back and front (and an ‘Armor Aluminium’ body), it additionally carries an official IP68 ranking, so it ought to take an inexpensive quantity of use earlier than it exhibits any put on or harm.
One different good design function is the cellphone’s haptic suggestions, which is able to delicate variations in depth. This makes interacting with the cellphone extra dynamic and rewarding, with the vibration motor reacting to such actions and occasions as typing, calls and notifications.
Display & Audio system
- 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X show
- 120Hz refresh charge
- 32-bit/384kHz audio with stereo audio system
So far as its display goes, the Galaxy S24+ gives extra of an evolution over its predecessor than a revolution. It too homes a Dynamic AMOLED 2x show, but this trip the latter makes use of LTPO expertise, offering for a extra dynamic, environment friendly refresh charge and different delicate advantages.
One other minor distinction is that the S24+ really has a fractionally greater show, at 6.7-inch fairly than the 6.6-inch of the S23+. This will not be very significant by itself, but it surely additionally comes with an improved decision of 3120×1440 pixels (in comparison with 2340×1080 with final 12 months’s mannequin), making for a extra vivid display general.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
So too does the improved brightness of the show, which maxes out at roughly 2600 nits. This implies you’re by no means actually struggling to see every part on display, and when married to a max refresh charge of 120Hz, the general visible expertise supplied by the S24+ is nearly second to none.
One unseen but essential function of the show is the revamped fingerprint sensor, which is now a little bit quicker and extra correct. It’s a slight distinction, however in decreasing the latency concerned in unlocking the cellphone, it helps the cellphone to offer the impression of offering a smoother general expertise.
Complementing the show are the S24+’s narrower bezels, which permit for the 0.1-inch enhance within the cellphone’s display measurement. Its general thinness helps to offer the cellphone a extra premium aesthetic, as does the aforementioned punch-hole selfie digicam.
Rounding off the cellphone’s spectacular display are its stereo audio system, which offer high-fidelity 32-bit audio and make the machine viable as a low-key audio participant. Whereas it unsurprisingly doesn’t arise towards devoted stereos, it gives sufficient high quality so that you can watch TV and movie with out lacking a standalone Bluetooth speaker.
the S24+ actually isn’t a slouch by way of energy
Specs & Efficiency
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
- 12GB RAM and 256GB storage
- No microSD card slot
Samsung has all the time prided itself on the efficiency of its Galaxy S line, and the S24+ actually isn’t a slouch by way of energy. Geared up with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor in North America and China, it alternatively packs an Exynos 2400 all over the place else, with each chipsets produced utilizing a 4nm manufacturing course of.
This makes each processors fairly nimble (even when the Qualcomm is barely quicker), and when mixed with 12GB of RAM, the Galaxy S24+ stays responsive and speedy in just about all conditions. It opens apps immediately, can flick between a number of duties seamlessly, and handles all the newest Android video games with ease.
Asphalt 9 is often a very good benchmark of how succesful telephones are as gaming gadgets, and in my testing, the S24+ supplied a really frictionless expertise. Graphics are rendered easily and with none lag or slowdown, whereas element and backbone stay excessive all through.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Plainly the S24+ could have no downside dealing with video games for the following few years, with the 256GB of inside storage you acquired as commonplace (may also pay extra for 512GB) offering sufficient house for a number of sport installations.
Nevertheless, one slight disadvantage is that the S24+ doesn’t include a microSD card slot, which is one thing you may get with extra finances fashions (such because the Galaxy A15 5G). This looks as if one thing of an oversight on a mannequin that prices £999/$999 (or £1,099/$1,119 with 512GB), even when it is not uncommon on flagship handsets.
The riposte to this grievance is that, because the benchmarks beneath clarify, this cash is justified by the cellphone’s market-leading efficiency. You’ll wrestle to discover a quicker Android for the value.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ benchmarks
Cameras
- 50Mp twin pixel foremost rear digicam
- 12Mp ultrawide and 10Mp telephoto lenses
- Helpful AI options
Samsung is thought for its extremely versatile digicam telephones, and the Galaxy S24+ is not any exception.
It comes with a 50Mp foremost rear lens that features twin pixel auto-focus and optical picture stabilisation (OIS), in addition to a 12Mp ultrawide lens (and Tremendous Regular video recording) and a 10Mp telephoto lens able to 3x optical zoom.
Every of those lenses are helpful, and whereas the 2 additional cameras might require extra cautious use in sure conditions, they’re extra accommodating than the ultrawide and telephoto lenses you discover on many Androids.
Utilizing the principle 50Mp lens, images are detailed and wealthy beneath good lighting. Colors are robust and dynamic, and whereas some might proceed to pine for a little bit extra realism, the saturation is rarely too extreme. Certainly, the way in which the cellphone handles processing arguably signifies that the images you’ll take will likely be extra spectacular and extra shareable, particularly in distinction to telephones that present photos with a extra clear but typically uninteresting facet.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The ultrawide lens can also be very useful, offering for extra panoramic scenes whereas nonetheless retaining a satisfying degree of decision and sparkle. Colors proceed to pop, and provided that it gives a 120˚ area of view, it will likely be nice for vacation and journey snaps.
One thing related might be mentioned for the 10Mp telephoto digicam, even when you’ll seemingly see a dropoff in readability and crispness in lots of circumstances. It may be very helpful for taking images of topics at a ways away (as you possibly can see with the deer photos within the gallery beneath), though there’s little doubt that it gained’t be an on a regular basis lens in the way in which the broad and ultrawide cameras are.
It’s additionally price mentioning the cellphone’s evening mode and new AI-based modifying options, which may each serve a objective even when they aren’t all the time good.
The evening mode, which robotically prompts when issues flip darker, does an amazing job of artificially illuminating scenes and offering topics with sufficient definition. In the meantime, you need to use the brand new modifying options to (re)transfer and resize objects à la Google’s current Pixel telephones, one thing which may show a lifesaver when you discover ways to do it correctly.
Lastly, the S24+ comes with a 12Mp selfie digicam that additionally options dual-pixel autofocus, making it very dependable as a point-and-shoot portrait taker. Allied with the software-based portrait mode, it’s very simple to take selfies that you just’d fortunately publish on social media and share with others.
Battery Life & Charging
- 4900mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wi-fi charging
Battery life will not be significantly horny, but it surely’s one of many foremost elements figuring out simply how dependable and helpful a smartphone is. And happily, the S24+ has battery life in spades.
It comes outfitted with a 4900mAh cell, which places it slightly below the S24 Extremely (5000mAh) and comfortably forward of the S24 (4000mAh). Typically, a big battery doesn’t all the time equal a long-running battery in follow, but this isn’t the case with the S24+.
I comfortably lasted two days on quite a few events whereas reviewing the cellphone, though those that use it repeatedly for gaming and different media will want a roughly day by day recharge. I additionally discovered that the adaptive refresh charge setting – which allows the max 120Hz charge – doesn’t drain its juice as a lot because it does with different Androids as it might drop to decrease charges to save lots of energy.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
These observations are backed up by the outcomes of the PCMark battery check we topic telephones to, with the S24+ lasting a little bit greater than 16 hours – a really spectacular outcome.
Samsung does really declare that battery life permits for 29 hours of video playback , but getting near such a determine will depend upon turning off the adaptive refresh charge and decreasing the brightness, whereas additionally utilizing the cellphone a little bit extra sparingly.
With regards to charging, the S24+ continues the cellphone business’s latter-day custom of not together with chargers. Nevertheless, the mannequin is suitable with 45W quick wired charging, in addition to 15W wi-fi charging. I examined it with a 25W charger and bought to 34% in half an hour.
The S24+ isn’t as quick at replenishing itself as different gadgets out there this 12 months, but it surely’s quick sufficient in case you have the fitting charger, and when mixed with its lengthy battery life will preserve most individuals joyful.
Software program & Apps
- Android 14 and One UI 6.1
- Seven years of replace help
- Useful AI instruments
The Galaxy S24+ comes with Android 14 and One UI 6.1 put in out of the field, with the latter offering a really frictionless and well-presented person expertise.
As we’ve come to count on with Samsung One UI pores and skin, panels and screens are specified by an intuitive and responsive manner, with the cellphone making it simple for customers to search out their manner round.
it’s very pleasing that Samsung has dedicated to offering the S24+ with seven years of core Android updates
One UI 6.1 is likely one of the best-looking Android skins and stays extremely customisable. This time round you can too customise the cellphone’s lock display in keeping with the Modes you’ve arrange, for instance, enabling you so as to add app shortcuts relying on which Mode is activated.
After all, the headline addition to the S24+ from a software program perspective are the number of AI options, which Samsung refers to as “Superior intelligence” options. These are organised into seven totally different teams, with most providing useful methods of getting sure issues finished extra rapidly.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Whereas a lot has already been written in regards to the picture editor and reside translator, my private favorite is the auto-transcript software for voice recordings. It’s not all the time 100% correct, but when you should document after which transcribe lectures, interviews and different speech, it might prevent loads of time with out costing you a penny.
General, the cellphone’s software program is second to none in the case of Androids (save for maybe the Pixel telephones), so it’s very pleasing that Samsung has dedicated to offering the S24+ with seven years of core Android updates. This gives glorious worth for cash, enabling customers to keep away from having to improve their telephones inside just a few years.
Worth & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ was launched within the UK on 31 January, and within the US on 17 January. It’s out there straight from Samsung, or via Amazon and quite a few different third-party retailers corresponding to Currys, Argos and Very.
You may as well get it on contract with the highest offers beneath:
It formally retails for £999 within the UK for those who purchase the model with 256GB of reminiscence, or for £1,099 for those who purchase the 512GB mannequin. Within the States, these costs are $999 and $1,119, respectively.
On condition that the Galaxy S24+ is nearly peerless as a state-of-the-art Android machine, it doesn’t have many direct alternate options. Nevertheless, the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional are undoubtedly up there with the S24+ as glorious Android-based telephones, with Google not too long ago slashing the Pixel 8’s worth to $499 within the US.
Test our chart of one of the best smartphones to see extra rivals.
Must you purchase the Samsung Galaxy S24+?
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is undoubtedly the most effective Androids you should buy right this moment, and regardless of the dearth of S Pen help and different options is surprisingly near the S24 Extremely by way of general high quality.
It ticks all the essential containers, providing a clear design, stunning display, excellent efficiency, versatile cameras, highly effective software program, and beneficiant battery life.
It’s a cheerful medium sitting in the course of the vary if you need an enormous cellphone and have the cash to spend, you gained’t be upset.
Specs
- 6.7in Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (3120×1440) 19.5:9, 120Hz;
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (USA/Canada/China), Exynos 2400 (remainder of world)
- 12GB LPDDR4X RAM
- 256/512GB UFS 4.0 inside storage
- 50Mp broad digicam
- 10Mp telephoto lens
- 12Mp ultrawide lens
- 12Mp entrance going through digicam
- Below-display fingerprint scanner
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4GHz+5GHz, VHT80
- Twin SIM (Nano-SIM, eSIM, twin stand-by)
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Stereo audio system
- 4900mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
- 15W wi-fi charging
- 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm
- 196g
