In the past few weeks, while I was reviewing S24+, I observed that Samsung is focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) in the new update for its Galaxy S phones. However, these updates, along with better software, will be more helpful later on. Right now, the Galaxy S24+ is almost the same as the last model, but it has a better battery and screen, and a new Exynos chip that not everyone likes.
Talking about the budget how much you should get out of your pocket if you wish to purchase this phone in Nepal is NPR 142,999. So the question is, Is it worth it? Let’s find out from the following Samsung Galaxy S24+ Full Review.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ Full Review: Detailed Analysis with Pros and Cons
Design
The Galaxy S24 Plus looks a lot like the Galaxy S23 Plus, sharing the same familiar design we’ve seen in previous generations. They both have a similar appearance, using the same materials and design approach. However, unlike the top-tier Galaxy S24 Ultra, which has a titanium build, the Galaxy S24 Plus sticks to Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The Ultra, on the other hand, uses the newer Gorilla Glass Armor.
One notable change in the Galaxy S24 Plus is its side frame design. Samsung has opted for a completely flat design, without any curved edges. This makes the S24 Plus feel more like an iPhone than its predecessors. It might be a good idea to consider getting a protective case.
In terms of size, the Galaxy S24 Plus is a bit taller than the Galaxy S23 Plus, but you won’t notice a significant difference in width, thickness, or overall weight. All the buttons and ports on the Galaxy S24 Plus are in the familiar positions, so there are no unexpected changes. The phone maintains its IP68 water and dust resistance, a feature that has become a standard and is not going anywhere.
When holding the phone, it feels good in the hand, although slightly less comfortable compared to the Galaxy S23 Plus, which was a bit more ergonomic, as seen in our size comparison. However, the perception of comfort is subjective, and some may find the design appealing. The flatter side frame is noticeable at first but should pose no issue after a brief period of use.
As for the available colors, the Galaxy S24 Plus comes in Amber Yellow, Marble Gray, Onyx Black, and Cobalt Violet. Additionally, Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange are exclusively available when purchasing the phone through Samsung’s store.
Display
The Galaxy S24 Plus comes with significant improvements in its display. Let’s take a closer look at each enhancement. Firstly, the screen size has increased by a small amount, specifically by 0.1 inches. Even though this might seem like a minor change, every little detail matters nowadays. So, the fact that the Galaxy S24 Plus now features a 6.7-inch display, compared to the Galaxy S23 Plus’ 6.6-inch screen, is noteworthy.
Moving on, the resolution and overall sharpness have also seen upgrades. The Galaxy S24 Plus boasts a QHD+ display, a step up from the FHD+ panels seen in previous Galaxy S Plus models.
Thirdly, a notable addition is the introduction of LTPO 3.0 on the Galaxy S24 Plus. What’s the significance? Unlike earlier Galaxy S Plus phones, this one enables a super-smooth and dynamically adjustable refresh rate that can range from 1 to 120Hz, depending on the on-screen content. This aligns it with the capabilities of the Galaxy S24 Ultra/Galaxy S23 Ultra and other high-end phones.
Lastly, the most important improvement comes in the form of the incredibly high 2,600-nit display peak brightness on the Galaxy S24 Plus. Although this measurement is likely taken on a small portion of the display and the phone may achieve a lower maximum brightness in everyday use, the Galaxy S24 Plus will still be significantly brighter than its predecessor.
Apart from those changes, the other details about the display might sound familiar to you: it’s a Dynamic AMOLED 2X with HDR support and Vision booster. Samsung phones usually have great displays, and the Galaxy S24 Plus is no different – its display is beautiful and enjoyable to use.
The fingerprint scanner built into the screen is still there, and it works quickly and accurately most of the time. You can unlock the phone easily and accurately about 9 out of 10 times using the fingerprint scanner. There’s also a face unlock feature based on pictures, but it’s not as secure as the fingerprint scanner.
Performance
The Galaxy S24 Plus uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset in the US. This is not the regular version, but a special one made for Galaxy by Qualcomm. This chip is very small and fast, and it uses less battery than the Galaxy S23 Plus, which had the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy.
But in other countries, the Galaxy S24 Plus has the Exynos 2400 chipset from Samsung. This one is also good, but not as good as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which has the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as the US version. Samsung’s chipset has some problems with graphics, but they are not very bad or easy to see when you play games.
We tested the Galaxy S24 Plus with the Exynos chipset, and these are the results.
Samsung has focused a lot on gaming with the new Galaxy S24 Plus. It performs well in gaming-related tests and is optimized for a great gaming experience. Samsung worked with top gaming companies to ensure popular games run perfectly on this phone. During long gaming sessions, the phone gets a bit warm, but it doesn’t get uncomfortably hot, which is a positive.
For storage and RAM, the phone comes with 12GB of fast RAM and offers two storage options: 256GB and 512 GB. There’s no expandable storage available. If you need more than 512GB, consider the pricier Galaxy S24 Ultra 1TB version.
OS and UI
One of the best things about the Galaxy S24 Plus is that it will get software updates for seven years. This is like what Google promised for the Pixel 8 series. This means that Galaxy S24 Plus users will get the latest software features until 2030 and all the new versions of One UI up to Android 21. This is a big advantage for the Galaxy S24 series!
Another big thing about the Galaxy S24 series is that it uses a lot of AI to make the phone smarter and better. Samsung has added many new AI features to the One UI 6.1 interface. These are the most exciting new things on the Galaxy S24 series.
One of these features is the AI-powered website summarizer, which can make any page shorter and easier to read. It works very well, but only with the Samsung Internet browser, which is pretty good! Another one of these features is Chat Assist, which can help you write better messages and change the way you talk depending on who you are talking to. It gives you choices to pick from. This feature is part of the Samsung keyboard, so it will work with any messaging app on your Galaxy S24 Plus.
Another feature related to translation is Live Translate, which can translate phone calls in real time using AI. You can talk and text in different languages and understand each other. Another similar feature is Interpreter, which lets you have a conversation with someone else on the same screen and translates what you say to each other.
A new feature called Circle to Search is powered by AI. To use it, press your home button or the general area where it is (if you use gestures). Then, circle anything on your screen, and it will do a relevant Google search for you.
Another cool thing is that on-device AI can remove reflections from your photos. It’s annoying when you see your reflection in a window in a picture, but the Galaxy AI fixes that. This feature also helps improve your pictures and has a better Object Eraser, which can remove unwanted things from your photos more effectively.
Camera
The camera on the Galaxy S24 Plus shares many similarities with the ones found in the Galaxy S22 Plus and Galaxy S23 Plus, featuring evolutionary updates rather than revolutionary changes. The main camera is 50MP, with a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens offering 3X optical zoom. Additionally, a 12MP wide-angle camera is housed in the punch-hole at the front.
However, the notable improvements are under the hood. Samsung has reportedly made significant adjustments to image processing, resulting in a substantial enhancement in image quality. The new Galaxy S24 series incorporates the ProVisual Engine, which utilizes AI and advanced algorithms to produce cleaner night shots with less noise, as well as reduced camera shake and motion blur.
Moreover, Samsung has integrated numerous AI-powered enhancements. For instance, Generative Edits enable you to fill in missing details when rotating an image or moving a subject and Edit Suggestions provide personalized recommendations for possible tweaks to enhance your photos.
The Galaxy S24 Plus camera processes images in a very realistic and mostly natural way, producing beautiful photos. Unlike the previous generation, there is less excessive sharpening, resulting in softer details, which is a positive change. Overall, we are very satisfied with how well the Galaxy S24 Plus camera performs.
As the light decreases, you’ll find plenty of reasons to use this phone, especially because it captures outstanding photos in night conditions. The photos have abundant details without excessive sharpening, and the dynamics are exceptional. Shadows contain a lot of detail and information, while brighter areas and artificial lights are well-captured, addressing a previous issue seen in last year’s Galaxy S23 Plus.
Regarding the selfies, they are vibrant and clear with detailing. The low light condition is not that much good for selfies. I tried taking selfies with night mode on, it excessively added the brightness and contrast. But for normal daylight, it’s smooth.
Regarding video recording, the S24+ will likely impress you with its clear, detailed, and true-to-life color video quality. Its Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) can manage a bit of movement when you’re recording, but not all. Keep in mind that using higher resolutions like 4K can result in a cropped image and less smooth footage compared to HD. The phone also allows you to film in ultra-high definition, up to 8K at 30 frames per second.
Connectivity and Audio
Regarding connectivity, The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is equipped with the latest 5G, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.3 for connecting to other devices. Surprisingly, it uses Wi-Fi 6E, which is a step behind the Ultra model that has Wi-Fi 7, and there’s no clear reason from Samsung for this difference. You have the option to use a regular SIM card or a digital eSIM for service.
The call sound quality was good. The earpiece was loud enough at 74.3dB, and the speakerphone was clear at 66.0 dB. I could hear calls without any issues. The S24+ also does well in blocking out background noise, so people you’re talking to can hear you.
Battery and Charging
The S24+ boasts a battery capacity of 4900 mAh, which is a modest 200 mAh enhancement from its predecessor, the S23+. While this upgrade is appreciated, Samsung’s charging capability remains capped at 45 W, leading to extended charging durations. Additionally, the Exynos variant of the S24+ exhibits a reduced battery performance compared to the S24 Ultra which houses a Qualcomm processor.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent display brightness range | Same design as every 2023/2024 mainstream Galaxy phone |
| IP68 water and dust resistance. | Exynos chip gets hot, and thermal throttles. |
| Seven years of Android updates and security patches. | No significant upgrades besides AI. |
| Many new AI features for more productivity. | Noticeably lower battery life than the Snapdragon model. |
| Great photos in daylight and the night with the main and telephoto cameras. |
Verdict
The Galaxy S24+ is a nice, small update to Samsung’s top phones. It doesn’t have big changes in technical features, but Samsung has made it better for the environment by making sure software updates and parts are easy to get.
The screen is much better, but even with a larger battery, the battery life hasn’t improved. The camera is pretty much the same, but it now has many new editing features that use AI. It has some good and bad points. The biggest issue is the Exynos 2400 chip used worldwide. It’s not as fast and uses more battery than expected. Interestingly, the new screen and bigger battery on the S24+ make the S24 Ultra’s Qualcomm chip seem even better because it saves more battery.
But moving on, buyers can’t choose which chip they get, and at the end of the day, the Galaxy S24+ is still a strong phone no matter the chip. Samsung has to show why the S24 Ultra, which is a lot better, costs more.
