For the fifth year in a row, Samsung unveiled its premium Galaxy S smartphone in three distinct iterations — S24, S24+, and . The Galaxy S24 and S24+, as their model numbers suggest, are two takes on the same phone, separated by screen size and (for the first time) resolution, battery capacity, onboard RAM, and price. The starter , while the Plus model .

　　Samsung Galaxy S24 Android Smartphone

　　

　　Samsung Galaxy S24 Android Smartphone

　　$800 at AmazonPros

　　Key Specs

　　

Chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Display	6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz maximum refresh rate
Camera	50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3X telephoto, 8K video recording, 12MP selfie camera
Memory	8GB RAM, 128/256/512GB storage
Connectivity	USB-C, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E
Battery	4,000 mAh, fast wired & wireless charging
Other	Stereo speakers, IP 68 waterproof, reverse wireless charging

Visually, the Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24+ are identical to their predecessors, unlike the Ultra model and its all-new titanium build. Despite their familiar looks, these phones are important sequels to excellent products. Their AI-powered features, along with their expected hardware bumps, take the latest members of the iconic Android family to another level in terms of sheer convenience and usability.

　　Samsung Galaxy S24+ Android Smartphone

　　

　　Samsung Galaxy S24+ Android Smartphone

　　$1,000 at AmazonPros

　　

　　Sleek and powerful

　　

　　Ample memory and storage in entry-level guise

　　

　　Great battery life

　　

　　AI features make a differenceCons

　　

　　Camera needs a bigger optical zoom

　　Key Specs

　　

Chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Display	6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz maximum refresh rate
Camera	50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3X telephoto, 8K video recording, 12MP selfie camera
Memory	12GB RAM, 256/512GB storage
Connectivity	USB-C, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E
Battery	4,900 mAh, fast wired & wireless charging
Other	Stereo speakers, IP 68 waterproof, reverse wireless charging

　　How We Tested

　　I spent weeks putting the Galaxy S24 and S24+ through their paces as my primary Android phones, focusing my attention on their AI smarts, everyday performance, and mixed-use battery life. I used the devices to make calls across various platforms, navigate the web and social media, send and receive thousands of emails, texts, WhatsApp, and Slack messages, stream music from Tidal, and watch videos the likes of Netflix and YouTube.

　　I also spent hours gaming on each phone. My gameplay included using NVIDIA GeForce Now to play cloud-based titles and many hours of Real Racing 3 and other big-name local games. Having extensively tested them since launch day, here's why the newcomers are instant best-in-class contenders.

　　Jump to:

　　How We TestedAll About AIHardware and PerformanceCameraWrap-Up

　　All About AI

　　The integration of artificial intelligence into the Galaxy S24 Android experience ranges from revamping ubiquitous activities like searching in Google to enhancing photos and summarizing text, all the way to translating phone calls in real-time, to name just a few scenarios. Depending on the type of user you or the gift recipient are, any (or all) of these novelties will change how you interact with your new Galaxy.

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　　Samsung Galaxy S24

　　

　　Stefan VazharovSamsung Galaxy S24+A captivating AMOLED display panel has been a Samsung Galaxy S calling card since 2020, and the latest ones are no exception. Compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+, their successors have screens with higher peak brightness. The last-mentioned spec bump leads to perfect visibility even in brightly lit indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as more dramatic visuals with HDR-enhanced content.

　　The Galaxy S24 and S24+ pack large batteries, which easily got me a day of use — that’s hours of screen time spent scrolling through social media feeds, reading and replying to emails and instant messages, and web browsing, to name a few activities — between power-ups. Gameplay was unsurprisingly more taxing on the battery, but thanks to fast wired and wireless charging tech at my disposal, I didn’t worry about wasting time juicing up.

　　In addition to being just a tiny bit bigger than the 6.6-inch screen of the Samsung Galaxy S23+, the 6.7-inch unit of the Galaxy S24+ has a higher QHD+ resolution. The increased pixel density is a welcome upgrade — any phone with a four-digit price tag should have a higher resolution than Full HD in my book.

　　Camera

　　Even though it features hardware similar to the previous generation, the triple rear camera of the Galaxy S24 and S24+ captured excellent photos in a plethora of scenes during my testing. Selfies from both phones came out great, and so did the 4K videos I recorded with the phones. An option to record ultra-sharp 8K video is also available, but four years after its arrival, such a high resolution is still overkill for most consumers.

　　

　　Stefan VazharovTaking a photo of Samsung’s latest phone lineup with a Samsung Galaxy S24+ smartphoneCasual photographers and seasoned shutterbugs alike will be pleased with the results before factoring in the extensive set of image editing tools they have at their disposal. The camera interface is packed with easy-to-access features for making the best out of the onboard hardware.

　　

　　Stefan VazharovPhoto of New York City skyline taken on a Samsung Galaxy S24That said, I could definitely use an upgrade in optical zoom over the 3X magnification that the Galaxy S24 and S24+ bring, especially in the big-screen version. High-profile rivals like the Pixel 8 Pro offer a bigger optical zoom range for the money.

　　Wrap-Up

　　By delivering an amalgam of instantly recognizable design, tough build with an official rating for water resistance, top-tier hardware with matching performance, and cutting-edge platform experience with handy AI-enhanced bits, the Galaxy S24 and S24+ are the best Android phones for most consumers and, again, formidable iPhone alternatives for those who aren’t invested in Apple’s ecosystem. The phones also debuted alongside an excellent selection of cases for protecting and customizing them.