We analyzed 514 verified reviews from actual users of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to understand its real-world performance. Our method focuses on how people naturally talk about a product. We break down reviews into key aspects that matter most, such as the camera, battery life, screen quality, and overall performance.
For each aspect, we identify every user comment and analyze its sentiment. We then calculate the percentage of positive, negative, and neutral mentions. This process turns thousands of individual opinions into the clear, data-driven insights you see in our analysis.
💰 Value for Money: Power Meets Pain Points
Evaluating the Value for Money of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra reveals a complex user story: while many feel its raw power and extensive features justify the premium cost, this satisfaction is consistently undermined by frustrating omissions and a sense that longtime loyalists are being left behind.
Raw Power and Justified Cost
For those who take the plunge, the general feeling is that you get what you pay for. The phone’s 84% positive score for overall satisfaction versus its cost matches the category average, indicating that its performance and feature set align with its flagship price tag. This isn’t just about specs on a sheet; it’s about a tangible sense of capability that makes the high cost feel reasonable.
As one user, who upgraded from a mid-range phone, put it:
with the S24 Ultra I can see where the extra money I’ve spent has gone.
For power users, the device becomes an indispensable tool that replaces other gadgets, with one stating it has “become just as good as a laptop for me, especially when paired with a controller, mouse, and keyboard.” This sentiment is echoed by another who declared:
This phone is hands down the most functional and impressive cell phone I’ve ever purchased.
Frustration Over Missing Essentials
However, this feeling of value is soured by what’s missing. The phone scores just 18% in discussions around unexpected costs or missing items, a full 3 percentage points below the category average of 21%. This points to a higher-than-average level of frustration with what’s not in the box.
The most common complaint is the lack of a charger, which feels like a needless annoyance after making such a large investment. One user expressed this common sentiment perfectly:
I had to buy a brand new charger separately that wasn’t included in the box with the phone which was disappointing.
For longtime Samsung fans, other omissions feel like a step backward, particularly the removal of the microSD slot and the requirement to buy the most expensive model to get the S Pen. This forces some into a begrudging purchase, as one former Note series user lamented:
Paying additional hundreds of pounds just for an s pen feels like I am being punished for being acquainted to a very useful and unique phone feature.
The Competitive Landscape
In the competitive landscape, this creates a mixed-but-clear picture for potential buyers. Against its arch-rivals, the S24 Ultra presents a stronger value case, scoring significantly higher than the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max on both overall satisfaction and upgrade justification.
However, it struggles against the Google Pixel 8 Pro, which scores a remarkable 89% for satisfaction vs. cost—5 points higher than the S24 Ultra. This suggests that while Samsung offers a powerful package, Android users seeking the best pure value feel the Pixel provides a more compelling deal.
For some loyal users upgrading from older Samsung flagships, the experience can even feel like a step back. One user, recalling their previous Note 8, was poignant in their disappointment:
My S24 Ultra is worse than my Note 8 in almost every way, notwithstanding the cost… I was forced to “downgrade” to the S24 Ultra in terms of my quality of life as my brilliant phone was no longer supported from a software perspective.
Trade-Off: Buyers get an immensely capable device whose performance largely justifies its high price, but this comes at the cost of frustrating omissions and the feeling that essential accessories and beloved legacy features are now expensive add-ons.
📸 Camera: Mixed Bag, Missing Zoom
For the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the camera’s performance is a story of incredible power tempered by specific, and sometimes frustrating, compromises. While users celebrate its new capabilities, they also mourn the loss of features that made its predecessor a fan favorite.
Exceptional Daylight Quality and AI
The camera’s greatest strength lies in its core image and video quality, earning an 88% satisfaction score—a full 10 points above the category average. This isn’t just about megapixels; it’s about the feeling of empowerment it gives users. Many feel they can produce professional-grade photos, with one user stating,
all my pictures come out looking like they were done professionally.
This is further boosted by the impressive 78% score for camera features, driven by powerful AI tools that users love. One person explained the practical magic of these tools:
Not only do you have the normal editing features but now you can completely erase entire objects from a picture or the audio eraser will get rid of that annoying sound in the background of your video.
Low-Light Struggles
However, this daylight prowess casts a shadow over the phone’s struggles in the dark. Low-light performance is the camera’s weakest point, scoring just 66% in positive sentiment, only five points above the category average.
For users, this translates to tangible disappointment in everyday situations. One owner expressed their frustration vividly:
I didn’t realize how bad the camera was until I started taking pictures of Christmas lights and dark cloudy nature walks.
Another user highlighted the unnatural AI effects, complaining that in low light, a person “appears as a ghost in all of them.”
The Zoom Downgrade
This mixed experience becomes even more complex when compared to its predecessor. While the S24 Ultra’s zoom capabilities score a high 75%, this represents a steep 15-point drop from the S23 Ultra‘s 90% rating.
For loyal users, this isn’t just a number on a chart; it’s a perceived downgrade of a key feature. An owner who relied on the previous model’s lauded 10x optical zoom for work explained the real-world impact:
Unfortunately, though if like me you also use it to read serial numbers high up in racking to save getting pallets down, or climbing steps, it can’t compare.
The gap is even wider in low light, where the S24 Ultra’s 66% score is a massive 26 points behind the S23 Ultra’s 92%, a regression that leaves many long-time Samsung fans questioning the upgrade.
Trade-Off: Users gain class-leading AI editing and brilliant daylight clarity at the explicit cost of the superior optical zoom and low-light prowess of its own predecessor.
📱 Screen: Bright, but Washed Out
For the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the screen is a showcase of practical innovation, particularly in how it performs in the real world. Users are most impressed by its exceptional brightness and smoothness, with both factors earning a stellar 90% positive sentiment score, trouncing the category averages of 74% and 75%, respectively.
This statistical dominance translates into a tangible real-world benefit: a screen that remains perfectly usable under the most challenging conditions. One user celebrated its performance:
“excellent performance outdoors in full sunlight,”
while another noted its power:
“peak brightness that excels even in direct sunlight.”
This is powerfully supported by a massive improvement in anti-glare technology, which scores an impressive 77% positive rating—more than double the category average of 38%.
For users, this means a screen that is finally free from distracting reflections, with one owner describing how the device shines in difficult environments:
“[the] anti-reflective coating… is great when you are in an environment with copious lighting.”
A Contentious Display
However, beneath this bright, smooth surface lies a significant point of contention. Despite a strong 88% positive score for display quality and vibrancy, a vocal group of users expresses deep disappointment, feeling the screen lacks the punchy, saturated look that has long been a hallmark of Samsung’s flagships.
This is where user expectation clashes with the data, as numerous long-time fans describe the new display as a step backward. Frustrations are clear in reviews stating:
“S24 screen looks very washed out, colors aren’t vibrant and blacks are more like greys.”
Another user, after seeing reports of grain issues, was dismayed to find “a very slight amount of grain on my screen.” This led them to feel:
“very disappointed that Samsung’s quality control would allow something like this to happen.”
Competitive Context
This division becomes even clearer in a competitive context. The move to a flat, anti-reflective screen represents a huge functional leap over its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, whose anti-reflection sentiment was a mere 33%.
Yet, this practical gain seems to have come at the cost of perceived vibrancy, as users comparing the two models side-by-side feel:
“the S24’s color is a little washed out.”
This perception is further sharpened when squaring off against its main rival. One reviewer concluded that after placing it next to an iPhone, the comparison:
“highlighted the S24 Ultra’s dull and washed-out display.”
It’s a clear strategic pivot: Samsung has prioritized anti-glare usability over the hyper-vibrant aesthetic that built its reputation.
Trade-Off: Samsung has engineered a remarkably practical and readable screen for all lighting conditions, but this has come at the expense of the signature vibrant colors that its loyal user base had come to expect and love.
⚖️ Design: Beauty vs. Bulk
When it comes to the design of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, user sentiment is sharply divided between what the phone looks like and what it feels like to hold.
The device’s aesthetics and build quality earn high marks, with a positive sentiment score of 82% for its look and feel. Users celebrate it as a “standout within the current market,” lauding its “premium build quality aesthetic.”
This feeling of luxury comes from specific material choices. One owner was particularly impressed with the new frame:
The titanium finish on the frame is superb as it is finally fingerprint resistant.
Another user attests to this durability, offering powerful peace of mind:
the durability has given me peace of mind so much so that I no longer sound like a creature from Jurassic Park when I hear my phone hit the ground.
Size and Handling
However, this premium construction contributes to the S24 Ultra’s most significant design flaw: its size and handling. Scoring a low 57% in user satisfaction—a full 14 points below the category average of 71%—the phone’s ergonomics are a point of frequent frustration.
For many, this isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it’s a daily physical burden. One user described the strain:
The Ultra 24 is noticeably heavier and larger for my hand holding over a long period of time. My hand fatigues such I need to stop using.
This bulkiness creates other practical problems, as another long-time Samsung user found:
The S24 Ultra is a far bulkier phone which does not lie flat due to the cameras sticking out. I cannot write on it with it flat on a surface, which is extremely problematic for my purposes.
A Step Backward for Loyalists
This feeling of a step backward is particularly acute for those upgrading from older models. While the S24 Ultra’s design changes, such as the move to a flat screen, scored better than its predecessor (44% vs. the S23 Ultra’s 37%), the comfort has noticeably declined.
The S23 Ultra, for instance, scored a much higher 74% for size and handling, a staggering 17-point drop for the new model. For loyalists, especially those from the Note series, this feels like a betrayal of core principles.
One user lamented that the upgrade felt forced and miserable, concluding with a stark comparison:
My S24 Ultra is worse than my Note 8 in almost every way.
They cited the bulk, protruding cameras, and the removal of expandable storage as major downgrades in their quality of life.
Trade-Off: While the S24 Ultra’s premium titanium frame and flat screen are celebrated upgrades, they come at the significant cost of everyday handling comfort and the removal of features cherished by long-time users.
🔥 Performance: Power With A Pinch
When it comes to the Performance of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the story is one of sheer, unadulterated power. Users are overwhelmingly impressed by its ability to juggle demanding workloads, with its multitasking capabilities earning a near-perfect 99% positive sentiment score.
This isn’t just a number; it’s a tangible, daily benefit that separates it from the pack, soaring 16 points above the category average. Power users feel this difference acutely, with one celebrating the following:
high capacity RAM which allows me to use several apps at once without having them close on me after much inactivity or lag on me.
Seamless Workflow
For them, the device becomes a seamless extension of their workflow. Another user highlighted this by noting it was about:
letting me switch between editing, messaging, and gaming with zero lag.
This fluid experience, driven by its 94% positive rating for processing power, led one user to make a powerful declaration about the device:
the most powerful phone I’ve ever used.
The Heat Problem
However, this immense power generates a significant side effect: heat. The phone’s thermal management is its most frequently criticized performance factor, though its 63% positive rating tells a deeply nuanced story.
For a notable portion of users, the heat is a serious frustration that interrupts their experience. One user described how the device got so hot it:
literally ‘cooked’ my hands over a long time period holding my phone
Another working outdoors lamented a constant issue:
it’s always overheating. Like always. To the point where it affects the speed at which I’m able to get things done.
These experiences highlight a very real drawback for those who push the device to its limits.
Competitive Context
Yet, placing this weakness in context reveals a surprising strength. The S24 Ultra’s 63% positive score for thermal management, while its lowest performance metric, is nearly double the dismal category average of 33%.
It absolutely trounces key competitors like the iPhone 16 Pro Max (31%) and the Google Pixel 8 Pro (14%). This data suggests that while the S24 Ultra can get hot, it handles extreme temperatures far better than its rivals, a crucial advantage for demanding users.
Gaming Performance
This slight edge in cooling unlocks a massive advantage in recreation, as its gaming performance soars to a 91% positive rating, decimating the iPhone 16 Pro Max (67%) and Pixel 8 Pro (50%). This is why gamers confidently report the phone can do things its competitors cannot:
can run Fortnite/COD mobile at max settings with amazing refresh rates
This is a feat its overheating competitors struggle to match.
Trade-Off: Users gain class-leading processing and gaming power at the cost of noticeable-yet-comparatively-superior heat management, a compromise many seem willing to make.
🤖 Software & OS: Brilliant Features, Buggy Stability
When it comes to the Software and Operating System of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, users are experiencing a tale of two extremes: futuristic brilliance paired with frustrating instability. The highlight of the experience is the sheer fluidity of the interface. With a positive sentiment score of 85% for User Experience and UI Smoothness—a full 11 points above the category average—the a day-to-day operation is a significant source of delight.
Users feel this immediately, praising how,
the ‘seamless actions across apps’ make multitasking smoother than ever,” allowing them to “switch between editing, messaging, and gaming with zero lag.
This polished feel is central to the phone’s premium identity.
Empowering AI Features
The heavily marketed AI features also resonate positively, scoring an impressive 80% with users, far surpassing the 69% category average. For many, these tools are genuinely transformative, with one user noting,
Samsung has slathered on a range of generative AI features that let me summarize web pages, rewrite text messages, fix up handwriting and translate phone calls in real time.
It’s this sense of empowerment and enhanced efficiency that makes the AI features feel less like a gimmick and more like a core part of the experience, as one person explained,
The new Notes Organizer, Magic Compose, and Circle to Search… improve the efficiency of an everyday workflow.
Significant Stability Problems
However, this sophisticated software is undermined by significant stability problems. Software stability and issues received a dismal 23% positive rating, lagging 4 points behind the category average and pointing to a pattern of vexing bugs. These aren’t minor glitches; they are daily annoyances that disrupt the user experience.
Many report that essentials like security are unreliable, with one user lamenting,
I have both Face unlock and fingerprint unlock enabled and both tend to fail to work quite often… I keep getting the face doesn’t match or fingerprint doesn’t match sometimes in two to three attempts.
Others cite more severe problems, stating the phone would,
freeze up randomly, and I would have to restart the phone by holding the power button down.
Competitive Landscape
In the competitive landscape, the S24 Ultra’s software presents a complex picture. While its AI capabilities (80% positive) comprehensively outperform the Apple iPhone 16 Pro‘s (47%), they surprisingly fall short of both the Google Pixel 8 Pro (89%) and even its own predecessor, the S23 Ultra (87%).
This suggests that while Samsung’s AI is a powerful differentiator against Apple, users feel it hasn’t quite perfected the execution, describing some features as “very hit or miss and… quite frustrating.” The most telling comparison is the drop in stability from its predecessor; the S24 Ultra’s 23% positive rating is a significant step back from the S23 Ultra’s 34%, indicating that the push for new features may have come at the expense of the reliability that users expected.
Trade-Off: Buyers receive a remarkably smooth and feature-rich AI-powered operating system, but must accept a noticeable decline in stability compared to the device’s own predecessor.
🔋 Battery: Enduring Power, Slow Charge
For the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the battery experience is a tale of two extremes: exceptional, class-leading endurance clashing with frustratingly outdated waits at the charger.
Exceptional Endurance
The phone’s core strength is its sheer longevity, with user discussions on general battery life scoring an impressive 91% positive sentiment, soaring a full 17 points above the category average. This isn’t just a number on a spec sheet; it translates into a tangible sense of freedom from what one user called “battery anxiety.”
Owners feel this benefit viscerally, with one user celebrating that with normal use, the phone can:
easily last 2 full days with no charging.
This real-world stamina is a game-changer for heavy users. They report they have confidence to push the device without constantly searching for an outlet because they can:
play games for over 4 hours on this phone and still have 50% battery
Frustrating Charging Speed
However, this picture of mobile freedom is clouded by the time spent tethered to the wall. Charging speed emerges as a significant point of contention, with a positive sentiment of just 67%, falling 2 points short of the category average. This shortfall translates into real-world impatience, making the flagship phone feel out of step with user expectations.
One reviewer perfectly captured this frustration, stating:
even on fast charge this device takes just under 2 hrs to reach full charge again. Which is a little disappointing considering others with similar battery capacity do seem to charge a little faster.
For users accustomed to rapid top-ups, this sluggishness can disrupt their day and undermine the convenience of an otherwise powerful device.
Competitive Context
In the competitive landscape, this contrast becomes even more pronounced. The S24 Ultra’s remarkable 91% positive score for battery life decisively beats key rivals like the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (74%) and the Google Pixel 8 Pro (68%), making it a clear winner for buyers who prioritize endurance above all else.
Yet, the story reverses dramatically when it comes to charging speed. The most telling data point is the step backward from its own predecessor; while the Galaxy S23 Ultra commanded an almost perfect 97% positive rating, the S24 Ultra plummets to 67%.
This 30-point drop in satisfaction explains the feeling of letdown from upgraders, with one simply stating:
the 45W charging speed remains disappointingly slow compared to the competition.
Trade-Off: The Galaxy S24 Ultra offers class-leading endurance that liberates users from daily battery anxiety, but this freedom comes at the direct cost of charging speeds that feel slow, outdated, and represent a significant regression from its own predecessor.
Bottom Line
- ✅ Unmatched multitasking power, earning a near-perfect 99% satisfaction score that crushes the category average by 16 points.
- ⚠️ A frustrating upgrade for loyalists, who feel punished by downgrades like the camera’s 15-point drop in zoom satisfaction from the S23 Ultra.
- 🔻 Its signature vibrant display is gone, with users calling the screen “washed out” and “dull” compared to both its predecessor and the iPhone.
- 📉 A massive regression in charging, where user satisfaction has plummeted a staggering 30 points compared to the nearly-perfect S23 Ultra.
- 🏁 It dominates the iPhone 16 Pro Max in gaming performance (91% vs 67%) but trails the Google Pixel 8 Pro in overall value satisfaction by 5 points.
- 💡 The ultimate phone for raw performance, but a frustrating and questionable upgrade for loyal fans who will feel the loss of cherished features.