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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, priced at $1,299, emerges as a premium flagship smartphone with a slew of advanced features. A notable highlight is its 6.8-inch display, equipped with anti-glare technology and Gorilla Glass Armor for enhanced outdoor visibility and durability. The inclusion of a flat-screen design mitigates concerns about unintended stylus interactions, and the presence of the S Pen stylus adds value for users inclined towards note-taking and creative tasks.
The device boasts an impressive camera system, comprising a powerful 200-megapixel main camera, 3x and 5x telephoto lenses, an ultrawide camera, and a selfie camera. The camera setup excels in capturing vibrant colors, with improvements evident in the portrait mode. The transition from a 10x to a 5x telephoto lens is acknowledged, with some trade-offs such as chromatic aberration, but the overall image quality remains commendable.
AI features play a pivotal role in the Galaxy S24 Ultra's capabilities. Live translation for phone calls, voice recording summaries, and video-to-slow-motion conversion highlight the device's AI prowess. Live translation, executed on-device, demonstrates the potential for facilitating multilingual communication, notwithstanding some acknowledged limitations. The voice recording summary feature competes favorably with other devices, offering quick on-device transcriptions. Video-to-slow-motion conversion is praised for its entertainment value, despite potential variations in results.
Battery performance is deemed satisfactory, with considerations for the impact of the always-on display on battery life. The inclusion of 45W wired and 15W wireless Qi charging is noted, though the absence of Qi2 support may disappoint some users. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and running on One UI 6.1 based on Android 14, the device promises seven years of OS upgrades, appealing to users seeking long-term software support.
AI features extend beyond the camera, with notable functionalities like Circle to Search, voice recording summaries, and AI-powered photo and video editing. Circle to Search, a Google-backed feature integrated into the Galaxy S24 Ultra, enables users to perform searches by circling objects in any app, adding convenience to information retrieval. The voice recording summary feature, generating transcriptions and summaries on-device, competes favorably with dedicated transcription tools. AI-powered photo and video editing features, leveraging generative AI for tasks like object selection and slow-motion video creation, offer creative possibilities.
Despite the device's impressive features, concerns arise regarding its substantial price increase compared to its predecessor. The $100 bump in price is questioned, particularly when considering that the AI features are expected to be ported to the S23 series through a software update. While the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains a powerful and feature-packed device, offering a massive screen, S Pen functionality, and an extensive camera system, the perceived value is scrutinized in relation to the increased cost.
