Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-19

Summary

Owners most often report eye strain from the display’s PWM dimming at low brightness, camera noise or softness versus the S23 Ultra, and software bugs after updates — including a July 2026 update that brought overheating and battery drain. Keeping it running costs little: there is no subscription and no scheduled consumable, and the only one-off is a 45W-capable USB-C adapter because none ships in the box. At or below $800 it is a strong buy for the S Pen, zoom camera and seven-year update promise; above $1,200 the case is weak.

Common problems and fixes

Eye strain and headaches from PWM dimming — at low brightness the panel dims at roughly 480 Hz and Samsung offers no DC dimming option; Samsung Community and Reddit users report headaches. Keep the brightness higher or avoid long low-brightness sessions; this is treated as a sensitivity issue, not a warranty defect. [7]
Camera noise and softness — some owners report noise, less sharpness than expected, or results worse than the S23 Ultra and even the S22, and several say 10x zoom quality did not improve over the S23 Ultra after updates. No fix is confirmed; Samsung has changed processing in updates. [6][8]
Post-update software bugs — owners report Wi-Fi loss, call and text failures that need a reboot, and a July 2026 update that brought overheating and battery drain. Samsung has usually fixed such bugs in later patches; waiting for the next patch or rebooting is the workaround. [9][11]
Bluetooth drops — some owners report intermittent Bluetooth disconnects. [10]
Moisture-detection false positives — the phone can refuse to charge after detecting moisture that is not there. [10]
Overheating during gaming or video playback — reported by owners, sometimes alongside the July 2026 update. [12]
Screen grain at very low brightness — a few owners see grain when the display is dimmed. [5]
No charger in the box — you must supply your own 45W-capable USB-C adapter for the fastest wired charging. [3]

Parts and consumables

No replaceable parts or consumables reported. Screen and battery replacement go through Samsung service; the standard US warranty is one year.

Yearly running cost

There is no subscription and no consumable that owners replace on a schedule. The only one-off is a 45W-capable USB-C adapter, since none is included. Sources do not report an adapter price or a yearly electricity figure, so a yearly total is not available.

When it is a good buy

At or below $800 (2025-2026 street level for remaining new or refurbished stock): strong buy, on the strength of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the seven-year update promise and the camera versatility.
$800 to $1,000: competitive; check battery health on used units.
$1,000 to $1,200: fair value.
Above $1,200: weak; newer flagships offer meaningful upgrades.

Named alternatives: the S25 Ultra is the newer Samsung flagship, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL are the rivals to compare once the price passes $1,200.