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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G

By Samsung · Smartphones · Phones & Computers · More from Samsung

  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
  • 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED, 2600 nits peak
  • 5000 mAh battery, 45W wired charging
  • 200MP quad camera with 5X optical zoom
  • Built-in S Pen stylus

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Summary

Samsung’s 2024 top-tier Android flagship: a 6.8-inch QHD+ phone with a 200MP quad camera, built-in S Pen and a seven-year update promise. Check your eyes before you buy — the display’s PWM dimming causes real eye strain for sensitive users, and there is no DC dimming option.

Strengths

  • Battery life tested among the strongest in the smartphone class across independent labs.
  • A 200MP main sensor plus 3x and 5x optical telephotos cover wide to long-range shooting in one phone.
  • Seven generations of OS updates carry the phone from Android 14 through Android 21, roughly 2030-2031.
  • The built-in S Pen and DeX desktop mode cover note-taking and productivity work.
  • Flagship performance: CNET measured 2,202 single-core and 6,721 multi-core in Geekbench 6.

Weaknesses

  • No charger in the box: you need your own 45W-capable USB-C adapter.
  • PWM dimming at low brightness causes eye strain and headaches for sensitive users, with no DC dimming option.
  • Some owners report camera noise, less sharpness than expected, or results worse than the S23 Ultra.
  • Post-update bugs have knocked out Wi-Fi, calls and texts; a July 2026 update brought overheating and battery drain.
  • At 232 g behind a 6.8-inch screen, it is a large, heavy phone.
  • It launched at $1,299.99, and reviewers flagged the price.

Verified specifications

ModelSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G; US models are SM-S928U (carrier) and SM-S928U1 (unlocked).
ProcessorSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy in all US models.
Display6.8-inch QHD+ (3120 × 1440) Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz adaptive (1-120 Hz), 2600 nits peak brightness.
Rear camera200MP main (f/1.7, OIS), 50MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
Front camera12MP (f/2.2).
Memory12 GB RAM; storage 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.
Battery5000 mAh typical (4855 mAh rated minimum); 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.
StylusS Pen built in; Bluetooth gestures are not supported.
Buildtitanium frame, flat display, IP68.
ConnectivityNano-SIM plus eSIM, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.3, UWB, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C.
SoftwareAndroid 14 at launch, with seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates promised.
Dimensions162.3 × 79.0 × 8.6 mm; 232 g.
In the boxphone, integrated S Pen, USB-C cable and documentation. No charger.
Full research notes and sources

Battery life and charging

Battery life is where independent testing is most consistent: every major outlet ranked it among the strongest phones they tested. PCMag measured 14 hours 10 minutes in its video test, Android Headlines ran 25 hours 35 minutes of continuous YouTube playback at full brightness, and Consumer Reports clocked 49 hours in its labs — a 4-hour gain over the S23 Ultra. DXOMARK rated the battery as lasting slightly more than two days of moderate use.

Test methods differ between outlets, so read these as a range rather than one number. Android Authority measured a 10% average battery gain over the S23 Ultra across its tests, and UL Benchmarks’ PCMark Work 3.0 run landed at 15 hours 28 minutes.

On a 45W adapter, PhoneArena measured 68% in 30 minutes wired and a full charge in 1 hour 9 minutes; wireless charging reached 33% in 30 minutes and a full charge in 1 hour 58 minutes. No charger is in the box; buyers must supply their own 45W-capable USB-C adapter.

Camera and display

The rear camera pairs a 200MP main sensor (f/1.7, OIS) with 50MP and 10MP telephotos offering 5x and 3x optical zoom plus a 12MP ultra-wide. The 200MP sensor uses Adaptive Pixel binning and typically outputs 12MP or 50MP shots in standard modes. Reviewers praised the zoom range, and owners coming from the Note series value the S Pen.

Camera results are where owner reports and lab reviews diverge. In Samsung Community and Reddit threads, owners describe noise, less sharpness than expected, or results worse than the S23 Ultra — even the S22 — and several say 10x zoom quality did not improve over the S23 Ultra after multiple updates. Nobody has published a failure rate; treat this as a split between professional reviewers and some owners, not a measured defect.

The 6.8-inch flat panel replaces the curved edges of the S23 Ultra. Tom’s Guide measured 1,363 nits peak in HDR, with sRGB coverage of 119% natural / 139% vivid, DCI-P3 at 84.9% natural / 98.5% vivid, and Delta-E at 0.23 natural / 0.25 vivid. The Verge praised the anti-reflective coating, and ZDNET called the display class-leading while noting the absence of Qi2 magnetic charging.

The catch is dimming. At low brightness the panel dims by PWM at roughly 480 Hz, and Samsung Community and Reddit users report eye strain and headaches from it; no DC dimming option is provided. A few owners also see screen grain at very low brightness. If you are sensitive to flicker, try the phone indoors at low brightness before committing.

Software, updates and owner complaints

Samsung promises seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, carrying the phone from Android 14 to Android 21 (approximately 2030-2031). Galaxy AI features such as Circle to Search and Live Translate are not exclusive to the Ultra — most work across the S24 lineup and were backported to the S23 series. The S Pen no longer supports Bluetooth gestures, a change from the S23 Ultra.

Owners report recurring software issues: Wi-Fi connectivity loss, call and text failures that need a reboot, Bluetooth drops, moisture-detection false positives that block charging, and overheating during gaming or video playback. A July 2026 update was followed by reports of overheating and battery drain. Samsung has typically fixed such bugs in later patches, but nobody has published failure rates — treat these as known annoyances rather than measured defects. Battery health after two to three years of ownership is also undocumented.

The standard US warranty is one year. There are no user-replaceable parts; screen and battery replacement go through Samsung service. The titanium frame survived 100 drops in Consumer Reports’ tumbler with no marks, and IP68 covers 1.5 meters of freshwater for 30 minutes — lab conditions, not beach or pool use.

Is it worth it?

Samsung launched the S24 Ultra in January 2024 at $1,299.99 for 256 GB, $1,419.99 for 512 GB and $1,659.99 for 1 TB. It is now a previous-generation phone — Samsung.com showed it sold out in late 2025/2026, with Samsung directing buyers to the S25 Ultra — and street prices have fallen accordingly.

At or below $800, the typical 2025-2026 street level for remaining new or refurbished stock, it is a strong buy on the strength of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the update promise and the camera versatility. From $800 to $1,000 it stays competitive — check battery health on used units. From $1,000 to $1,200 it is fair value. Above $1,200 the value case is weak: newer flagships such as the S25 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL offer meaningful upgrades. There is no subscription lock-in; carrier financing and trade-in offers may be available.

Which model this is

This page covers the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G, the 2024 Ultra with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy in every US model (SM-S928U carrier, SM-S928U1 unlocked). Do not confuse it with the Galaxy S24, S24+, S23 Ultra or S25 Ultra, or with Exynos variants sold in some markets. Launch colors were Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet and Titanium Yellow, with Titanium Green, Titanium Blue and Titanium Orange as online exclusives.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

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