Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus Review: Unveiling the Remarkable Evolution and Performance of the Plus Model

Despite its tiny design, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus feels like a flagship phone. It has a better display, slightly longer battery life, and more RAM than its standard-sized sister, while Samsung’s suite of hit-and-miss AI features, which are available in equal amounts throughout the Galaxy S24 range, closes the gap between the Plus and the more expensive S24 Ultra.

When Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 lineup, it spent a lot of time focusing on Galaxy AI. So much so that the actual hardware announcement was overshadowed, which I found strange at the time. But after spending the last week and a half with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, I understand why. It’s just a little dull.

Thankfully, it’s not all bad news; the minor increase in screen size to 6.7 inches, the inclusion of LTPO technology, the strong Exynos 2400 chipset, and, of course, the new GenAI-powered Galaxy AI all make the S24 Plus an appealing option for those looking for a great all-rounder. It’s just not as exciting anymore.

Price when reviewed: €1,113.48 | Check price at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus KEY FEATURES

The S24 Plus screen is not only 0.1 inch larger than its predecessor, at 6.7 inches, but it also includes high-end features like an LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 2600nits. The Galaxy S24 Plus is substantially less expensive than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, yet it is still a high-end phone.

Galaxy S24 plus has narrow bezels and flatter sides look fantastic, but the lack of Gorilla Armor glass is disappointing. Galaxy S24 Plus display is large, bright, outdoor-friendly. Samsung’s Galaxy AI features are a great addition, but they don’t make OneUI any easier to use. The Galaxy S24 Plus camera system is objectively good, but key hardware changes are long overdue. The phone’s impressive battery life and quick charging make it a battery champion.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S24 PLUS  UNBOXING

The Galaxy S24+ comes in a thin black package with a USB-C connector and SIM ejection tool. Those who pre-order the S24+ also receive a 25W power adapter, a 15W charger pad, and a transparent case. Of course, the extras vary by market.

The cable included in the retail packaging of the Galaxy S24 series is officially rated at 3A or up to 25W. This implies that if you get a 45W charger or equivalent and it does not come with an appropriate cable, you will need to look for a compatible cable to enjoy quicker than 25W charging.

CAMERA

• Same camera arrangement for the third year in a row
• The main camera will be the go-to for many
• Color tuning isn’t consistent across the lenses

If there’s one area where the Galaxy S24 Plus might improve, it’s the camera. The S24 Plus retains its predecessor’s 50MP primary, 10MP telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide camera configuration, which was an identical replica of the Galaxy S22 Plus’s.

That means that, except for software updates, the camera experience has been constant for three years. That is nearly unheard of at the top end of the market, where the S24 Plus resides, and as a result, things are becoming a touch monotonous.

Much of the competition at a comparable price point, such as the OnePlus 12, has far more capable camera technology, whether it’s larger sensors, greater megapixel counts, or superior zoom performance, which is an unusual thing to say about a Samsung flagship that costs just shy of $1,000.

What is the worst part? It appears, to me, that it is purposefully ignoring camera-focused users in favor of the top-end (and even more expensive) Galaxy S24 Ultra, which has received consistent camera updates in recent years.

With that out of the way, the Galaxy S24 Plus does an excellent job at recording your memories. The main 50MP sensor, which has OIS and a wide f/1.8 aperture, can handle both well-lit and low-light scenarios with ease, though the latter isn’t quite up to the standard of either the Ultra model or the similarly priced competition, particularly the Pixel 8 Pro.

Most of the time, you’ll be pleased with the quality of photographs captured by the sensor, which provides plenty of information, a wide dynamic range, and brilliant colors, even if the greens and blues are overly saturated in some shots.

The accompanying 10MP telephoto lens allows you to get closer to the subject without physically moving, making it ideal for portrait photography as well as anything else that requires zooming in. It’s not as capable as you might expect – photos at 10x are notably blurrier than those at 3x – but it can be useful. However, the hue of the telephoto and primary lenses is inconsistent.

The 12MP ultrawide completes the trio, performing about as well as you’d expect from a low-resolution ultrawide; it does a fine job of taking wide-angle photographs ideal for stunning panoramas, but images can look a touch soft in areas without any pixel binning technology available.

Flip the phone over, and, surprise, you’ll find the same 12MP sensor used in previous generations of Galaxy flagships. As a result, the experience is rather standard; that is, it can snap a nice selfie in a pinch, but aside from video calls, you’ll most likely prefer the back camera configuration.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

• Slightly flatter edges and thinner bezels.
• New Armor Aluminum Frame
• QHD+ display is available for the first time in a Plus variant.
• Improved outdoor visibility
• New max brightness of 2,600 nits.

For the second consecutive year, Samsung’s newest Galaxy Plus model prioritizes major internal enhancements over a dramatic cosmetic overhaul; yet, the Galaxy S24 Plus does not seem similar to its predecessor.

This year’s Plus phone measures 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm and weighs 196g. It has significantly thinner bezels, slightly flatter edges (similar to the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy Z Fold 5), and a more durable Armor Aluminum frame than the Galaxy S23 Plus. I’m all for the revisions – the S23 Plus’s mirrored frame was a garish fingerprint magnet – but the Galaxy S24 Plus is difficult to discern from its predecessor when viewed side by side.

The Galaxy S24 Plus still has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front, which wouldn’t be an issue if the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Gorilla Armor wasn’t so much better at scratch resistance. Unfortunately, my Galaxy S24 Plus review unit has picked up a few screen flaws while bouncing about in my pocket and work bag, so if you decide to buy this phone, I recommend getting an appropriate screen protector (if not a full-blown protective case).

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is available in Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue, and Jade Green, with the latter three colors exclusive to the Samsung shop. I was given the Cobalt Violet color for this review, which highlights the phone’s matte finish and rear glass texture effectively, however, it’s no secret that the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s titanium color options seem far more premium.

For the first time, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Plus model has an objectively superior display to its basic brother. The Galaxy S24 Plus has a 6.65-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X display with QHD+ technology, which improves clarity and detail over the smaller Galaxy S24 screen. Previously, QHD+ displays were reserved for Samsung’s Ultra phones, and while the differences aren’t particularly visible, it’s encouraging to see Samsung providing the Galaxy S24 Plus the greatest screen available.

The remaining display enhancements are shared by the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus. Samsung’s Vision Booster feature improves outdoor visibility and increases peak brightness to 2,600 nits on both phones. Their refresh rates have also been improved, with 1-120Hz instead of 48-120Hz.

The latter feature makes gaming on the Galaxy S24 Plus enjoyable (more on that later), while Vision Booster ensures that content streamed via platforms such as YouTube and Netflix is not affected by direct sunlight; I was pleasantly surprised by how simple it was to watch a recent episode of Masters of the Air from the (dis)comfort of my local park.

The normal color, anti-distortion, and wide-angle viewing benefits of AMOLED display technology are also present and correct on the Galaxy S24 Plus, and all of the above characteristics work together to produce the largest, boldest, and brightest Galaxy S Plus display yet.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

• New useful GenAI-powered functionality.
• Note transcription and summarization.
• Exynos 2400 can compete with the Snapdragon 8 Generation 3.

Much to the disappointment of Samsung fans around the world, Samsung has once again split the chipset offering for its latest Galaxy phones – albeit the situation isn’t as bad as it was for the Galaxy S22 line when the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 outscored the Exynos 2200 by a small margin.

Specifically, the chipset that powers your Galaxy S24 Plus is determined by the region where you purchased the phone. Those in the United States receive a customized version of Qualcomm’s recently introduced Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, whereas those in Europe and other places have Samsung’s new Exynos 2400. Because I live in London, I reviewed the Exynos-equipped Galaxy S24 Plus, and I can confidently tell that I never felt like my phone was powered by a subpar chipset.

If you’re looking for benchmarks, my Exynos-powered Galaxy S24 Plus got a single-core Geekbench 6 score of 2002, a multi-core score of 6732, and a machine-learning score of 423. For comparison, our Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-equipped S24 Plus, which we tested in the United States with the identical Geekbench programs, had a single-core score of 2272, a multi-core score of 7083, and a machine-learning score of 694 (using Geekbench ML). All testing were carried out using the phones in Standard mode rather than Light mode, which favors battery life and cooling efficiency above processor performance.

So, we’re dealing with tiny variations here. In our opinion, the slightly higher CPU testing scores of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset have little to no impact on real-world Galaxy S24 Plus performance, and while the Snapdragon’s machine learning score is significantly higher than that of the Exynos, Galaxy AI’s reliance on cloud-based processing, rather than on-device processing, renders that numerical superiority similarly negligible.

Machine-learning performance will surely improve in the future, but for the time being, anyone purchasing an Exynos version of the Galaxy S24 Plus should not be concerned by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s slightly higher benchmark scores. During my time with the Exynos 2400-equipped Galaxy S24 Plus, the phone handled gaming, heavy video recording, and several apps smoothly.

Speaking of gaming, the Galaxy S24 Plus has a 1.9x larger vapor chamber than the Galaxy S23 Plus, which enhances heat dissipation significantly. All three Galaxy S24 phones feature ray tracing and the Galaxy S24 Plus would fit right in with our list of the best gaming phones.

I spent a couple of hours with the mobile edition of EA Sports FC 24 on the Galaxy S24 Plus, and not only was the experience as flawless as one could hope for on a smartphone, but I also didn’t feel the phone getting warm until about an hour into my gameplay. In comparison, when I ran a similar test with the mobile version of FIFA 23 on last year’s Galaxy S23 Plus, it felt substantially hotter in my hand after about 30 minutes of games. Rest assured, however, that these new gaming-specific features are not gimmicks.

Oh, and the dual stereo speakers on the Galaxy S24 Plus are also rather impressive.

Buy it if...

• No-nonsense, durable, and gripping design. The new matte finish looks fantastic.
• Even more durable than last year, with a V2 aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and an IP68 rating.
• Outstanding OLED screen, QHD, somewhat bigger and brighter than last year.
• Awesome stereo speakers.
• Excellent performance. This year, RAM has been upped to 12GB.
• With a camera that was carried over from last year, the photo and video quality is consistently good.
• Exciting One UI now includes tons of AI, DeX compatibility, and excellent connectivity possibilities. UWB support.

Don't buy it if…

• The battery life is shorter than that of last year’s S23+, but it remains solid.
• Hardware fragmentation has returned, with some areas receiving Snapdragon 8 Generation 3 and Exynos 2400 CPUs.
• There is no 10-bit color depth capability for the screen.
• Under load, both the CPU and GPU actively cut down their performance.
• There is no charger in the box, and it ships with a 3A Type-C cable that cannot charge at 45W.

FULL SPECIFICATION