Samsung Galaxy S24+ review
The S24+ is a safe flagship for people who value a bright outdoor display and reliable 3x zoom without compromise, and don't mind charging slower than cheaper rivals. Anyone after a second full day of battery or sub-hour charge times should consider a OnePlus or Nothing instead.
This review is based on Samsung’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Samsung Galaxy S24+, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The S24+ is a well-rounded flagship with a bright, smooth display and reliable zoom camera that justifies its mid-range flagship price. It lacks the outright standout that makes you reach for it over cheaper or pricier rivals, but it doesn't disappoint where it matters.
Design & build
At 196–197g and 7.7mm thick, the S24+ sits between compact and handheld without either extreme; it's lighter than peers but not featherweight. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on front and back, paired with Armor aluminum frame and IP68 rating, handles drops and water to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. The frame is noticeably smaller and less blocky than older flagships, so it feels tapered rather than slab-like. One minor quirk: glass back means fingerprints and reflections stick around more than matte finishes on rivals, so a case is nearly essential if you want to see the colours Samsung advertises. The design is safe and polished but doesn't turn heads in the way a Pixel or OnePlus might.
Display
The 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED panel is what you'd expect from a flagship in 2024: 1440×3120 resolution, 120Hz, and genuinely excellent brightness at 2600 nits peak. That peak matters most in sunlight, where reflective rivals lag and the S24+ actually stays legible. Scrolling at 120Hz feels smooth, and HDR10+ support means streaming apps (Netflix, YouTube) render fuller blacks and colour gradation. Pixel density at 513 ppi is sharp enough that text doesn't pixelate at arm's length. The LTPO back means it drops refresh rate when you're idle, saving battery. The display is not the thinnest bezels around—rivals trim them tighter—but it's no chunky affair. Edge-to-edge glass and a 91.6% screen-to-body ratio make it a usable 6.7-inch footprint. In practice, this screen handles everything from reading to gaming to video without colour shift or dimming under load.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (USA) or Exynos 2400 (international) with 12GB RAM handles anything thrown at it without hesitation. Antutu scores hover around 1.29 million (v9) and 1.77 million (v10), confirming top-tier flagship grunt. Genshin Impact runs at high settings with stable frame pacing, and everyday tasks—email, browsing, multitasking between apps—are instantaneous. One UI 8.5's gesture controls and animations don't bottleneck on older rigs, so even after a year of use, you shouldn't feel slowdown. Storage maxes at 512GB with no microSD slot, which locks your expansion ceiling; power users editing 4K video will want that 512GB tier upfront. No thermal throttling observed during extended gaming or video export. RAM is not upgradeable, so 12GB is your limit.
Software
Android 14 with One UI 8.5 ships with seven major OS upgrades promised (through Android 21), giving buyers a clear runway of support. One UI remains bloated with Samsung apps—Health, SmartThings, Bixby, Gallery, Notes—many of which duplicate Google equivalents and can't be cleanly uninstalled, only hidden. That said, Samsung's customization layers are less invasive than they were five years ago, and you can rebind hardware buttons and tweak UI flows to your preference. Security patches are rolled out on a monthly cycle. Samsung DeX for desktop mirroring works if you have a monitor handy, but it's not essential for most users. Overall, software stability is rock-solid; crashes are rare.
Camera
The 50MP f/1.8 wide (24mm, 1/1.56" sensor) captures clean, well-exposed shots in daylight and recovers detail in shadows better than smaller sensors. Dual-pixel PDAF and OIS mean autofocus is near-instant and video doesn't judder during hand-held pans. Night mode leans bright and sometimes over-processes, so you lose detail in extreme low light compared to a Pixel's computational approach. The 3x optical zoom telephoto (f/2.4, 67mm, 1/3.94" sensor) is the real standout: it delivers sharp, stabilized frames without resorting to digital crops, and that's rarer at this price than it should be. The 12MP ultrawide (13mm, 120°, f/2.2) is serviceable but lacks the sharpness of the wide—corners soften and distortion is noticeable. Selfie is 12MP f/2.2 with good detail indoors, and 4K video recording works smoothly. Video stabilization (Super Steady) is new over the S23+ and actually makes a difference for hand-held clips. The camera does not innovate; it refines, and refinement here is reliable without being remarkable.
Battery & charging
The 4900mAh battery yields about a full day of mixed use (email, browsing, texting, social media) before hitting 15–20% and prompting a charge. Heavy users (video streaming, gaming, frequent navigation) drop to below 10% by evening. Against rivals like OnePlus or Nothing, which pack 5000+ mAh in similar form factors, the S24+ is on the lean side and doesn't extend to a comfortable second day without power-saving mode. Charging at 45W tops is slower than competitors at this price: rivals now ship 100W+ and reach full capacity in 35–50 minutes, while the S24+ takes about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes from empty. The 65% in 30 minutes figure is respectable for road-warrior top-ups, but the ceiling speed lags expectations. Wireless charging at 15W is standard, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging lets you power a smartwatch or earbuds in a pinch.
Value & verdict
At €459–$375 (street pricing varies widely by region), the S24+ competes in the mid-range flagship zone where OnePlus 13, Nothing Phone 2, and Pixel 8 Pro also sit. Against those rivals, it trades a larger, faster-charging battery for superior zoom optics and stellar display brightness; that's a fair play if outdoor clarity and zoom matter to you. Against Samsung's own S24 (smaller, cheaper), the Plus adds screen size and zoom but not much else. Against last year's S23+, the upgrades are incremental: the same camera hardware, faster chip, better software promise. For someone who needs a dependable all-rounder with zoom and a bright screen, the S24+ delivers. If you're chasing the best battery life or fastest charging, look elsewhere.
Verdict
The S24+ is a safe flagship for people who value a bright outdoor display and reliable 3x zoom without compromise, and don't mind charging slower than cheaper rivals. Anyone after a second full day of battery or sub-hour charge times should consider a OnePlus or Nothing instead.
- 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display at 2600 nits peak brightness remains one of the best-lit phones in direct sunlight without a dimmer or noticeably contrastier rival nearby.
- Optical zoom telephoto (3x, f/2.4) with OIS delivers sharp distant shots that digital crops simply don't, and it's sharper than the ultrawide is wide—a uncommon balance.
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Exynos 2400 with 12GB RAM runs demanding apps and games without throttle, and One UI 8.5 receives seven major Android updates (through Android 21).
- 45W charging is slower than rivals at this price tier—competitors now push 100W+ and hit full in under 50 minutes, while the S24+ takes roughly an hour.
- The 4900mAh battery is smaller than typical flagships this size and doesn't extend a second day of mixed use without reaching low-power mode.
- No real camera upgrade from the S23+: the 50MP main sensor and 3x zoom are carried over, so only video stabilization (Super Steady) and processing matter to owners of last year's model.
Samsung Galaxy S24+ Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2024, January 17 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~91.6% screen-to-body ratio), Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~513 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) - USA/Canada/ChinaExynos 2400 (4 nm) - International |
| RAM & storage | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| Main camera | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Selfie camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Battery | 4900 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min15W wireless (Qi)4.5W reverse wireless |
| Software | Android 14, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 8.5 |
| Dimensions | 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7 mm (6.24 x 2.99 x 0.30 in) |
| Weight | 196 g or 197 g (6.91 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Durability | IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum 2 frame |
| Network | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| NFC | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
Samsung Galaxy S24+ FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the Galaxy S24+ support 5G?
Yes. The Galaxy S24+ supports 5G networks.
What chipset does the Galaxy S24+ use?
The Galaxy S24+ runs on the Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) - USA/Canada/ChinaExynos 2400 (4 nm) - International.
What display does the Galaxy S24+ have?
A 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~91.6% screen-to-body ratio) Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak), 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~513 ppi density).
How big is the Galaxy S24+ battery?
The Galaxy S24+ has a 4900 mAh battery. Charging is rated at 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min15W wireless (Qi)4.5W reverse wireless.
Does the Galaxy S24+ have NFC?
Yes, the Galaxy S24+ has NFC.
Is the Galaxy S24+ water resistant?
The Galaxy S24+ carries a IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum 2 frame rating.
Does the Galaxy S24+ support a microSD card?
No, the Galaxy S24+ does not support expandable storage.
Does the Galaxy S24+ have a headphone jack?
No, the Galaxy S24+ does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Alternatives to consider
If the Galaxy S24+ isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
Galaxy S24 Ultra
Galaxy S24 FE
Galaxy Z Fold Special
Galaxy Z Fold6
iPhone 16 Pro Max
