This is Samsung's first foray into the AI space after another well-known mobile device manufacturer has been creating AI-powered CPUs for their phones for a few years now. I have one of those phones so will be comparing the latest Samsung flagship to this.

Visually, the Galaxy S24 packs a punch in a compact form. It's a beautiful combination of flat glass screen (gone are the curved edges of older Galaxy series phones which have always been a frustration rather than a feature) and dark brushed aluminium wrapped around the sides (on the black version). The phone’s sleek design includes minimal bezels around the screen which maximises screen real estate whilst keeping the whole package as nice and small as possible. In an age of ever-expanding and unwieldy phone sizes, the S24 presents as a very conveniently sized package without compromise.

As with all Samsung phones, you know it has a fantastic Screen - the sharp and vivid display on the S24 enhances your viewing experience - whether you’re streaming, browsing, or gaming, the vibrant screen won’t disappoint.

The S24 boasts all-new Galaxy AI and Google circle-to-search tools. Whether you’re curious about a web page, a YouTube video, or a photo you just took, the Circle to Search feature answers your queries effortlessly. Plus, the AI translation works like magic, bridging language barriers when travelling which is extremely helpful for me as I frequently travel for work!

Something that has been becoming more of an important feature on phones these days is the ability to quick charge (especially for me in an airport). The S24’s fast charging supports up to 45W fast chargers which will fully charge the phone in approximately an hour.

While the cameras might not outshine some competitors, the S24 offers more zoom features than most and a variety of shooting modes to enhance your photos including AI enhancements. With a promise of seven years of Android updates, this could be Samsung’s best affordable Galaxy S phone yet in the long-term when other phones are only being supported for a few years after which they seem to mysteriously slow down!

In summary, the Galaxy S24 is a pocket powerhouse that balances performance, style, and practicality. 📱✨

The Galaxy S24 is, for me, an upgrade from the Galaxy S22. It has the familiarity and ease-of-use of previous Galaxy phones but has improved and added features that give me the excitement of a new phone.
The packaging is minimal, yet sturdy. Contents consist of the phone, a USB C cable, a SIM tool and a quick-start guide. There is no plug, but having owned several Galaxy phones, I had no need for another one.
I chose the S24 over the S24+ due to the size and I am not disappointed. The phone has a premium feel, with an aluminium frame, and I like the Sapphire Blue back that I chose, which is only available when ordering from Samsung direct. The S24 has an increased battery size and a 6.2 inch screen but the phone still feels light and easy to hold and work with a single hand. The screen is extremely clear and bright, with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.
Two things worth mentioning, although neither are an issue for me, are that there is no expandable memory (for my use, the 256 GB should be ample) and there is no headphone socket.
It was easy for me to set up the S24 and transfer data from the old phone automatically. This included transferring the apps across, although for security everything needs to be set up with existing passwords before the Fingerprint ID for different apps can be used.
One of my favourite new features of the S24 is the AI Circle to Search Feature, which allows you to find out information on whatever is on your screen (whether, photo, video or text) by drawing a circle around the relevant image/text with your finger.
I’m still getting used to the cameras on the S24 but the photos I have taken to date have been crisp and bright and the colours in the images are true to life. I like using the object eraser and the background blur features to personalise and improve photos.
I have a Galaxy Watch 4 and it was easy to pair this watch with the S24 and I am enjoying using the Health features and tracking my sleep, particularly as I live with a couple of chronic conditions.
Although I have only had the phone 10 days, it already feels like my best friend and, two years since I bought my previous Samsung Galaxy, it feels like technology has grown and improved so much in that time.

First impressions of the phone when unboxing, it feels like a quality product with a decent weight and feel without seeming to be too heavy. As soon as you turn it on it's clear that the screen on this is great. Having used it for more than a week now, the quality of the screen makes a huge difference when using this phone and is better than any other I've used so far. Inside or outside there's never any issue of being able to see the screen clearly.

Set up from my old phone was very fast and easy, hardly had to do anything other than open up my old phone and set the link, everything I needed was ready to go very soon. The phone itself is fast and very responsive, a very smooth experience whether texting but also gaming something like COD is a very nice experience.

The new AI features have been very cool to use, and work very well. Day to day the ones I find most useful are the ones to recommend tones for your text messages depending on the scenario, and the summary of reading a website and getting a snapshot of the key info, have been so useful to use. The others could be useful for specific use cases but not ones I've needed so far, random tests have shown they've worked as expected.

Battery life has been way beyond expectations, I have needed to charge it once every two days so far and always confident it will last me all day so I haven't needed to travel with my battery pack anymore. Also, with a suitable charger it gets to 100% very quickly, or if I need a top out before heading out on short notice I've been able to in only 10 minutes or so.

Camera is great, has also been great in the past so nothing else really to say beyond that.

I do wish however, that long pressing the power button let you turn it off rather than Bixby without needing to change settings, I've never really been a fan of Bixby compared to other options.

Also a shame there is no sd card slot again, although there hasn't been one in other models previously either. For a phone with a great camera and ability to edit and save different versions this would make a difference in both taking and maintaining edited versions of photos all on the phone with confidence of never running out of space.

Overall I absolutely would recommend this phone.

In my recent transition from the Samsung Galaxy S23+ to the S24+, I was primarily motivated by updating my phone rather than the expectation of significant differences between the two devices.

While attempting to utilize the Smart Share feature, I encountered technical difficulties that resulted in freezing issues. As a workaround, I opted to establish a wired connection instead. It is worth noting that I had previously experienced similar challenges during my upgrade to the S23+.

Initially, the battery life of the S24+ was a concern, as it required recharging during the day. However, this issue appears to have stabilized over time, and the battery now provides sufficient power to last an entire day without the need for additional charging.

In terms of physical attributes, the S24+ is marginally longer compared to its predecessor, necessitating the purchase of a new protective case.

One particularly impressive aspect of this device is its photo editing capabilities. These features have proven invaluable in a recent project involving the enhancement of old photographs, the removal of reflections from new images, and the overall improvement of visual quality.

Furthermore, there have been noticeable improvements in the graphics rendering for gaming applications, accompanied by a reduction in lag.

Additionally, the S24+ offers a convenient text editing feature that leverages artificial intelligence. By selecting text, users are presented with a range of suggested improvements, eliminating the need for downloading separate applications for similar purposes.

All other aspects are quite similar, and it will likely require some time for me to fully comprehend all of the enhancements.