Yesterday, I was sitting with my iPad Mini on the sunny balcony, with my sister’s iPhone and my Galaxy S24 Ultra next to me. Barely able to read on my iPad, I picked up my phone and was reminded how I had fallen absolutely in love with this device. Especially the two aspects. The stunning screen. The monstrous battery life.
I don’t think I have seen a better screen than what this has. All reviews have called it out. But you must experience it to appreciate the brilliance of what Samsung has achieved. The text is crisp; the colours pop out. Plus, the lack of reflection is mindblowing. I don’t think I can go back to any other device now that doesn’t have the technical wizardry that Samsung has packaged here. It’s perfectly visible even in the harshest sunlight without losing clarity or colour.
I am surprised no one built such a screen earlier. This is much more important than the high refresh rate or crazy resolutions. Here’s a snapshot from the official product page.
The second one is also a no-brainer with its trade-off – the battery life. Since moving to smartphones in 2009 with the iPhone 3GS, I haven’t had any phone with a battery life longer than a day. But then I also stubbornly preferred phones with smaller dimensions. I never liked the likes of Notes and Plueses and Pros and Maxes. So, my decision to shift to a large phone this time was clouded by my fear of discomfort.
All my fears were washed away right on the second day when my phone wasn’t screaming at me to be plugged in. My last phone, the Galaxy S22, was the slickest of all the devices I have ever owned. But it was frustrating to put it to charging every evening. From that to now, when I am easily going through two full days without charging my phone, it is a drastic (and welcome) change. Even three days once. This might be a benefit that all large phones share. But with everything this device packs, it has to be the best amongst the best.
Even without the natural benefit of a larger screen to read and write better, I would always select a larger phone from now on just for the battery life it lends.
In addition, there are miscellaneous benefits of Samsung’s versions of Android phones for me. They have been nailing the physical design of the phones for the past few years. Without all the gloss, they look and feel premium in hand. Everyone who has held this device has commended the richness of its feel.
One UI feels slick, elevating the overall Android experience a notch higher. It’s inherently Google but distinctly Samsung at the same time. All the small touches they add across the platform are well thought through. The ones that I have found the most used are Modes and Routines. It helps set your phone for different phases of the day. I can customize all aspects, the most important being which apps I access during a particular mode. For example, in Life mode, I have set it so that I can’t use any apps from my work even if I wanted to. Neither do I get notifications from them.
Samsung has woven a lot of such small additions into the platform. S Pen works nicely. The side Panel stays hidden, yet it is extremely useful. Dex is an absolute stunner. And the list goes on.
This post has gone on for much longer than I initially expected. And I haven’t even talked about the cameras. With Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung has indeed mastered the smartphone.