Samsung Galaxy S24 review: The top Android phone for most people

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Smaller base models of premium flagship lineups are often downgraded versions of the larger "Pro" or "Plus" models, and the same applies to Samsung's Galaxy S24. The standard, base Galaxy S24 has less RAM than its bigger siblings and charges more slowly.

However, compared to larger models, it doesn't feel like a compromised, downgraded phone. In almost every way, the Galaxy S24 essentially feels like a compact version of the Galaxy S24 Plus, and it's a top-tier option for those who prefer standard-sized phones rather than plus-sized phones. It has a triple-lens camera system, just like the Galaxy S24 Plus. It also runs on the most powerful processor available for Android phones, just like the Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

Considering how fully featured and powerful it is, especially compared to base models of other phones like the Pixel 8, the Galaxy S24 is the best Android phone for the proverbial "most people." And if you prefer larger phones, most of what's in this review can also be applied to the Galaxy S24 Plus.  

Performance and display: No comparably priced phone can touch it

Samsung's Galaxy S24 runs on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Optimized for Galaxy processor as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, meaning the $800 phone has the same performance as a $1,300 phone. 

In benchmark results and real-world usage, the Galaxy S24 is an utter powerhouse that opens and runs apps quickly and downright smoothly. The extra performance bump from being "Optimized for Galaxy" isn't perceivable compared to the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on the OnePlus 12, but it doesn't hurt anything to have a processor specially optimized for a specific device. 

Considering its stellar performance, the Galaxy S24 should stay quick and smooth for years to come compared to current-generation Android phones that run on less powerful processors, like Google's Pixel 8 running on Google's Tensor G3. Whether that smooth performance will last as long as Samsung's seven-year support window for Android upgrades and security updates is another question. Still, the option to safely use the Galaxy S24 for as long as seven years is there. 

The Galaxy S24's 6.2-inch OLED display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate highlights the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3's performance by delivering ultra-smooth swipes and animations while navigating around the phone. The display's resolution is stuck to 1080p compared to the optional 1440p resolution on the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra, but I never felt the base Galaxy S24's display needed to be sharper. 

Design: A minimalist triumph

The Galaxy S24 conveys a minimalist vibe, and I'm a fan. Its sharp edges and flat sides are classy and understated, and it's a welcome refresh compared to previous generations with softer and rounder edges that were starting to look generic. The design refresh also makes the Galaxy S24 stand out among its Android peers, at least in the US, which still have the rounded design language. 

The black borders around the display are neat and uniform, and they're narrow enough to keep the Galaxy S24's size nice and compact while sporting a larger 6.2-inch display rather than the more typical 6.1-inch display size. In fact, the Galaxy S24 is the most compact and lightweight current-generation premium Android phone you can buy in the US at the moment. 

Cameras: Samsung fixed one of two major issues

With three cameras, including a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP 3x zoom lens, the Galaxy S24 offers versatility that others in its price and size class don't, like the iPhone 15 and Google Pixel 8. Indeed, the Galaxy S24's 3x zoom lens can take better pictures of subjects further away than phones without a dedicated zoom lens. 

The Galaxy S24 takes excellent photos, especially now that Samsung has finally successfully tweaked the cameras to produce more natural colors rather than oversaturated, near-neon colors from previous Galaxy phones.

However, photo quality and consistency still don't match the competition from Google's Pixel 8, thanks to comparatively flat lighting and depth. The Galaxy S24 is also more prone to overexpose brighter details so they appear overly bright and featureless than the Pixel 8. In addition, the Galaxy S24 can struggle to capture clear, focused photos when lighting conditions aren't optimal, like indoor lighting.

Still, on a day-to-day level, the Galaxy S24's cameras are easily good enough for most people, and the utility of the 3x zoom lens can't be ignored when weighing the Galaxy S24 against other Android phones if you often use the zoom lens on your current phone, or find yourself wishing you had one.

The Galaxy S24 can record video up to a typical 4K resolution with 60 frames-per-second (fps), and there's no major red flag to speak of. Like most phones, 1080p resolution videos are disappointing if you're used to watching videos in 4K.

Video quality in 4K resolution is nice and sharp, and colors and lighting are excellent. One nitpick is that zooming is oddly different and complicated when recording at 4k60 compared to other resolutions and frame rates. Instead of simply tapping a preset zoom option, like 0.5x or 3x, you have to long-tap the 1x button to reveal presets, which include 2x, 4x, and 10x. And zooming manually by swiping up and down delivers poor results.

Video stabilization is not great, but not terrible, either. You can still see micro-shakes when taking steps in 60fps videos, but it deals with unsteady hands while stationary perfectly well. 

Battery life: Closing the gap between small and large phones

The Galaxy S24 completed our usual battery test with an excellent 59%, which is very close to the larger Galaxy S24 Plus model's 60%. It's interesting that the current 2023-2024 generation of Android phones close the battery performance gap between smaller and larger phones, as the Pixel 8 also obtained a similar score to the larger Pixel 8 Pro. Only the Galaxy S24 Ultra ended the test with a noticeably better score of 66%. 

It's unfortunate the Galaxy S24's charging speed is capped at 25W compared to 45W on the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra, but it's not a dealbreaker. It supports the same 15W wireless charging as the Qi standard, but Samsung hasn't yet adopted the newer Qi2 standard for a magnetic alignment system, which resembles Apple's MagSafe. 

AI features: The early stages of the latest 'big thing' for phones

The headlining upgrade for the Galaxy S24 series is AI features. Long story short, the Galaxy S24 has similar AI features as Google's Pixel 8. The Galaxy S24 is a better phone for including AI features, but it's not a reason to upgrade on its own. 

Some of the AI features are very good, while others are forgettable or don't work very well, at least for now; AI features are relatively new and can improve over time. One of the best features that could be useful is "Circle to Search," which basically lets you do a Google search by circling anything on the screen. 

For more detail and examples of the AI features on Samsung's Galaxy S24 series, see our Galaxy S24 Ultra review. 

Should you buy the Galaxy S24?

The best Samsung phone overall, the Galaxy S24 is the first phone I'd recommend to anyone looking for a premium Android phone.

Its combination of performance, camera quality, camera options, battery life, AI features, and design isn't beaten by any of its competitors in the US. It's also the only base model phone in the US that doesn't come with fairly major compromises, like a missing zoom lens.