As we approach the end of 2025 and it’s been almost a year since the Galaxy S25 Ultra launched with its new design and rounded corners, it’s a good time to take a look back at the flagship of 2024, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. A phone that made a lot of noise with its titanium body and Galaxy AI artificial intelligence, and now, after nearly two years, we can talk about its value for money, whether new or used.
In the world of technology, where a new phone is introduced every month, two years is a long time. But the S24 Ultra was no ordinary phone. This phone came with the promise of 7 years of software support and is here to stay. Now the main question is: in a market where the S25 Ultra is running around with a faster processor and a more stylish body, and rumors of the S26 Ultra are starting to emerge, does it make sense to buy or hold the S24 Ultra?
In this long-term review, we’ll see how the phone holds up after receiving several major updates (including One UI 7 and 8) and enduring the rigors of everyday use. Does its battery still last a full day? Has its performance dropped against heavy gaming in 2025? Stay tuned for our long-term review of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.(Samsung S24 FE long-term review)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Design Review in the Long Term
When the Galaxy S24 Ultra was released, many were excited about its flat design and titanium frame. Now that the Galaxy S25 Ultra has arrived with rounded corners and better ergonomics, the boxy, sharp design of the Galaxy S24 Ultra looks a bit more classic, perhaps even rougher.
Long-term use shows that the Grade 2 titanium used in this phone has excellent structural strength. The phone remains solid and solid, and there is no visible flex in the chassis. But as expected, the frame of the phone (especially in black and dark colors) is not immune to fine lines, scratches and edge wear. If you are one of those people who uses the phone without a frame, then your phone’s edges are probably a little discolored now, which of course gives it a war-torn look!
Although the S25 Ultra also continued the flat screen path, the S24 Ultra still offers the user a larger display area thanks to its sharp corners, which is ideal for taking notes with the S Pen. Regular protective glasses, which are abundant in the market, are easily installed on the phone and you don’t have the problems of installing old curved glasses.
Samsung S24 Ultra display review in the long term
Even by the standards of late 2025, the S24 Ultra display is one of the best. Its 2600 nits of brightness may seem low compared to the strange records of new Chinese phones, but in the real world and under sunlight, you won’t feel any shortage.
The trump card of this phone is still its Anti-Reflective coating. Even the S25 Ultra, despite the improvements, hasn’t made a huge difference in this department. This coating makes blacks deeper and ambient light reflections are not annoying. The resistance of this glass to micro-scratches has been astonishing over the past two years, and if you’ve been careful, your phone’s screen is still as clear as day one.
The grainy display problem that was reported in the first months of release has been either mitigated by software updates or for most users their eyes have gotten used to it. In everyday use and with a bright theme, this is not noticeable at all, and the quality of the OLED panel is still stunning.
Samsung S24 Ultra Long-Term Battery Performance
After about two years of use, it’s normal for the battery health to be around 85-90%. However, thanks to the software optimizations of Android 15 and 16 (in the form of One UI), the phone can still last an average workday. If you’re a heavy user, you’ll probably need to charge it around dusk.
In 2025, when mid-range phones are also getting 100W chargers, the S24 Ultra’s 45W charging speed seems a bit annoying. A full charge takes about an hour, which is a bit slow by today’s standards.
(Comparison of Samsung A07 and Xiaomi Redmi A5)
Samsung S24 Ultra Camera Long-Term Review
While the S25 Ultra launched with a new 50MP ultra-wide sensor and raised the bar, the S24 Ultra still has a lot to say with its camera combination. Samsung has refined the S24 Ultra’s image processing with multiple updates over the years. Colors are more natural and that initial exaggerated color saturation is less noticeable. The 50MP 5x zoom is still one of the most practical lenses in the mobile world, and the portrait photos it takes are no less than professional cameras.
Unfortunately, even in 2025 and despite more powerful processors, Samsung has not yet completely solved the shutter lag problem in this model. Although the situation has improved since day one, compared to the S25 Ultra, which has a faster shutter speed, the S24 Ultra may still disappoint you a little when capturing very fast subjects (like children running) and capture photos with a slight blur.
Samsung S24 Ultra hardware performance in the long term
The S25 Ultra may have broken benchmark records with its 8th generation Snapdragon Elite, but in real-world use, the S24 Ultra is still a monster. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip can still handle the heaviest games and apps after two years. There are no noticeable lags or slowdowns in the user interface, and multitasking with 12 GB of RAM runs smoothly and flawlessly. If you are a gamer, this phone can still run today’s graphical games at the highest quality, although it may heat up a little more than in the first days, which is due to the natural wear of the silicone paste and cooling system over time.
Samsung S24 Ultra UI Review in the Long Term
One of the biggest advantages of the S24 Ultra is the regular updates that Samsung phones receive, especially on flagships. Now that the phone has received the new Android and One UI 8 updates, it feels like a modern phone. The Galaxy AI features that were introduced at the beginning have now become smarter. Features that may have run faster on the S25 Ultra are also fully usable on the S24 Ultra. Circle to Search is still the king of features, and the live translation features are now more accurate than ever.
S24 Ultra Speaker Performance in the Long Term
The S24 Ultra’s stereo speakers still have great volume and sound quality, and they’re perfect for gaming and watching movies. However, over the long term, there’s been a strange issue that some users have reported; hissing or loss of sound quality. What’s the problem? It’s usually not a hardware issue! It’s often due to dust accumulating in the speaker vents, which can be easily fixed with a gentle cleaning with a soft toothbrush.
A more bizarre solution: Sometimes the problem is caused by changes in air pressure inside the phone (like after a flight or altitude change). What’s the solution? Just remove your SIM card tray once and reinsert it to adjust the air pressure! It’s that simple.(iPhone 17 Disassembly)
Is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra still worth buying?
So, here’s the final question. With the Galaxy S25 Ultra now available and featuring rounded edges, a more comfortable body, slimmer bezels, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera, where does the Galaxy S24 Ultra stand?
Is the Galaxy S24 Ultra still worth buying?
Yes, absolutely. While the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a better phone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has now seen a significant price drop and is a great buy on the used and new market (if you can find one). The performance difference between the two generations will be indistinguishable to 90% of users. By buying the Galaxy S24 Ultra in late 2025, you’ll be getting about 80% of the Galaxy S25 Ultra experience for a much lower price.
Important point about the S Pen
An interesting point in comparing the two generations is that the S Pen on the S25 Ultra does not have some remote features (such as gestures) due to the removal of Bluetooth, while the S24 Ultra still has that versatile Bluetooth pen that you can use to take pictures remotely.
Who is the S24 Ultra suitable for?
- Those whose budget does not reach the S25 Ultra but want a full-fledged flagship with the S Pen.
- Users who prefer the rectangular and sharp design of the S24 Ultra to the round design of the S25 Ultra.
Those who want to enter Samsung’s AI ecosystem at the lowest cost
- The S24 Ultra is no longer the absolute king and has ceded the throne to its younger brother, the S25 Ultra, but it is still a powerful and respected grand vizier who can stand shoulder to shoulder with new phones for years to come.