Execs
- Chat translations and Circle to Search are helpful
- Sharper 5x zoom
- Good low-light digital camera efficiency
- 7 years of software program upgrades
Cons
- Costly
- Some Galaxy AI options aren’t unique to S24 sequence
- No particular S24 Extremely Galaxy AI options
With the press of a button, all of the textual content messages despatched between myself and my husband over the previous couple of days had been translated into French. I did not have to focus on particular phrases or message bubbles, nor did I’ve to repeat and paste textual content between apps. As soon as I hit the “Chat translation” button on the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s display screen, the phrases had been translated immediately as I scrolled by way of our message historical past.
It is one in every of a number of new options on the Galaxy S24 lineup which are a part of Galaxy AI, a set of productiveness, communication and content material creation instruments powered by generative synthetic intelligence. Synthetic intelligence has been the buzzword du jour within the tech world ever since ChatGPT turned an in a single day hit in late 2022, and it is tempting to write down off Galaxy AI as one other try to money in on the hype. And which may be true to a point.
However utilizing the Galaxy S24 Extremely for the previous couple of days satisfied me there’s some promise behind the thrill. Whereas the overwhelming majority of Galaxy AI options really feel acquainted slightly than groundbreaking, Samsung’s real-time translation know-how and Circle to Search — a function it created in partnership with Google — really feel genuinely helpful.
The issue for the Galaxy S24 Extremely, which launches on Jan. 31 beginning at $1,300 (£1,249, AU$2,199), is that you do not want Samsung’s high-end telephone to make use of these options. They’re obtainable throughout all Galaxy S24 gadgets and can come to the previous-generation Galaxy S23 lineup, too. Circle to Search can be coming to the Pixel 8 and eight Professional, each of that are notably cheaper than the Galaxy S24 Extremely.
Watch this: Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely vs. Galaxy S23 Extremely vs. iPhone 15 Professional Max (Flagship Telephones In contrast)
Once I reviewed the Galaxy S23 Extremely final 12 months, I referred to as it “the king of additional.” That also applies to the Galaxy S24 Extremely. It is the Extremely’s big display screen, embedded S Pen and ridiculously lengthy digital digital camera zoom that really separate it from the common Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, not Samsung’s new AI options. Samsung gave the Galaxy S24 Extremely a recent coat of paint with its new titanium design and flatter display screen, together with a sharper 50-megapixel zoom digital camera that may take crisper photographs at 5x magnification. Maybe most significantly, your complete Galaxy S24 lineup will get seven generations of Android model upgrades just like the Pixel 8 lineup, marking a giant step up from Samsung’s earlier four-year pledge.
Other than its new AI tips, the Galaxy S24 Extremely finally seems like a barely upgraded model of final 12 months’s telephone. Samsung additionally missed a possibility to make its top-of-the-line telephone stand out from the remainder of the S24 lineup with Galaxy AI options which are tailor-made particularly to the Extremely.
Galaxy AI: Language translation and Circle to Search shine
Galaxy AI spans every thing from textual content messaging to Samsung’s apps for note-taking, voice recording, net searching and the digital camera. Many of those options really feel like instruments we have seen from Google and Microsoft all through 2023, however optimized for Samsung smartphones. Galaxy AI can, for instance, set up notes within the Notes app into neat bullet factors. Its net browser can summarize information articles, whereas the Voice Recorder app gives transcription summaries damaged down by speaker. You too can translate any of all these content material into completely different languages.
These options ought to sound acquainted to anybody who has been following Google’s AI developments over the previous 12 months. That is intentional: Samsung labored carefully with Google on sure Galaxy AI options and is even utilizing the corporate’s underlying know-how to energy some instruments like the power to summarize transcriptions, notes and webpages, rewrite textual content messages in a distinct tone and take away or rearrange objects in photographs.
However the execution is not usually the identical. Take Samsung’s Generative Edit and Google’s Magic Edit for instance. Each instruments let you choose an object in a photograph and both erase or transfer that object to your liking, however they’ll produce completely different outcomes.
Typically one model will patch up the background after eradicating an object, whereas the opposite will substitute the undesirable object with one other similar-looking construction that matches into the background. Google’s instrument offers just a few choices to select from when offering the end result, whereas Samsung solely offers one, however watermarks the brand new picture to make clear that it was altered utilizing Generative Edit.
Of all of the Galaxy AI options, there are two that impressed me probably the most: language translation and Circle to Search. Whereas apps like Google Translate have existed for years, having translation constructed into the keyboard and telephone app makes the entire course of really feel extra pure.
Along with the French instance I discussed earlier, I used Samsung’s translation options to textual content with a coworker who speaks Korean. As quickly as she despatched me a textual content in Korean, a immediate to translate the message to English appeared within the Messages app. I typed my response in English in a separate textual content field under the messaging area, and inside seconds my phrases, translated into Korean, appeared within the message field.
Options like these might be extraordinarily helpful for anybody who travels rather a lot, has members of the family who communicate a distinct language or that continuously work with colleagues or shoppers in several components of the world.
Circle to Search is one other sensible instrument that has the potential to make sure duties extra handy by stopping the necessity to change between apps as usually. It is self explanatory; simply circle an object on display screen that you just’d wish to study extra about, and the Galaxy S24 will launch a Google seek for that merchandise or location.
I’ve to confess, it is exhausting to combat the intuition to open Chrome or the Google app and simply sort in my search question the normal means. However Circle to Search works impressively properly to this point. I circled photographs of pesto pasta in my Instagram feed to search out recipes and close by eating places. Circling a photograph of a costume that I appreciated in my Instagram feed additionally pulled up related items. Dragging my finger round characters from an animated TV sequence I just lately completed watching resulted in information tales and YouTube movies about these characters, though Google warns that search outcomes for precise individuals could also be restricted.
Procuring is the obvious use case, however there are different methods it might be helpful. Circling my character in Diablo Immortals pulled up a search end result about my character’s class, for instance, which might be useful for brand spanking new gamers. However this expertise wasn’t constant. Once I tried to breed that end result on a separate event, I obtained hyperlinks to web sites and movies about different video games like Last Fantasy and Genshin Influence. Relying on how Circle to Search evolves, I really feel like there are alternatives for it to be way more useful.
One other favourite function of mine is Instantaneous Gradual-mo, which lets me preview any video in my gallery in gradual movement simply by urgent and holding the clip. It is not a game-changer, nevertheless it’s enjoyable to mess around with nonetheless. My solely grievance is that it isn’t all the time straightforward to see the best way to save the clip in gradual movement. You are able to do so by tapping the pencil icon under the video clip, however I want there was a technique to simply put it aside straight from the preview mode.
Nevertheless, not all Galaxy AI options really feel as invaluable, and the writing type instrument within the Messages app falls into that bucket. It primarily seems like a Samsung-customized model of Google’s Magic Compose, and it is primarily based on Google’s know-how. The instrument can rewrite textual content messages in a distinct tone, with choices together with skilled, informal, social, well mannered and emojify.
Once I selected the informal choice, which sounds probably the most like my ordinary tone, my husband thought the message sounded unusual and in contrast to me. I might presumably see the well mannered or skilled choice being useful in case you’re sending a message to a piece colleague, however different choices like emojify and social simply pepper your phrases with hashtags and emojis.
The summarize choice in Samsung’s Notes app has a cap at 8,000 characters, that means it could not sum up your complete 1,475-word script (which was round 8,400 characters) I had written for my Galaxy S24 Extremely video evaluate. Whereas I perceive that most individuals aren’t jotting down prolonged notes on their telephones, lengthy paperwork like these are those that want summarizing probably the most.
General, Galaxy AI appears to be off to a promising begin, though its long-term usefulness will depend upon the place Samsung and Google take it, and whether or not the present options truly resonate with individuals. The high-quality print on Samsung’s product web page for the Galaxy S24 Extremely hints that it might ultimately cost for such options after 2025, though the corporate hasn’t mentioned how a lot. Whereas I am glad Samsung is not making you pay for the costliest mannequin to get Galaxy AI, I want it provided just a few additional Galaxy AI options particularly for the Extremely. Doing so might have made the Extremely’s excessive value a bit of simpler to swallow, particularly given Samsung’s emphasis on productiveness and artistic instruments with Galaxy AI.
The Galaxy S24’s digital camera has a crisper 5x zoom
Samsung’s Galaxy Extremely telephones are identified for his or her zoom prowess, with the Extremely able to zooming as much as 100x digitally. However this time round, Samsung realized that high quality issues over amount. It changed the 10-megapixel sensor that zooms at 10x on the S23 Extremely with a sharper 50-megapixel digital camera that makes a speciality of 5x zoom, with the objective being to offer crisper outcomes even at a shorter magnification.
Samsung succeeds in that regard, though you may must look carefully to identify the variations between photographs from the Galaxy S24 Extremely and final 12 months’s S23 Extremely. Take these photographs of houseplants under for instance, each of which had been taken at 5x zoom. They appear the identical at first look, however whenever you study them extra carefully, you’ll be able to inform that the Galaxy S24 Extremely preserved extra element. I zoomed in additional and cropped a bit of it in order that you possibly can see the distinction.
Galaxy S24 Extremely
Galaxy S23 Extremely
The Galaxy S24 Extremely additionally captured extra element at 5x zoom than the iPhone 15 Professional, though Apple’s picture is brighter. A picture taken on Google’s Pixel 8 Professional, nevertheless, was crisper at 5x zoom than each Samsung and Apple’s.
iPhone 15 Professional Max
Pixel 8 Professional
The Galaxy S24 Extremely’s digital camera specs are in any other case largely the identical because the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s, although Samsung elevated the dimensions of the pixels, which ought to imply the S24 Extremely’s sensor can soak up extra mild.
Consequently, I discovered that the Galaxy S24 Extremely is sweet at dealing with combined and dim lighting environments, comparable to a cocktail bar or a buddy’s front room. Even when the S24 Extremely’s picture wasn’t all the time the brightest of the bunch when in comparison with the S23 Extremely, iPhone 15 Professional and Google Pixel 8 Professional, it preserved a superb quantity of element in these darkish settings. On the subject of basic picture high quality, the Galaxy S24 Extremely did a greater job of constructing pores and skin tones and colours look extra pure in comparison with the S23 Extremely.
It is exhausting to say whether or not the S24 Extremely is one of the best digital camera telephone general, since picture high quality will be topic to interpretation and will depend on your desire. In my expertise, every telephone succeeded in their very own means.
Try the gallery under for extra photographs taken on the Galaxy S24 Extremely.
Galaxy S24 Extremely design, efficiency and battery life
The Galaxy S24 Extremely appears rather a lot just like the S23 Extremely, however with some refined but vital variations. There’s titanium within the design, and the display screen now has flatter edges that make it simpler to grip. Samsung additionally boosted the display screen brightness to 2,600 nits, which is brighter than the S23 Extremely’s 1,750-nit display screen on paper, however not as luminous because the OnePlus 12‘s 4,500-nit peak brightness.
Nevertheless, in on a regular basis use, I could not see a lot of a distinction between the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s display screen at most brightness and the S23 Extremely’s. Possibly the change can be extra noticeable in vivid daylight; it has been overcast and considerably gloomy in New York and San Jose, California, the 2 cities I’ve frolicked in whereas reviewing the S24 Extremely.
The Galaxy S24 lineup runs on a model of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor optimized for Samsung’s gadgets, and it felt as snappy and easy as you’d count on of a telephone at this value. Language translations, that are processed on-device slightly than within the cloud, occur rapidly; video games like Diablo Immortal and Satan Could Cry: Peak of Fight run easily; and scrolling across the interface feels responsive and speedy.
Samsung can be making a giant deal in regards to the Galaxy S24’s ray-tracing capabilities, which ought to make shadows and reflections in video games look extra lifelike. Samsung cited Diablo Immortal, Racing Grasp, Enviornment Breakout and Night time Crows as early examples of ray-tracing-optimized video games. I did not see a lot of a distinction when taking part in Enviornment Breakout on the Galaxy S24 Extremely alongside the Google Pixel 8 Professional, which doesn’t help ray tracing. I am unsure if Diablo Immortal has been up to date to reap the benefits of the S24 Extremely’s ray tracing but, however I seen a distinction regardless. Shadowy areas had extra definition and distinction on the S24 Extremely in comparison with the Pixel 8 Professional, which made the sport look a bit hazy by comparability.
The Galaxy S24 Extremely beat final 12 months’s Galaxy S23 Extremely and Pixel 8 Professional, the latter of which runs on Google Tensor G3 processor, in benchmarks I ran that measure basic computing and graphics efficiency. However the OnePlus 12 surpassed the S24 Extremely on 3DMark Wild Life Excessive, the graphics-oriented benchmark, whereas the iPhone 15 Professional Max beat Samsung’s new telephone generally computing benchmarks (however not 3DMark).
Battery life is strong to this point, with the Galaxy S24 Extremely simply in a position to make it by way of greater than a day on a single cost. But it surely’ll depend upon the way you’re utilizing the telephone. On a day that largely concerned searching Instagram and Google, sending textual content messages, taking photographs and streaming Spotify for about half-hour with the display screen brightness set low, I nonetheless had 69% of my battery left after about 15 and a half hours of use.
After a busy workday, throughout which I streamed music for a part of my commute (about quarter-hour), streamed video for about 25 minutes, continuously checked e mail and social media, and used my telephone because it looked for cell service underground on the subway, I had 55% of my battery left after about 13 and a half hours of use. Taking part in video games, processing some Generative Edit photographs and turning up the brightness additionally drained the battery quicker in my expertise. We’ll replace this evaluate with CNET’s battery exams quickly.
General ideas
At $1,300, the Galaxy S24 Extremely is tough to suggest except you actually need a big display screen, a digital camera with a variety of zoom choices and the S Pen. These are the options that really distinguish Samsung’s high-end telephone from the cheaper Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. Galaxy AI can be coming to the Galaxy S23 sequence, and Google’s Pixel 8 household will get Circle to Search, which suggests there’s nothing about Galaxy AI that stands out on the Galaxy S24 Extremely particularly.
A tool just like the Galaxy S24 Extremely that is already geared in the direction of productiveness because of its giant display screen and S Pen looks as if a chief candidate for additional Galaxy AI options, so hopefully we’ll see extra in a future replace. Circle to Search and Generative Edit are simpler to make use of with the S Pen, however that alone is not sufficient to justify the upper value.
In any other case, the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s sharper 50-megapixel telephoto digital camera, speedy new processor and 7 years of software program updates make it a strong improve for these coming from an older Samsung telephone — in case you can abdomen the excessive value.
How we take a look at telephones
Each telephone examined by CNET’s critiques group is definitely utilized in the true world. We take a look at a telephone’s options, play video games and take photographs. We study the show to see if it is vivid, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construct to see how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP-rating for water-resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes, utilizing standardized benchmark instruments like GeekBench and 3DMark in addition to our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and taking part in graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.
All of the cameras are examined in a wide range of circumstances, from vivid daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like evening mode and portrait mode and examine our findings towards equally priced competing telephones. We additionally take a look at the battery life through the use of the telephone day by day in addition to operating a sequence of battery drain exams.
Editors’ word: CNET is utilizing an AI engine to assist create some tales. For extra, see this submit.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely vs. opponents
Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely | Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely | Google Pixel 8 Professional | Apple iPhone 15 Professional Max | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Show measurement, tech, decision, refresh charge | 6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh charge | 6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,088×1,440 pixels; 120Hz adaptive refresh charge | 6.7-inch OLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh charge | 6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 120Hz adaptive refresh charge |
Pixel density | 501 ppi | 500 ppi | 489 ppi | 460 ppi |
Dimensions (inches) | 6.40 x 3.11 x 0.34 in | 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in | 6.4 x 3 x 0.3 in | 5.77 x 2.78 x 0.32 in |
Dimensions (millimeters) | 163 x 79 x 8.6 mm | 163.3 x 78 x 8.9 mm | 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm | 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.25 mm |
Weight (grams, ounces) | 233 g (8.22 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) | 213 g (7.5 oz) | 187 g (6.6 oz) |
Cellular software program | Android 14 | Android 13 | Android 14 | iOS 17 |
Digital camera | 200-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto) | 200-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 10-megapixel (10x telephoto) | 50-megapixel (huge), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (telephoto) | 48-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (3x telephoto) |
Entrance-facing digital camera | 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel | 10.5-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
Video seize | 8K | 8K | 4K | 4K |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Google Tensor G3 | Apple A17 Professional |
Storage and RAM | 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 8GB RAM + 256GB; 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (RAM undisclosed) |
Expandable storage | None | None | None | None |
Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 5,050 mAh | Undisclosed; Apple claims as much as 23 hours of video playback (20 hours streamed) |
Fingerprint sensor | Underneath show | Underneath show | Underneath show | None (Face ID) |
Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
Headphone jack | None | None | None | None |
Particular options | Titanium body, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and safety updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dirt resistance; wi-fi PowerShare to cost different gadgets; built-in S Pen; UWB for locating different gadgets; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cowl glass | 4 years of OS updates, 5G (Sub6, mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wi-fi PowerShare to cost different gadgets; built-in S Pen; 100x House Zoom; 10x optical zoom; UWB for locating different gadgets; 45W wired charging | 5G (Sub 6, mmWave); VPN by Google One; 7 years of OS, safety and Characteristic Drop updates; front-facing digital camera has autofocus; 13W Qi wi-fi charging; 30W wired charging; USB-3.2 speeds by way of USB-C; IP68 mud and water resistance; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on back and front | 5G (Sub6, mmWave); Motion Button, All the time-On show, IP68 water resistance, MagSafe, Dynamic Island, 5x optical zoom (120mm equal), satellite tv for pc connectivity, eSIM, thread networking know-how |
US value begins at | $1,300 (256GB) | $1,200 (256GB) | $999 (128GB) | $999 (128GB) |
UK value begins at | £1,249 (256GB) | £1,249 (256GB) | £999 (128GB) | £999 (128GB) |
Australia value begins at | AU$2,199 (256GB) | AU$1,949 (256GB) | AU$1,699 (128GB) | AU$1,849 (128GB) |