This year, too, we don’t know who the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is intended for. In particular, the price is too high to compete.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series consists of two devices that have a right to exist in their niche and one vague device in between. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus failed to impress us last year, and this year the S24 Plus has the same problem.

We can understand the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: muscle, the very best, exotic price, the absolute flagship. The regular S24 has a right to exist due to its compact size, which becomes unique in the market.

This means that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (1,149 euros including VAT) has to compete with all the top devices in its price class, while the S24 Ultra is the absolute winner and keeps the best functions for itself. Result: The S24 Plus is in no man’s land.

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Apart from a larger screen, a larger battery and faster charging capacities, there are no differences in the Samsung Galaxy S24. So read our detailed review to find out all the details. In this test we focus on the most important differences to the S24, but also on the similarities with its predecessor, the S23 Plus.

The screen has grown a fraction to 6.7 inches in a year (from 6.6 inches). This results in a slightly taller device (158.5 mm vs. 157.8 mm), but not wider. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is even slightly narrower than its predecessor.

For the first time, the Plus version also has a high-resolution screen like the Ultra flagship. The S24 Plus has a screen resolution of 1,440 x 3,120 pixels, while the S23 Plus “only” has 1,080 x 2,340 pixels. We deliberately put this “but” in quotation marks because we cannot tell the difference with the naked eye. Ideal for showcasing specifications.

Performance

This year, Samsung is once again using its own chips for the Galaxy S24 Plus (and S24). Only the Galaxy S24 Ultra gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on board: the same as in the OnePlus 12. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus gets an Exynos 2400 chip. In terms of CPU performance, it comes very close to the Qualcomm chip.

Do you feel this difference in daily use? No not really. Every phone in this segment, even the “slower” Google Pixel 8 Pro, feels lightning fast.

picture quality

When it comes to photography, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus takes a step forward, especially in terms of software. The cameras are identical to those of its predecessor, which performed well last year.

There are three cameras on the back of the device: 50 MP OIS f/1.8 main camera, 10 MP OIS f/2.4 3x zoom camera and 12 MP f/2.2 wide-angle camera. They are identical to those of the Galaxy S23 Plus. Be sure to read our review to see more photo examples.

This year, Samsung continues the path of realistic photos without too much saturation. During the day, the camera performs excellently and can compete with the best smartphones. We may see slightly more contrast in the S24 photos than in the S23 photos, but since we can’t do a direct comparison, we can’t be sure.

Take a look at the photos above and judge for yourself what you think of the quality.

Battery life and charging

While we were disappointed with Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 chip in terms of consumption in the S24, the chip in the Galaxy S24 Plus is less greedy. The chip requires less energy under pressure, resulting in significantly longer battery life.

Compared to last year’s S23 Plus, we see an improvement, but are particularly jealous of the much more economical Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip in the S24 Ultra. Even though the battery capacity of both is almost identical, the top model lasts significantly longer. A missed opportunity by Samsung not to use this chip in Europe.

Like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus supports charging with up to 45 watts. Since the battery is a little larger, it now lasts a little longer. It’s down to earth. Rather, give us charging performance like the OnePlus 12, where fifteen minutes of charging is enough to last a whole working day. Ideal for breakfast instead of traditionally charging your phone overnight.

Diploma

The biggest upgrade of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (1,149 euros including VAT) is undoubtedly the update policy: seven years of security updates and seven years of Android OS updates. You can still welcome Android 21 on this device. This puts Samsung in line with the Google Pixel series, to which the same conditions apply.

It is suddenly the most important reason not to choose the Galaxy S23 Plus, which is on average 250 euros cheaper. The devices are almost identical, although the S23 has already “lost” a year of updates. At the time of writing, you’re only entitled to four years of security updates and three Android OS updates. Then choose the S24 Plus with seven years of updates, even if the price difference is large.

If we compare it with the Google Pixel 8 Pro, the choice becomes much more difficult. Both are remarkably close to each other with seven years of updates, but the Pixel 8 Pro is 50 euros cheaper and has a better battery. There are also only minor differences in the area of ​​AI functions. Looking further, there’s the OnePlus 12, which offers many more camera options, charges faster and costs 200 euros less.

The S24 Ultra is also above that. Anyone who wants to spend 1,149 euros on a new cell phone today wants the best. The Galaxy S24 Plus is a compromise because the Ultra is exactly what you want. Then go for the Google Pixel 8 Pro or OnePlus 12 or set aside an extra budget and go for the S24 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is available in four colors: black, gray, purple and yellow. The basic version gets 12 GB of RAM with 256 GB of storage and costs 1,149 euros including VAT.

Android Update Policy: Samsung guarantees that the Galaxy S24 Plus will receive at least seven years of security updates and seven years of Android OS updates. This period begins with the launch on January 31, 2024 with Android 14.