Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in First Test: First True AI Cell Phone Beats Google

Samsung really delivers on AI, as first tests show, making the Galaxy S24 Ultra a better phone.

With the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung beat its closest partner earlier in the year when it came to the question of which brand could actually offer the best AI smartphones. Last fall, Google wanted to be the first manufacturer to shine with AI functions in its smartphones, but the disappointment was ultimately great. He is still there today. Samsung wins.

In my first tests with the new Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, it quickly became clear that Google has been talking a lot and preparing, but has so far delivered very little. There’s still no AI in the keyboard app, Samsung’s new translator is a big step forward and the photo editor looks more sophisticated and doesn’t seem like a bad effort.

Samsung clearly beats Google when it comes to AI functions

Why do I barely use Magic Editor on my Google Pixel 8 Pro? He is very slow. This is annoying with Magic Eraser. Suggestions are taking too long to load. You have to drink several coffees until you finish editing in the magical editor. And then you can process only one process at a time. Samsung does it better.

However, you can use the S-Pen to be more precise when selecting objects:

Here, AI functions are not only more accessible, they can be used more widely and react many times faster. It’s fun because you really want to try out the editor, get more out of the photos or adapt them better to your own liking. Curious: Samsung relies on Google’s AI model.

It’s easy to have a photo enhanced by AI. The software shows you where the changes are particularly visible.

But when it comes to photo editors, Samsung isn’t the only one ahead. The updated keyboard app includes three AI functions, while Pixel users can’t use any of the announced innovations yet. In fact, I’m getting used to the Samsung keyboard from the Gboard. For example, he can correct long texts and rewrite my casual spelling for business correspondence. Everything is right in the keyboard app and in seconds.

These functions are not gimmicks, but can noticeably help users write better and more selectively in daily life. It often happens to me that I need to write long texts on my mobile device, so these tools are a great thing.

I think the solutions are already well integrated into the Samsung keyboard and can be used intuitively. A lot was made when the new devices were launched and Google didn’t deliver until months later.

The camera system is new, but has old vulnerabilities

Overall, the camera seems faster, but the 200 MP image sensor still has weaknesses when it comes to indoor photography and moving objects. I can now take pictures of cats and babies better than before. Samsung announced that the improved image sensor should be faster.

Eliminating 10x zoom via hardware isn’t really a loss. Thanks to the 50 MP image sensor, the new 5x camera can zoom to 10x if needed and in good quality. Otherwise, I like that I can also take close-up photos with the 3x camera, and the customizability of the camera app, which is pretty good now, is still a big plus.

Basically, the biggest difference in a pixel is still that the ratio of successful snapshots is lower. It could be due to software or hardware, for me Samsung just didn’t reach the highest level in this regard. Check out the photos in lowlight, they look good too.

What is clearly visible is that the photos now look softer and not so sharp. On the other hand, visible image noise sets in more frequently or more quickly. Especially with zoom cameras, everything should be still, then the photos will work well. If you shake too much (due to wind or something else) or the objects move a lot, the image quality decreases.

If you are interested in some recordings, Check out this Google Photos album bridle

Performance, battery and screen are top notch

Otherwise, we don’t have to start again with original slime, there is the highest technical level that you can buy, especially with smartphones. Perhaps apart from fast charging, which again made no progress at 45 watts. The S-Pen, adequately treated, is the industry’s most practical unique selling point.

Samsung has integrated a remarkably bright screen that delivers very strong picture quality. But I won’t be able to use maximum brightness until summer. But what is already noticeable is that the new Gorilla Glass used can actually absorb the backlight better and is therefore less reflective.

Case in point, the Galaxy S24 Ultra looks bigger:

There will be nothing to complain about in terms of battery life either. The S24 Ultra is again a constant runner in the first few days, quickly making my previous Pixel 8 Pro look outdated. Supposedly similar technology reveals its differences, the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset from Qualcomm is incredibly good and also very efficient in modem, WLAN, etc. for mobile communication.

Samsung can happily reduce the range of pre-installed apps by a few applications. Otherwise, I can do a lot with OneUI now. It’s not what I love about Pixel phones, but overall it’s the best smartphone software on the market. The extremely high level of detail with which OneUI and Samsung apps can be customized reflects the original concept of Android.

The new case, with less curves and in matte titanium, is very pleasant and feels great in the hand:

Conclusion on Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: More innovation in software than hardware

Samsung has once again improved its best Android phone and adapted it to the current situation. No surprises there. Expectations shouldn’t be too high when it comes to cameras, so I expect more improvements with updates, especially for indoor photography. They have really delivered in the field of artificial intelligence, because Samsung actually provides practical functions. The new Galaxy S24 Ultra is undoubtedly one of the best devices of the year once again.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

With the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung does a lot right, providing practical AI functions, but the camera remains the clearest weak point compared to Google and co.

Editor’s Rating:

4.5